Top Things to Do in Maggie Valley
Things to Do in Maggie Valley
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- fromper adult (price varies by group size)$462
- Historical Toursfrom
$42per group (up to 4)$38 - fromper adult (price varies by group size)$294
- Adventure Toursfrom
$67per group (up to 4)$60 - Adventure Toursfrom
$29per adult$26 - fromper group (up to 4)$42
- Historical Toursfromper adult (price varies by group size)$143
- On the Waterfromper adult$71
- 4WD Toursfromper adult$149
- Extreme Sportsfromper adult$207
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Other Top Attractions around Maggie Valley
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Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
What travellers are saying
- IstagerChester, VA11 contributionsIt will take some time to go through this museum, it is jam full of memories. My husband enjoyed it more than I did, but this trip was all about him and what he wanted to do. This was the reason we visited Maggie Valley. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, this is a must visit if in the area.Written 24 October 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- tracylynhClinton, TN427 contributionsStunning views! Be sure to check out sunrise from this overlook! Bathroom facilities and a small Visitor's Center onsite.Written 13 October 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- IstagerChester, VA11 contributionsIt was very relaxing to hear the water rushing. There is a observation platform that isn't that difficult to get to, but if you want to go to the bottom of the falls, it is more difficult to get down. On the way up, I did find another way - when at the bottom of the falls, if facing the waterfall, go left and follow the creekbed a little ways , you will see a less steep path going up towards the platform deck.Written 24 October 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jerry CHuntsville, United States27 contributionsCataloochee is a pretty easy drive from most places in the Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, western Virginia area. That's a huge plus if you don't want to spend $1000 on just the plane ticket to get to a big time ski slope out west or even in New England. For less than the price of a plane ticket, you can drive to Cataloochee, check into lodging, ski for a couple of days and eat. Ski rental included. And, the skiing is pretty good if you time it right.
One thing I generally dislike about East Coast area skiing is that most resorts are hell and gone from civilization. Once you get to other resorts you're stuck, and if you have non-skiers with you they have nothing to do except hang around the ski lodge. But, Cataloochee is located just "up the hill" from downtown Maggie Valley and a short drive from Asheville. Not downtown NYC but who wants that anyway? Lots of little shops to check out, a few restaurants, and a couple of wine shops. I'm not a huge fan of Asheville, but if you insist it's only about half an hour down I40. Easy drive to Biltmore Estate or whatever. But, let's get back to skiing.
From the main drag, it's about 3-4 miles up a windy road to the Cataloochee resort. There are three main parking lots, all uphill from the lodge, rental and lift area. Even on a fairly busy holiday weekend I was able to find a spot, but it's a hump to the lodge from even the closest spots. I wouldn't do it in my boots (some do. . . ). I'd bring some walking shoes and plan on getting a locker to put them in at the lodge. Remember, it's a downhill hump from the parking lot to the lodge. But, at the end of the day, when your legs are tired from skiing, it's an uphill slog, carrying your gear, back to the car. Think about that if you go.
One thing I love about Cataloochee is that they limit lift ticket sales per day. You need to reserve your tickets at least a day ahead or risk missing the boat. This has the advantage of keeping the crowd on the slopes down to a reasonable level. That's not to say it doesn't get a little crowded. Lift lines when I was there were a tad long. And, I don't remember skiing anywhere that stopped the chairlift as often as they do at Cataloochee. Nice if you're a beginner and fall trying to jump out at the top of the hill. Not so nice for everyone waiting in line. Some of the staff manage the lines really well and get singles matched up to fill the chairs. That helps. Still, on a busy day I spent quite a lot of time standing in line at the chair lifts. (There are two main ones and a third over by the bunny hill.)
Back to lift tickets. Couldn't be easier. I love the system Cataloochee uses. Order online and pay. You get an e-mail with a QR code. Bring your phone to one of the kiosks on the bottom floor of the lodge, open your e-mail, scan the QR code and a nice laminated lift ticket pops out. There are plenty of zip ties stashed around. Couldn't be easier. (You may want to have your e-mail pulled up on your phone ahead of time; I had adequate cell signal to open my mail, but it was a little slow.)
The hill is about what you should expect on the eastern side of the US. Longest run is probably around half a mile? I'm guessing. Took me less than three minutes to ski down from the very top at a moderate speed. Again, very rough estimate. Even the steepest slope is manageable for an intermediate skier. There's a short stretch with some gentle moguls. They say 18 trails but in reality it's more like six main lines down the mountain. (I've never believed that you can fairly divide a single line into segments and call each segment a "trail.") But, you can sort of mix and match to make several different lines to keep things interesting. Even with the large holiday weekend crowd I pretty much covered every possible line in an afternoon (one section was unfortunately closed due to lack of snow the day I was there). It's a decent hill. Maybe a little smaller than some but good enough. The bunny hill is pretty good for beginners and has an easy chairlift. There's an even "bunnier" bunny area with a magic carpet lift for real beginners. Oh, and a terrain park if you're into that sort of thing. I can't really comment on the terrain park because I'm not into that. I saw it, it's there, that's all I can tell you.
Snow was actually pretty good, especially considering how warm it was this winter. Evidently they can make their own blizzards at Cataloochee, but I missed that action. Apparently they made snow earlier in the day before I arrived. There was plenty of it - no bare spots (except that one closed section). It was a somewhat packed heavy powder consistency, some loose stuff to kick up but not deep. I found it very pleasant. It warmed up considerably on my second day and things got messy so I only used a couple of hours of my 4-hour ticket. (I noticed a lot of other folks were bailing out, too.) That's just a hazard of skiing in The South, especially later in the season. Timing is everything. Timing and luck.
I brought my own gear so I can't comment on the rental situation. I got a coin-operated locker for my shoes which was a simple matter of putting a bill in the change machine and dropping a few quarters in a slot.
The biggest downside to Cataloochee is the lodge. it's just not much of one. First, there's no real fireplace. You can't have a ski lodge without a big, stone fireplace. You just can't. Technically, Cataloochee's lodge does have a fireplace; it's one of those faux gas ones that looks like a screen saver which you'll have to look closely to find (it's tucked into the wall in the bar area). The main floor of the lodge is more of a cafeteria with a lunch line and a bunch of picnic tables in rows. It was packed. There's a nice little bar area at one end. I don't eat at ski resorts, so I can't tell you anything about the food or prices. Looked like mainly pre-made sandwiches and hot dogs. The bar had a decent dark beer and they made my wife a tasty Irish Coffee. Bar prices were pretty reasonable for a ski area.Written 19 March 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - LJEWaynesville, NC6 contributionsThe winery shares space with the B&C Pharmacy, which I'm reviewing. The pharmacist is a jewel, knowledgeable, patient, very interesting to talk to. He is unique in this day. A fine gentleman!Written 19 August 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Traveler430999243762 contributionsJust an absolute BLAST. Casting pool. Excellent vendors. GREAT live music! What more could you want?Written 29 December 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- RobSC1001Gaffney, SC459 contributionsThis is a nice little snow tubing joint. The joint in clean and friendly. There are a lot of kids running around and few free loading kids that hopped the fence.
They need a young kids line/lane and teenage/adultWritten 14 January 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - Laurie SSpring, TX31 contributionsMaggie Valley Fly Shop’s Landon Henley. Watched Landon catch two monster rainbows plus several normal sized nice fish. The highlight was when he hooked a 40 incher that broke his line and zoomed off jumping in the air six times seeming to angrily protest being fooled by a hook with chicken feathers. That rainbow was salmon-sized. 😳 I didn’t get my own monster trout, but I hooked a 28 incher rainbow that got off before Landon could net it. What a fight! Caught three smaller rainbows. Beautiful and awesome day flyfishing. Indescribable. The number, type and size of the trout were incredible. Rainbow, Palominos, Browns. The largest congregation of huge 24 inches plus wild trout in the area-maybe in the world. I’d never seen a Palomino in the wild until today, when a dozen of them all over 24 inches refused my fly! Jaw dropping. I am now on the hunt for a palomino. Must catch!Written 30 October 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Ebeth W21 contributionsWe took a trip to Maggie Valley, NC in October. I discovered St. Margaret of Scotland and wanted to stop in to see it. She's waaaay up the mountain with switchback curves. When we got up there and went inside, my breath was taken away!! The colors of the trees outside the windows were amazing and to see the altar and the mountains arrayed in fall colors took my breath away.Written 24 February 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- TravelingBillGlendale, AZ619 contributionsWe played this course last week. Well maintained course with new carpet-greens. It is not a particularly challenging course, but @$6, a good dealWritten 27 October 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Stephanie S5 contributionsIf in Maggie Valley, stop by here. Chris has such a unique collection of antiques. You won't be disappointed. He is really passionate about everything he has collected. A little pricey on some things (but then again, what do I really know about antiques). We bought a few pieces, and were very satisifed with the processWritten 5 January 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- cygnetvolKnoxville, TN41 contributionsBe ready to spend when you walk in the door because if you are really looking for genuine antiques then this is your store. We bought probably 10 items at least and talked about purchasing a couple of more that we just couldn't come to terms on yet; but we'll be back.Written 21 October 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Maggie Valley
- The top attractions to visit in Maggie Valley are: See all attractions in Maggie Valley on Tripadvisor
- The best outdoor activities in Maggie Valley according to Tripadvisor travellers are: See all outdoor activities in Maggie Valley on Tripadvisor
- The most popular things to do in Maggie Valley with children according to Tripadvisor travellers are:
- Wheels Through Time Transportation Museum
- Waterrock Knob
- Soco Falls
- Cataloochee Ski Area
- Maggie Valley Rock Shop