Life was full of challenges this spring. And when the obstacles of life keep rising up at us, presenting as one ridgeline after another, sometimes it helps to just go all in and simultaneously immerse yourself in the mountains.

Yes, I live in Asheville, encircled by the beautiful blue hues of surrounding ridgelines, but when I want to really be in the mountains, away from tourists and noise and traffic, when I want to experience a part of Western North Carolina that feels more untouched – more natural, I go to Graham County.

For those who haven’t heard of Graham County, I’m not surprised. It’s a hidden gem, tucked away in the corner of Western North Carolina in the shadows of the Smokies and next to Tennessee. It is comprised primarily of National Forest and Eastern Band of Cherokee lands. And the biggest town, Robbinsville, has a population of just under 600 residents. It also offers some of the largest tracts of undeveloped land in the East and close to 300 miles of trails.

As a family, we’ve made some of our best memories in Graham County: swimming and picnicking at Lake Santeetlah, camping with friends at Rattler Ford Group Campground, and making an annual pilgrimage to visit the ‘tree giants’ at Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.

But my introduction to Graham County came way before I met my husband or became a mom. I first fell in love with Graham County hiking through it in my twenties.

Graham County is where the most well-known trails in the Southeast come together:

  • The 113-mile Bartram Trail’s western terminus is located at Cheoah Bald.
  • The 300-mile Benton MacKaye Trail travels through the Nantahala National Forest through Graham County to enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Fontana Dam.
  • And the world-renowned Appalachian Trail connects the Bartram Trail at Cheoah Bald to the Benton MacKaye Trail at Fontana Dam – along with 2,100+ additional miles of trail.

The fact that this trifecta comes together in Graham County creates a cornucopia of hiking routes, loops, and circuits in one of the most scenic and remote sections of the Southern Appalachians. SIGN. ME. UP.

So many miles, so many memories. But this spring, my body was in a season of healing and not quite ready for multiday campouts. So now the question was: Can some of the most epic and hard-to-reach mountains in the Southeast also be accessible as day hikes??

As it turns out, Graham County is uniquely situated for inn-to-inn hiking adventures, and I put together a 3-day, 42-mile route that included accommodations and meals along the route.

Day 1 – By starting at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, you can hike up to Cheoah Bald and enjoy one of the most scenic views on the Appalachian Trail before heading down to Stecoah Gap. The distance between the Nantahala Outdoor Center and Stecoah Gap is 13.8 miles, which honestly doesn’t feel too bad if you are wearing a day pack. From Stecoah Gap, you have the option of staying at the nearby Appalachian Inn or taking a 15-minute ride down into Robbinsville.

I have to say… Robbinsville is ideally set up as a Trail Town because all the services are compact and within walking distance of one another. On this trip, I picked up more food and supplies at the grocery store, headed to Lynn’s Diner for some delicious homemade cobbler, and then spent the night at the newly refurbished Graham Motel.

I was so impressed by the thoughtful and comfortable touches within the newly renovated establishment that I ended up inviting some of my local hiking friends to enjoy sunset on the back patio before turning in for the night.

Day 2 – Getting back to the trail… it is another 14.2 miles from Stecoah Gap to reach Fontana Dam, where you can then hike or take the shuttle to Fontana Village Resort for another comfortable overnight stay, with dinner and breakfast served onsite.

Day 3 – Depending on whether you start your day at Fontana Village or Fontana Dam, it is another 12–14 miles on the Benton MacKaye Trail to reach the historic Tapoco Lodge.

That’s three 14-mile days, for 42 miles total through some of the most undisturbed forests in the Southeast, and you never have to pitch a tent or cook a meal! You don’t have to go to the Alps or the White Mountains of New England for a hut-to-hut experience – you can do it right here in Graham County.

After reaching Tapoco Lodge, I reconnected with some of my local trail friends to explore some “new-to-me” Graham County highlights: I stopped to see the waterfall at Yellow Creek, enjoyed an afternoon mead with friends at Wherloom Honey, and drove up Snowbird Mountain to finally experience the historic lodge and its celebrated restaurant in person.

And let me just say that Snowbird Mountain Lodge – and the food – did not disappoint! Much like the mountains of Graham County, the lodging options feel like hidden gems. Not huge resorts flooded with tourists, but intimate escapes where the entire experience, from food to architecture, tells the story of place.

Driving back home, I couldn’t help but notice that I was smiling. There was a subtle loosening of my shoulders, my breaths felt deep, my chest full but relaxed. Some of the best medicine is found in the mountains. And some of the best mountains… are found in Graham County.