Our Recommendations For The Best Places To Stay When Visiting Bryson City, NC
We”ve been visiting Bryson City for years and have managed to find some really special places to stay in this fun outdoor adventure town.
Overall, we love staying downtown for the convenience of restaurants, shops, and afternoon strolls to watch the train at the Train Depot. After a day out having fun, it is so nice to come back and park the car until the next day.
And we’ve also enjoyed cozy mountain cabins and even camping. There’s plenty of lodging options with hotels being the exception. The only chain hotel is the Sleep Inn near the exit from Hwy 74 and not really within walking distance of Main Street.
In place of hotels, you will find several very nice, small local inns and other lodges with small numbers of rooms available at each.
Here are our lodging recommendations for a fantastic stay in Bryson City:
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See our blog “Weekend Getaway To Bryson City” for our complete guide to all the fun things to do in this outdoor town.
Where To Stay: Downtown Bryson City
We love staying downtown for the convenience of coming back from a great day on the water or the trails, parking the car, and walking to a restaurant, coffee shop or brewery.
Also see Our Favorite Places To Eat In Bryson City
Aloft in the Smokies
Above the McClanahan’s Collectibles store on Everett St, Aloft has four lovely 2 BR/ 2 BA condos with efficiency kitchens. It is great to park the car at your lodgings and leave it there while you explore all that Bryson City has to offer out your front door.
They also have 2 larger lofts on the 2nd floor of 2 buildings down the street across from the Presbyterian Church (at the north end of Everett St). Those 2 larger lofts have full kitchens and washer/dryers.
The Lofts above McClanahan’s are quiet and have a separate sleeping area for the kiddos.Â
It has one king bedroom downstairs and a queen bed up in the loft. Full bath upstairs and downstairs.Â
Cooking supplies were limited, so if you plan to cook several meals we would recommend bringing a cutting board, knife, and sauté pan.
Overall, we had a great experience Aloft In The Smokies, and it will be our first lodging choice when we return.
The Everett Hotel is a lovely boutique hotel with a great location downtown, a rooftop terrace with views, and an included full breakfast. Most rooms sleep only 2 but a couple of rooms sleep 4, and the basement 2 BR suite sleeps 6. This is probably the swankiest option in the area.
Calhoun House Inn & Suites has been hosting travelers to Bryson City since 1920 (it has been updated since then!). Each suite has its own theme (I stayed in the Hollywood Suite with photos and memorabilia from the golden age of movies- it was so fun) and has a full kitchen.
The 4 suites in the main house share a huge porch with a nice view over Bryson City and the mountains beyond. The 2 BR / 2 BA Tree House is in a separate building and is huge (880 sq ft), with a kitchen and washer/ dryer. It is a short walk to Everett St and all the things downtown from Calhoun House.
(There is also a Historic Calhoun House Hotel on Everett St but it is not associated. Apparently the Calhouns were big on running lodgings back in the day in Bryson City.)
Historic Hazel House – Downtown Bryson City is a lovingly restored 1902 house on Main St, just across from Jimmy Mac’s restaurant. With 2 BR/ 2 BA, a full kitchen, washer/dryer, a nice porch, and a cool display of all the historic bits and pieces they found while renovating, this is a great house made for a fun weekend getaway.
BC Downtown Villa! Walk To Shops, Food, Brews! If you are traveling with your 4 legged and furry family members, this is a dog-friendly house with a secure backyard.
For all human family members you will find a spacious 3 BR/ 1 BA house that sleeps 6 and has a backyard fire pit. On Academy Street near the Methodist Church and easy walking distance to everything downtown.
The Everett Suite Above Dolce– 1 Bedroom with sleeping sofa and futon in the living room sleeping a total of 6. Walking distance to everything downtown. You can walk to shops, breweries, restaurants, and the train depot or you can sit on your private front deck and watch the train!
Complimentary muffin and coffee each morning at Dolce is an added bonus. They also offer a comparable Mitchell Suite.
Where To Stay: Mountain Cabins With Views For Rent Near Bryson City
But if you want more room or a mountain view, you are probably better off with a cabin or other short-term rental versus staying right downtown. There are plenty of cabin rentals in the area (understatement!) and many are not more than a 5 minute drive from downtown.
Some are precipitously situated on mountainsides however, and may require 4 wheel drive to get there, especially in inclement weather, so read descriptions carefully.
The vacation rentals listed here are located within 20 minutes of Nantahala Outdoor Center, Tsali Recreation Area, and downtown Bryson City:
2 Bedrooms plus a loft with a 3rd bed and full bathroom. VRBO 3849684ha. Mountain views and a covered porch. Within 15 minutes of everything.
Million $$$ Views at Longview Cabin. VRBO 28792. Amazing views and a fun basement with pool table and ping pong. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths.
2 Bedrooms plus a loft with a 3rd bed and full bathroom. VRBO 3849684ha. Mountain views and a covered porch. Within 15 minutes of everything.
CHARMING LOG CABIN..Views..Secluded..Hot Tub..Game Room..Fire Pit..Close to Town You must be doing something right to have 165 people giving you 5/5 reviews. This 2 BR (with additional beds in an upstairs loft) can sleep 6 and has 2.5 bathrooms, which is so helpful when you have teenagers that take 30 minute showers.
Great views from the porch and fire pit area plus a washer/dryer mean this cabin certainly has just about everything you could want and still is just a 5 min drive into Bryson City.
Check VRBO listings for additional vacation homes in the area.
Where To Stay- Campgrounds Near Bryson City, NC
Campgrounds are also plentiful in the area and some are quite close to town, including the large national park campground at Deep Creek.
Great Smoky National Park Campground at Deep Creek can be crowded and offers little privacy, but it does have great access to waterfalls and tubing and is located just a 5 minute drive to Bryson City’s downtown.
Like all NPS campgrounds in the Smokies, there is no electrical or sewer hookups at any site nor showers in the bathhouse. It is a little quieter during the week but fills up on weekends.
Try for one of the walk-in tent sites along the river but be ready to socialize with your neighbors because they will be right there. But you can walk from your tent with your tube up the Deep Creek Trail and spend the day floating through the park so that can make up for it.
Deep Creek Tubing Center And Campground is a fun, family-friendly campground along Deep Creek that offers a bit of everything, plus some goats to pet. 5 tent only primitive sites, a variety of other campsites with electrical and sewer, cabins to rent, a playground, camp store, tube rentals, bathhouse with hot showers, a picnic pavilion with electricity, and even a gem mine.
Add in the goats and your kids will love this place. And you can tube all the way back from the national park back to the campground. What’s not to love? Located between Bryson City and the national park, it is less than 5 minutes to each.
Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) offers cabins, a hostel, and platform tents. The platforms tents would work best for large groups, and the cabins are a bit pricey, but you can’t beat the location.
I have stayed in large group platform tents with about 10 friends years ago and we had a great time. It’s a bit of a walk to the bathrooms at the main area though so it might not be the best lodging choice if you have young kids.
Happy Trails! You will love your adventures in Bryson City! – Amanda
See our blog “Weekend Getaway To Bryson City” for our complete guide to all the fun things to do in this outdoor town.
