Sylva – Western North Carolina’s Hipster Beer Town

Located just less than an hour west of Asheville, Sylva has a lot to offer if you’re looking to be right in the middle of the hills and away from the crowds.

Sylva has a different vibe from some of the other tourist draws in western North Carolina.  Highlands and Cashiers are a bit on the high end side, while Franklin and Bryson City might feel a little more on the lower end side.  Sylva feels right in the middle.  You feel comfortable in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt but it’s still has it’s share of breweries, great food, and the full hipster vibe.  It’s tiny with just a population of 2,700, but it’s central location for many of the best hiking, mountain biking, and river sports keeps tourists coming and it’s proximity to Western Carolina University helps keep it young and vibrant.

The transient population also means it can support a few grocery stores and a Wal-Mart which is always important if you need to stock up when staying longer than a few days.

It has an old school downtown that’s been restored into restaurants, breweries and shops.  Just a few blocks long and easily walkable.

 

 

 

Breweries

Innovation Brewing Company – The true gem of Sylva’s brewery scene and possibly the best North Carolina brewery west of Asheville.  The Spaceman Pale Ale is their classic beer and it’s perfectly crushable.  They’ve stepped up their innovation game as well and there’s always something new to try.

Balsam Falls Brewing – The brewery is a bit dated, but they have a lot of taps and choices.  Some of them hit and some didn’t.

Lazy Hiker Brewing – An outpost for the Franklin, NC brewery, Lazy Hiker offers solid but not spectacular beers.

Nantahala Brewing –  An outpost for the Bryson City brewery, Nantahala’s beers are okay.   To be honest,  you’d come here if you got bored with the other breweries.

 

Food

Dalaya Thai Cuisine – You might not expect to find good Thai food in the Carolina mountains, but you would be wrong.  This place is legit and as good as any Thai I’ve had anywhere.

The Table –  A great modern hipster twist on breakfast or lunch.

Haywood Smokehouse –  This one is located in neighboring Dillsboro, but if you’re not vegan, then you probably want some Carolina BBQ and this place might be the best west of Asheville.  Order whatever floats your boat, but the pork is what you should really order if you want true NC BBQ.

 

Coffee

White Moon Coffee Shop – When you find a good coffee shop in a town, you don’t need to look for another one.  This is the only coffee place you need.

 

 

Activities

Nantahala River – if you’re looking for big rapids, this won’t be the river you’re looking for.  But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth taking a look.  It’s great for families or first timers to get your feet wet with whitewater rafting.  And because of the relatively small rapids, you can even get out on a boat yourself without guide if you’re feeling spunky.   And it’s a great river if you want to take your kayaking up a level, too.

Pinnacle Park –  This is a summit hike and it’s intense.  It’s a 7.5 mile loop up and down the mountain and very rocky.  The first 2.5 miles are straight up and the last 2.5 miles are straight down which can hurt just as much.  But you get sweeping views over the Plott Balsam Mountains and a nice spot to picnic if you hike with a lunch and a beer (which you should always do).

 

Smoky Mountains – It’s just an over an hour from Sylva to Gatlinburg through the Smoky Mountains where you can get some great views pretty much everywhere along the way as well as few chances to get in a hike.  Gatlinburg is pretty much the epitome of tourist hell, so you don’t even have to go that far if spending that much time in your car.  But, if you do need to get caramel apples at a Candy Kitchen, take an old timey western photo of your family, buy an inappropriate T-shirt, or immerse yourself in an overwhelming crowd of obese, sunburned, and poor dressed hillbillies, then Gatlinburg should not be missed.

Fontana Lake – The Fontana Dam is part of the Appalachian Trail and you can do a bit of it if you’d like as an out and back.  Fontana Lake is also a great place to kayak, rent a pontoon boat, or jetski.  It’s a long, skinny lake with lots of connecting rivers to explore.  You get great mountain views from just about anywhere on the lake.