Bryson City, North Carolina

The scenic Tuckasegee River flows through the middle of this small town, surrounded by the Great Smoky Mountains. Bryson City borders the Nantahala National Forest on the south and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the north. While this small town lacks interesting architecture, it offers ample shopping and boasts excursion train rides of the Nantahala Gorge. Visitors to Bryson City can ride a train and raft a river in the same day! For more train ride information, contact the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. This small town is the county seat of Swain County. In 1889, the residents of the town changed it’s name to "Bryson City" to acknowledge the many services rendered to the city by Thaddeus Bryson.