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g Transylvania County
Whitewater Falls.
TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY TOURISM/EXPLOREBREVARD.COM
Transylvania County
BREVARD | ROSMAN | LAKE TOXAWAY
Transylvania County is a mashup of authentic, quaint mountain communities and wilderness destinations that are the heart of adventure for any visitor or resident.
“There’s an incredible amount of things to do,” says Clark Lovelace, executive director of the local tourism development authority.
Transylvania County has long been known as “The Land of Waterfalls,” with some 250 waterfalls ranging from small and gentle to big, breathtaking plunges into mountain pools. Looking Glass Falls drops 60 feet amid a stunning crop of boulders and is one of the most photographed waterfalls in the country, while Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide where a quarter-million visitors each year careen down its long, slick surface into a sixfoot-deep pool at the bottom.
The charm and appeal of the county’s seat, Brevard, distinguishes it as an epicenter for outdoor adventures, education, art, and music.
More than half of the land in Transylvania is publicly owned, including 88,000 acres of Pisgah National Forest, the 10,000-acre DuPont State Park, and the 7,600-acre Gorges State Park. The headwaters of the French Broad River, one of the oldest rivers in the world, are located near the town of Rosman, and the Davidson River, a renowned trout-fishing destination, flows through the national
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AGENT’S CHOICE: “The best place to fish in WNC is in DuPont State Recreational Forest. DSRF contains five lakes that are classified as inlandpublic fishing waters, wild trout being the main fish in these waters. The joy of fly fishing is excellent relaxation and a great way to bring home the catch of the day.”
— Christopher Purser, North Asheville office
forest and along the outskirts of Brevard itself.
Check a list of the best biking, camping, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, horseback riding, paddling, and sightseeing opportunities, and Transylvania County is almost always counted among the best.
An editor for Bike Magazine called Transylvania County “definitely one of the top three places in the universe I’ve ever ridden. Maybe the best.”
Another natural treasure tucked within the Pisgah National Forest is the Cradle of Forestry, the first forestry school in the United States. The national forest is also home to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education, which hosts students of all ages.
Perched in a sun-dappled plateau on the edge of Brevard, The Brevard Music Center stands as one of the country’s premier summer programs for orchestral ensembles, chamber music, and opera. Faculty and students present numerous concerts each season, and the center has hosted world-class soloists, including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and Frederica Von Stade. Its summer festival concert series has welcomed a variety of nonclassical artists, from Lyle Lovett to Peter, Paul, & Mary. Then, there is plenty to enjoy in the heart of Brevard, a vibrant and walkable hub of shops, boutiques, galleries, pubs, and eateries. Music aficionados also enjoy 2021 SALES shows at Brevard College’s Paul Porter Center for the Performing Transylvania County Arts. The college, a small liberal arts school of over 700 students, is MEDIAN PRICE ........ located near downtown.
The college hosts the worldtouring Banff Mountain Film Festival, a big-screen celebration of films and documentaries about life and sports in the wild.
Between April and December, the Fourth Friday Gallery Walks offer a pleasant way to explore local businesses. More local arts are highlighted on the Scenic 276 South Fine Art & Craft Corridor — a 13-mile stretch of highway that showcases numerous galleries and studios.
The Brevard area is home to a rare concentration of white squirrels, and each May the community celebrates with the White Squirrel Festival, which features a parade, free concerts, a “Squirrel Box Derby,” and other “nutty” amusements.
In nearby Rosman is the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, a former NASA tracking station reimagined as a science learning center designed to engage learners of all ages. n
$372,500 AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET............. 47 PERCENT OF LISTING PRICE......... 98% NUMBER OF UNITS ............. 780
What started out as a simple family excursion turned into a life-altering event for Cristin Knowlton.
“I was a lawyer living in Florida, and my son got interested in rock climbing, so we’d take trips to Western North Carolina to climb,” Knowlton said. “After that first climb, I became obsessed. I’ve gotten so into it and have been able to climb all over the world, which ultimately led me to buying Fox Mountain.” Now the owner/manager for Fox Mountain Guides & Climbing School in Brevard, Knowlton has operated the company since 2012. Created in 2004, Fox Mountain is the only accredited guide service and climbing school recognized by the American Mountain Guides Association.
“Our family had only been doing some indoor rock climbing in Orlando for a few months. But, we came up here for a wedding and decided to take our kids on a real rock climbing trip,” Knowlton said. “We chose Fox Mountain because of the company’s phenomenal guides and how welcoming they were to beginners looking to get into the sport.”
Even though Knowlton was apprehensive about heights, there was something invigorating about rock climbing. She couldn’t shake the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment felt atop a mountain after a rigorous climb. Knowlton was hooked.
“Honestly, it’s the singular focus that it takes to climb, and I think that’s what draws people to it. It’s one of the few things you can do that completely requires one hundred percent focus,” Knowlton said. “And, when you’re up there, you stop thinking about everything else. You could be having the worst day, and then go rock climbing and forget everything else — it’s the physical and mental beauty of it all.”
When the founder of Fox Mountain decided to relocate to New Zealand and needed to sell the business, Knowlton and her business partner jumped at the opportunity.
“Here I was, this housewife and lawyer, with no athletic background, buying a rock climbing business,” Knowlton said. “But, with rock climbing, it’s kind of like physical chess. It’s as much about making the right next move as it is actually pushing your body up a climbing route.”
From several of her favorite spots in Western North Carolina to routes in the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming/Idaho, Joshua Tree National Park in California, and Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, Knowlton has used the sport as a vehicle to travel the planet. Her favorite climb has been the legendary Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps.
“Before rock climbing, I’d only taken one flight on a plane in my life,”
Cristin Knowlton Knowlton marveled. “And with this love for climbing, I was given this other purpose to go and travel, to explore and experience all of these different perspectives that you get when visiting a new place.”
As for living in Western North Carolina, Knowlton doesn’t take for granted how special and unique this area is when it comes to the outdoors and the seemingly endless opportunities to immerse oneself in the depths of Mother Nature.
“Pretty much anything you could want to do outside is in this region,” Knowlton said. “Rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, skiing — there’s something for everybody.” n
