When to Go

Western North Carolina is a four-season destination. Dates for high season vary from hotel to hotel, but generally it's from Memorial Day through early November. It's most difficult to get a hotel reservation, especially on weekends, in October, which is peak leaf-peeping time. Mid-June to mid-August draws a lot of families, since kids are out of school. Around ski resorts, winter, especially the Christmas season and the months of January and February, is prime time; elsewhere, these winter months are dead, and some hotels are closed.