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We've compiled the best of the best in The North Carolina Mountains - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Fontana Village bustles during summertime with vacationing families here for activities like hiking, mountain biking, mini golf, disc golf, a small water park, and, of course, Fontana Dam. The resort's lodge is comfortable but shows its age. Some rental cabins around the resort are a bit newer, and all are an excellent value as a base camp to explore the nearby access points into the national park.
The 10 off-the-wall accommodations at this "glampground" range from a renovated double-decker English bus to a super hero–themed tiny house. Each space has a different theme, and several are large enough to accommodate families. The grounds are beautiful and include a small pond and creek.
The 2023 renovation of this former Super 8 is so impressive—a stone fireplace in the lobby, shiplap walls in bathrooms, attractive mountain scenery on the walls—that it feels like new construction. Breakfast is equally stellar: locally roasted coffee, bagels and scones from Boone's Stick Boy Bread Company, and a full buffet of fresh biscuits, scrambled eggs, and country ham. There's free parking, and you'll need a car—it's a few miles from downtown.
This welcoming B&B occupies an 1878 home whose age is an advantage rather than a deterrent. Rooms have comfortable modern amenities, and owners/hosts Gladys and Larry Pilarski are a joyful presence. Sitting on the porch in the afternoon feels like a slice of small-town life from a bygone era.
