Maggie Valley has been a popular family resort town in the mountains of North Carolina for many years. It's only 35 miles west of downtown Asheville. It's a laid-back, "old-fashioned" town with vintage motels, fun festivals, car and motorcycle rallies, plenty of craft shops for browsing and lots of other to do. Get in touch with your inner hillbilly with bluegrass music, moonshine and clogging. Most all businesses are located along Soco Road, a five-mile stretch of US Highway 19. Your first stop should be the Maggie Valley Visitor Center (1110 Soco Rd), open every day with friendly and helpful locals.
A must-see is Wheels Through Time (62 Vintage Lane - along Soco Road), an impressive motorcycle and car museum with an amazing collection of many rare items. They are open April-November. Read more.
New in town is Elevated Mountain Distilling (3732 Soco Road), located just a mile from Wheels Through Time. Take a free tour and see the fanciest moonshine still around. Taste some of their spirits and browse their store with great t-shirts and souvenirs. Read more.
Stay on a ranch and ride horses high in the Great Smokies at Cataloochee Ranch. Or stop by for lunch, dinner and hiking. Read more!
Plus, find many mom-and-pop motels in Maggie Valley with that authentic vintage, down-home style with much lower rates than Asheville. Go to the Maggie Valley website for a motel directory.
Don't miss the longtime favorite Cabbage Rose (3388 Soco Road), a knick-knack shopper's dream complete with a Christmas Shop. Be careful, you could get lost in this big place packed with things you didn't know you needed!
Watch Appalachian dance at Stompin' Ground (3116 Soco Road), the clogging capital of the world. Dance with your honey to live country and bluegrass music (clogging lessons offered). They are only open on Saturday nights, April through October. See our Stompin' Ground Guide.
The Maggie Valley Opry (3605 Soco Road) is very simple in appearance but boasts legendary performances by owner Raymond Fairchild, a five-time "Banjo Player of the Year". He's a lifetime member of the "Bluegrass Hall of Fame" and has recorded 20+ albums during his 50+ years in music. Showtime is 8 PM on Thursday-Saturday nights, April-October, $12/person.
The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds (3422 Soco Road) hosts a big variety of events year-round, including the Hillbilly Jam, art festivals and many car shows and rallies. For the latest events calendar for Maggie Valley, go to their website.
Cataloochee Ski Area is usually the first open with their 18 mile-high slopes and trails with 100% snowmaking and 3 lifts. Their ski and snowboard school teaches all ages, including a special center for ages 4-12. They are located about 3 miles up the mountain from town. Tube World (4721 Soco Road) offers 12 lanes of snow tubing in the valley. Read more about Cataloochee Ski Area!
Near Maggie Valley, stay in caboose turned luxury vacation rental on a bison farm! Read more about Buffalo Creek.
Nearby Towns: Just five miles east is Lake Junaluska and eight miles away is downtown Waynesville. Cherokee is 17 miles west.
Directions from Asheville (35 miles): Take I-40 West to Exit #27 (US 74) for the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. In about 4 miles, take exit 103 for US 19 South/Maggie Valley.
More: For additional info on things to do, restaurants and places to stay in Maggie Valley, go to their website.
Nearby Things to Do
Top Maggie Valley Festivals
A Look Back: Ghost Town
Ghost Town in the Sky: This longtime favorite amusement park has had a turbulent time recently, with closings and openings. Currently, it's closed and for sale. Take a behind the scenes photo tour of the abandoned park!
