Explore WNC from Home: Webcams & Virtual Tours
Some days you can’t get to the mountains, and some days you just want to know what the weather is doing up there before you drive. This page rounds up live webcams and virtual experiences from across Western North Carolina. Use them to check fog, snow, and fall color before a road trip, or just to see the Smokies at sunrise from your kitchen table.
Live Webcams: Mountain Views & Parks
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Look in on the highest peaks in the Smokies. The park has six webcams, including views from Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome), Newfound Gap, Look Rock, and Purchase Knob. Images refresh about every 15 minutes, and some cameras only run in the warmer months. See the Smokies webcams from Friends of the Smokies.
Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation hosts live cams along the Parkway. Closest to Asheville is the view from the Pisgah Inn at milepost 408. Farther north, you can watch the seasons change at The Bluffs at milepost 241 and the Blue Ridge Music Center at milepost 213. See the Blue Ridge Parkway webcams.
Chimney Rock State Park Check the view of the famous Chimney before you head to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. See the Chimney Rock live webcam.
Live Webcams: Towns & Downtowns
Downtown Asheville EarthCam and The Omni Grove Park Inn share a live view of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Watch the Asheville live cam. (This cam has advertisements.)
Bryson City Explore Bryson City offers several live views. Watch the trains come and go at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad depot, check out downtown, and see whitewater on the Nantahala River. The page also links to Smokies cams at Kuwohi and Look Rock. See the Bryson City webcams.
Brevard Get a live look at Brevard, the gateway to Pisgah National Forest and the Land of Waterfalls. See the Explore Brevard live cam.
Webcams for Trip Planning
Cataloochee Ski Area Heading to Maggie Valley to ski? Check the slopes before you go. Cataloochee’s mountain cams show the base area from the lodge and the Upper Omigosh trail from the summit. A third cam, looking from Hemphill Bald toward the ski area, is offline for repairs. See the Cataloochee mountain cams.
DriveNC Road Cameras Mountain weather changes fast. NCDOT’s DriveNC site shows live traffic cameras, road closures, and conditions across the state. There’s also a free DriveNC app. Check road conditions on DriveNC.
Tip: Before a Parkway drive, check the webcams for fog, ice, or snow. The Parkway often closes in stretches during winter weather.
Virtual Tours & Online Exhibits
Asheville Art Museum Browse the museum’s collection of American art from the 20th and 21st centuries online. Explore the collection.
Southern Highland Craft Guild See work by some of the region’s finest craftspeople in the Guild’s online exhibitions. Then plan a visit to the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tour the exhibitions.
Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail Explore Asheville’s Black history through an online app with audio, music, and commentary. Listen from home, then walk the trail in person. Learn about the trail.
Bring the Mountains Home
Fireflies: See photos of the Synchronous and Blue Ghost Fireflies that light up our forests in late spring.
Free visitor guides: Order free printed travel guides from towns and counties across Western North Carolina.
Our newsletter: Sign up for seasonal ideas, events, and travel deals delivered to your inbox.
Plan Your Real Trip
When you’re ready to trade the webcam for the real view, start with our Top Things to Do, find a place to stay in our Lodging Guide, and discover the charm of our Small Towns.
