Swain County is owned by the Federal Government, — which, by
definition, the county receives no income from property taxes on
that land. Actually, not all of it is federal land. The northern
two-thirds is part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The southern part (mostly south of US-74) is part of Nantahala
National Forest. A good hunk at the eastern side of the county
is the Cherokee Indian Reservation. What's left? A strip of land
— at least most of it — between Whittier and Bryson City and
north of US-74. Sure, the Feds have been generous and allowed
some private ownership around the communities of Alarka, Almond
and Lauada.
The up side to this is that there are thousands of acres of
beautiful mountain forestland for you to enjoy, — preserved and
safeguarded from developers. The Little Tennessee River and
Tuckasegee River unite at the Graham County border. The
Nantahala River joins the Little Tennessee River several miles
upstream. And, upstream from this confluence is the famous
whitewater section of the Nantahala River. Take a drive along
US-19/74 and you can see the kayakers from your car.
The town of Cherokee (don't confuse the TOWN of Cherokee
with the COUNTY of Cherokee) iis primarily for tourism.
The Oconaluftee Indian Village - a real live Indian village
created for tourists. Here you can see portrayed Cherokee
village life 250 some years ago. On exhibit are native potters,
basket weavers, beadworkers, blowgun marksmen and dozens of
other exhibits. The real attraction,
(continued in column 2) |
(continued from column 1)
however,
seems to be the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino which, incidently, is the major source
of income to the Cherokee Tribe.
In the summer, the Cherokees put on their famous Unto These Hills
Outdoor Drama which tells the tragic story of how the Cherokee
ancestors were forcefully driven out of the Great Smoky
Mountains and marched 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. This may be a
little heavy for younger children but, if you have kids with
you, they will probably enjoy tubing at the nearby Deep Creek
Tubes. Of course, there is the Cherokee Bear Zoo and the
Cherokee Indian Museum. So it
really doesn't matter who owns the land; it is there for you to
enjoy.
Asheville will probably be your launch point in your search for a
new home in this mountain paradise. In
WNC-Tour-Guide.com,
our sister web site, you
can let you computer mouse lead you to descriptions of the many
attractions and adventures Western North Carolina mountains have
to offer. Then via our directories of the real estate agencies
in each of our mountain counties, you can contact someone to
learn what may be available to meet your needs, desires and
budget. Or, fill out our simple form
and we will contact those agencies we feel may be best staffed
to assist you in your search. And, while you're looking, we have
included links to convenient, comfortable
hotels and motels any
of which would delight in being your host. And, yes, you can
make instant, on-line reservations and receive an immediate,
printed confirmation. |
