Wheels Through Time Museum -
http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/
It's a wonderful experience if you catch it when it's open. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. If there is something going on in town like a rally, maybe it's a nice weekend, or the proprietor wakes up on the right side of the bed that morning, the museum, which hosts an extensive collection of early motorcycles and Harley-Davidson machines, will be open.
Ghost Town in the Sky -
http://www.ghosttowninthesky.com/
Unlike anything else, almost a mile high atop a mountain, whether you reach the park via the incline railway or the chairlift, Ghost Town in the Sky is a unique wild west theme park in the clouds. Home to the Cliffhanger, voted one of the top 10 small roller coasters in the world, it caters to family entertainment during the day. In the evening, enjoy a ride up for food, drink, entertainment and live music.
The Blue Ridge Parkway -
http://blueridgeparkway.org/
America's favorite drive for cars and motorcyclists alike, this "linear national park" traces the highest ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 469 enchanting miles. Millions make the pilgrimage every year, and Maggie Valley lies closest to the highest and most scenic portion of the entire ride. If you see no other section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit the area nearest Maggie Valley, it's the best of the best.
Just minutes up the mountain from downtown, it's one of those must do rides. Waterfalls, long range mountain views, rugged tunnels, and historic architecture grace the sweeping mountain curves from one panoramic overlook to the next.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park -
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
Sitting in your rocker on the porch in the evening, (#1 pastime locally), if you are facing north, you're probably admiring the mountains of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. America's most visited park, it forms the northern border of Maggie Valley. Over 800 square miles of rugged mountain terrain straddle the border between North Carolina and Tennessee and fill the horizon with their majesty.
The Pisgah National Forest -
http://ncnatural.com/NCUSFS/Pisgah/
Comprised of four different ranger districts spread across the western North Carolina mountains, the largest of these lies just south of Maggie Valley. While the Blue Ridge Parkway cuts through the heart of it, hundreds of miles of undiscovered and rarely explored paved two lane back roads lead you to rides and scenery found only in this region. Roadside waterfalls are common. Beautiful long range views, stunning natural beauty, deep and shaded valleys entice riders to experience the challenge of the winding roads which weave through them.
The Elk of Cataloochee -
http://www.romanticasheville.com/elk.htm
What started as an experiment to re-introduce elk in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has blossomed into a fabulous success no more evident than in nearby Cataloochee Valley. Even though it's just "over the hill", the raw forest road leading into remote Cataloochee Valley may convince many motorcyclists "You can't get there from here". Those who brave the graded road (which becomes paved again once you approach the valley), will often be rewarded with exciting encounters with the large and growing herd of wild elk which have found a new home.
Even if you miss the morning and evening periods when these majestic animals emerge from the cool forest into the pastures to graze, you can still enjoy the homes, buildings, a church, barns, and other relics of the early settlers which are preserved and open for your enjoyment. Some bring their fishing rods to pluck a few trout from the crystal clear streams. For those on motorcycles adaptable to unpaved travel, there are miles of road though this section of the park to enjoy.
Cataloochee Ranch and
Ski Resort -
http://www.cataloocheeranch.com/horseback-riding.html and
http://www.cataloochee.com/
Just up the hill from the Ghost Town in the Sky parking lot is Cataloochee Ranch and Cataloochee Ski Area. The ranch offers horseback riding, lodging, and hiking opportunities for visitors. Nearby Cataloochee Ski Area is typically the first to open in the east and one of the last to close. As soon as fall temperatures drop they start the snow making that lasts well into the early spring.
