Guest Author - Shannon

Cold Mountain, the best-selling novel by Charles Frazier, tells the story of Inman, a Confederate soldier, and his trek home to Cold Mountain and his love, Ada. There is no town of Cold Mountain, but at its peak you can spend a quiet afternoon of romantic solitude and a oneness with nature.

The Swag Inn

Secluded atop a spectacular 5,000-foot mountain ridge in western North Carolina, The Swag Country Inn commands fifty-mile vistas (including legendary Cold Mountain), private access to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and unique guest rooms boasting hand crafted interiors, stone fireplaces, Jacuzzis and steam showers for two.
The Swag is comprised of six log buildings, five of which are hand-hewn log structures and one dating to 1795. The logs are from Appalachian buildings that include a century-old church. Cold Mountain (6,030 feet) is 18 miles south of The Swag and is clearly visible from the inn’s front porch.

Asheville

The largest city in western North Carolina, Asheville, is about 25 miles northeast of Cold Mountain and makes a good base for any trip to the area.
Leave Asheville and go south about 30 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Cold Mountain Overlook, in a parking area near mile marker 412. The view to the mountain, five miles to the west, is marked by a large, redwood U.S. Park Service sign.
This overlook is the only marked view of the mountain reachable by travelers during the winter months, when much of the parkway is closed due to inclement weather.

If you feel brave enough to attempt a climb of Cold Mountain without a guide, circle around the national forest to the mountain's western flank. This is the best way to reach the trail. Take N.C. Highway 215 south to East Little Fork Road, near the town of Sunburst. The Daniel Boone Scout Camp is 31/2 miles up this road; the trailhead is across from the parking area at the end of the camp.

Before You Go

Read the book “Cold Mountain” or rent the movie, it will make your visit even much more memorable.