When to Go

Western North Carolina is a four-season destination. Dates for high season vary from hotel to hotel, but generally it's from Memorial Day through early November. It's most difficult to get a hotel reservation on weekends in October, which is peak leaf-peeping time. June to August draws a lot of families because kids are out of school. Around ski resorts at the higher elevations, winter, especially the Christmas season and the months of January and February, is prime time; elsewhere, these winter months are slow, and a few hotels and restaurants close. Spring, late March to late May, is a great time to visit, as the spring wildflowers bloom and the landscape turns green.