Discover Brevard: Waterfalls, Trails and Music

Brevard lies in a quiet valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains and combines outdoor experiences with music, festivals and a distinctive town center. Visitors come for the waterfalls, trails, rivers and peaceful forests, but also for the shops and cultural events. If you are looking for a vacation rental or another type of accommodation for your stay, it is therefore worthwhile to first determine the character you want for your trip: nature and activity, culture and music, or a mixture of both.

Nature among Trails, Forests and Waterfalls

Brevard is known as the “Land of Waterfalls” and has 250 waterfalls. This makes the town an appealing destination for trips centered on scenery and exploration. Bracken Preserve lies west of downtown Brevard and borders Pisgah National Forest. The Brevard Greenway forms a system of multi-use trails throughout the town and connects to Pisgah National Forest. Those who enjoy exploring on foot or by bicycle can take these different landscape connections into account when planning their trip.

Another option for outdoor activity is the Estatoe Trail. The paved trail is six miles long and has several access points, particularly at Brevard Depot Park at 390 Railroad Avenue. Jimmy Harris Railroad Depot Park also has a large public parking lot that provides access to the Estatoe Trail system. This allows you to combine different ideas for each day when choosing your accommodation: a stay with longer trails, an excursion into the forest landscape, or a relaxing day in town.

Music, Art and a Vibrant Center

The Brevard Music Center is a summer institute and festival. In addition, it offers a year-round concert series and presents more than 80 concerts featuring internationally renowned artists and talented students. For your trip planning, this means that Brevard appeals not only to visitors who want to experience nature, but also to people who want to combine their stay with concerts and cultural impressions. When searching for a vacation rental, therefore consider whether you want to focus your trip on trails and waterfalls or on the event schedule.

Downtown Brevard is home to more than 110 independently owned shops, including boutiques, galleries, cafés and restaurants. The eight-acre Silvermont Park is also located downtown. The park features a 33-room Colonial Revival-style mansion that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum on the second floor is open weekly, except on holidays, on Thursdays from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. and Fridays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m., from March 1 through the end of October. These fixed hours may be important for planning your day.

Events and Regional Impressions

The Brevard Plein Air Festival is a week-long event featuring on-site painting and local attractions in downtown Brevard. It also includes Quick Draw, a two-hour painting competition downtown. Every Saturday morning, the Transylvania Farmers Market takes place in the Brevard community. Those who want to include local atmosphere, art and culinary discoveries in their vacation will find several different occasions here to shape their trip planning.

Recurring highlights also include White Squirrel Weekend during Memorial Day weekend, held each year as a three-day festival in downtown Brevard, and White Squirrel Day on February 2. A popular cycling event attracts 1,000 cyclists each year and serves as a fundraiser for the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club. Brevard therefore suits a variety of itineraries: active days on the trails, concert visits, market and festival dates, or a combination of nature and town life.

Getting There and Further Destinations

Brevard can be reached via numerous major highways and Interstate highways. Visitors from the Research Triangle and Charlotte can reach the town via I-85. When searching for accommodation, you can therefore first consider whether you want to make nature, the music program, events or the town center the focus of your trip. Find other destinations in this selection at Sapphire and Lake Toxaway.

For the higher-level travel overview: Transylvania County.