Recreation

Appalachian Fly-Fishing

Fly-fishing for mountain trout is a sport at which the fish sometimes win, and the fishermen don’t mind. In the Southern Appalachian Mountains, fly-fishing has a rich and active history. There’s even a Fly-Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Leaf season never looked like this.

Fall in the Appalachians provides a spectacular show as the leaves turn bright shades of gold, orange, and crimson. The colors deepen into richer shades during a short season before turning brown and falling to the earth. In the mountains, valleys, towns or hiking trails throughout the region, the views provide a show that people will travel for miles to see.

As the sport gained popularity, it inspired families to celebrate.

Part of the U.S. landscape for more than 100 years, football has gained more than a toehold in American culture at large and in Appalachian cities and towns. Appalachians cheer for teams from youth leagues, like the Tri-State Football League based in West Virginia, to the professional level, like the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans or Atlanta Falcons.
The Upstate has the trails to challenge you. The challenge of mountain biking involves following a rugged path up inclines and down hills — which is why they call it mountain biking. No one goes to Charleston, South Carolina, on a mountain biking adventure. That would be like traveling all the way to Kansas City for lobster. But Upstate South Carolina offers trails and tribulations for even the most thrill-crazy mountain biker. At the edge of the Appalachian Mountains, the Upstate often gets overlooked in favor of the better-known trails in nearby North Carolina. To keep that from happening to you, presented here are some of the best rides in South Carolina.
Swimming holes dot the Appalachian Mountain chain. There are hundreds if not thousands of swimming holes, in every Appalachian state. Some of these swimming spots are popular, while others are inaccessible to anyone but a dedicated backpacker. Some maybe haven’t even been discovered yet.
Stand up paddleboard (or SUP, for short) is a new recreational activity that’s sweeping across the globe. A fun new way to get around on calm water, SUP is safe for adults and kids who are at least nine years old. Life jackets are recommended and the ability to swim is required. If you’ve never heard of SUP, let us enlighten you. Although different paddleboards are available, they are usually between nine to 12 feet long and 28 to 36 inches wide. They resemble surfboards on steroids. A fin on the submerged side makes the board very stable as you glide across the water.

One of the best things about summer is the freedom to kick back and be lazy once in a while. In the Appalachians, that doesn’t mean sipping sweet tea in your backyard or on your porch. That’s an activity better suited to the rest of the South. In the mountains, people like to get out into nature — even when all they want to do is relax and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding countryside without a lot of effort.
Rainbows, browns and brookies… oh my! Mountain areas are typically great for fishing — not necessarily because of the fish, but because of the diversity. The Blue Ridge Highlands of Southwestern Virginia (fishblueridge.com) is such a place.

If you have ever wanted to hunt quail, grouse, deer, wild boar or even black bear, find your way to the mountains of eastern Tennessee. If you’re an experienced hunter looking for new challenges, Appalachia Adventures is for you.
Find your nearest opportunity for snow tubing in the Southern Appalachians

Pages