The grounds of Tapoco Lodge Resort have an abundance of green and flowering trees and shrubs. Colors abound depending on the time of the year. There are dozens of wild azalea, rhododendron, dogwoods, crepe myrtle, and boxwoods to name a few.
Less adventurous guests can select a favorite book from our library to enjoy on the screened porch quieted by the river sounds. Or, how about lounging on a sun warmed boulder along the banks of the Cheoah River. While there are no televisions or telephones in the rooms, both are available in the television room of the main lodge. The newly renovated swimming pool is now open.
A recreation room adjoins the dining room and lobby of the lodge, where you'll find billiards, ping pong, cards, a reading library, Primestar satellite TV, and a variety of indoor games. Outside activities at the lodge include a lighted tennis court, shuffleboard courts, horseshoes, a playground for children, swimming pool, and canoeing on nearby Calderwood Lake (canoes are available at the Lodge).
For those with adventurous spirits, outdoor recreation abounds at Tapoco Lodge Resort. Fishing is a top choice for many visitors to the area, and your choices of fishing opportunities are numerous. Fly fishing on the Cheoah River on lodge property offers an exciting challenge to any angler. Nearby Nantahala River, Slickrock Creek, and Snowbird Creek are also fly fishing hot spots. Lake fishing, as well as boating, are popular on nearby Calderwood, Santeetlah, Cheoah and Fontana Lakes. Fishing guides are available at the lodge.
Approximately 10 miles of hiking trails originate on the grounds, including a scenic 1.5 mile nature trail which passes Bear Creek Falls. Other trails include Tapoco Ridge Trail, Ike Branch Trail (the shortest walk to Slickrock Creek Wilderness) and the Old Appalachian Spur Trail. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, with its giant hemlocks and tulip poplars over 500 years old, is only a short distance away. Many of the trees you'll see on the forest's hiking trail are over 20 feet in circumference and 150 feet tall.
Whitewater activities are available on the Cheoah River and the nearby Nantahala River - including rafting, canoeing, and kayaking. A short drive takes you to whitewater adventures on the Ocoee River, home of the 1996 Summer Olympic Whitewater Event.
Other points of interest nearby include the Cheoah Dam which was the site of Harrison Ford's famous jump in the movie "The Fugitive". The location is also the site of the car crash in the film "In Dreams", staring Annette Benning. The Dam is located just across the road from the Lodge.
A scenic 15 miles from the Lodge is the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest with 3,000 acres of virgin forest known for giant hemlocks and Tulip Poplar trees. Twenty miles from the Lodge will bring you to the Cherohala Skyway, the scenic road between Robbinsville North Carolina and Tellico Plains Tennessee. This highway which climbs to more than 5,000 feet in elevation is one of the most scenic in the United States.
Beginning only an eighth of a mile from the Lodge and running 13 miles to the north is a stretch of road known as Deals Gap or the "Tail of the Dragon". This road has 318 curves in its 11 miles and is a favorite among motorcyclists and sport car enthusiasts. |
