Maggie Valley: Memorable Views and Creations All Around

Haywood County showcases some of the best natural features that Western North Carolina has to offer. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes through and over some of the highest mountains it travels in this area. Maggie Valley is several miles of flat land and attractions with high mountains on either side. Visitors can enjoy long vistas, great hiking, trout fishing, mountain music, breweries, and much more.

Blue Ridge Craft Trails Sites

Mountain Mike’s Whetstone Woodworks can get a little noisy! Mike Ayers is a world champion chainsaw carver. He’s known for his bears, but his creations take the form of anything from superheroes to folk legends. Enjoy a gallery of work or watch (from a safe distance) as he makes wood chips fly.

Different Drummer Pottery gets its name from the writing of Henry David Thoreau. Terry Painter started his career as a full-time potter just after college. His son, Caden, took some time in the IT field before coming back to the family line of work. Today, they produce multiple lines of pottery with notable glazes and sculptural elements. They also produce a line of crock drums featuring wooden heads and clay bodies. Demonstrations will have you dancing to the beat!

When Myron Carter entered his first woodburning competition, he not only was first place, but he also won second and third! At Woodburnings by Myron he showcases his realistic works depicting idyllic scenes of the North Carolina mountains as well as beautiful images he captures in his own photographs. Subjects even include outhouses!

Mike McKinney loves to find the unique beauty in every piece of wood that he turns on his lathe. Mike’s creations utilize local and reclaimed wood and often feature live edges and highly figured burl wood. Each piece is signed and numbered, and some are fashioned out of wood with close family connections. Mike loves to show the process and share his strategy for creating his beautiful work.

The practice of painting colorful panels in traditional quilt patterns is relatively new. But the connection between quilting, agriculture, and community is something that has long existed in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The Haywood Quilt Trails highlights the history of the county in quilt square adorning historic and significant structure across Haywood County.