Murphy, North Carolina
I have had a lot of great trips, but this was my number one favorite so far.
Murphy, North Carolina, is a charming town nestled in the westernmost county of the state. It's known for its stunning natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant arts scene. Surrounded by rolling hills and majestic mountains, Murphy offers breathtaking scenery.
The Property
I came across the property that I stayed in randomly, but it immediately caught my eye.
As described by the host:
Find your peace of mind in this brand new cozy private mountain cabin on 1.25 acres surrounded by forest. Perfect for those seeking relaxation, adventure, or remote workers who will benefit from free fiber optic Wi-Fi. Sit on the deck front deck and sip your coffee in one of our rocking chairs. Cabin is just minutes away from kayaking, hiking, gem mining, minigolf, downtown Murphy NC, Blue Ridge GA, golf, whitewater, national and state parks, antiques, art, zip lining and casino.
I was originally only going to stay for 2 weeks, but extended my stay for another week, before I even got there. I had started to search the area after my initial booking and realized that 2 weeks and only one full weekend wasn’t going to be enough, so I added the extra week and I was there over Labor Day weekend, so that added an extra day for exploring.
Let’s take a look at the property first. It’s a cabin in the woods and at the base of a mountain, so what’s not to like about that? It is in a neighborhood of sorts, but the property is perched on a hill, so it’s very private.
As described by the host, the driveway can be a challenge for a vehicle that doesn’t have some power or is front wheel drive, but I have a 6 cylinder vehicle and AWD, so I had no issues whatsoever. If you have a smaller vehicle, with limited power, just be mindful that it could be problematic.
Click the picture visit the property on Airbnb
When I pulled into the parking area of the property, my reaction was simply, “wow.” I immediately felt at peace and impressed at how nice the house was. It has a porch that runs along the entire front of the house, with a couple of rustic rocking chairs and a table and I ended up spending plenty of time on that porch during my stay.
When I entered the house, it looked exactly like the pictures. It’s a log cabin and the entire interior is log and with the exception of the cabinets (also the same wood color), none of the natural wood is covered up.
The living room and kitchen are one room, there was an adequately sized bedroom and a small bathroom. The washer and dryer are located in the bathroom also and are stackable unit. There was a high-top table, a futon couch, the TV and workstation desk and a coffee table.
It was perfect.
The only thing that it lacked was closet space. There was one small closet in the bedroom, which had some items in it already, so I didn’t have a lot of space to store my stuff. I travel with a lot of things, and although organized in a few different areas of the house, all of my items were not able to be stored out of view.
I tend to run into that issue with quite a few properties, but personally I don’t care. I would prefer to be able to store all of my things out of sight, but it’s not an issue for me.
As I mentioned, I stayed at this property for 3 weeks and had no issues with anything at all. Everything worked, I was able to live comfortably, and I felt right at home.
*Side note – There are no blinds or curtains on any of the windows in the living room or kitchen area. It was kind of weird at night, knowing that someone could have looked in the windows, but it is on a hill and off the street, so to me it wasn’t an issue. There are curtains in the bedroom.
Speaking of nighttime, it was sooo quiet at night. Yes, a car would drive by every once in a while, but if you stood on the porch at night, you just heard the crickets. It was wonderful.
It also had a side patio area, with a fire pit, a small gas grill and a sitting area. I didn’t take advantage of the fire pit or really spend time sitting out in that area, but I did use the grill. I was there from the middle of August to the first week of September and the weather was great, so grilling was a must for me.
One other item to note about the house. It has a steel roof and that seems to be very common in that area. I didn’t realize that until a branch fell on the roof, and I almost jumped out of my skin from the sound. From that point forward, I knew what the little noises were, and it was never an issue, but always good to know.
It's a beautiful property and I loved every minute of my stay.
The Area and My Adventures
When I started doing my travels, I found that I have a passion for hiking and seeing the beautiful sights that goi along with that. For the most part, when I book a trip, I am going to that area to do some hiking, see some specific sights and of course just work throughout the week or weeks that I am there. In this case, I picked the property first and searched for the hiking second.
Murphy is located at the south western tip of North Carolina and literally no more than 20 to 30 minutes from the Tennessee and Georgia borders. I ended up visiting trails in all 3 states, some up to an hour and a half away, but what I was able to see and experience was worth every minute and every mile.
The first weekend that I was there, I went west in North Carolina to the Pickens Nose Trail, which is part of the Nantahala National Forest.
Click the picture for more information
“The Nantahala National Forest lies in the mountain and valleys of southwestern North Carolina. The largest of North Carolina's four National Forests and it encompasses 531,148 acres.”
The name of the trail (Pickens Nose Trail) can make the most serious person giggle, but the views are spectacular.
By the way, if you are going to venture into the world of hiking, especially in areas that are remote or mountainous areas, I highly recommend that you download the All Trails app and consider getting the paid version. I think I paid $30.00 for the year and it has a wealth of information.
It gives you trail distance, elevations, trail previews, reviews and the ability to download offline maps. That is critical if you are in an area that has spotty cel service or no cell service at all. It’s also a great way to search for areas that you want to visit and see the proximity of other trails or sights in that area.
Next on my list was The Smokey Mountains. Based on where I was staying, I only hit one trail, Juney Whank Falls, and that was on the southern end of the park.
It was worth the drive and the area that I went to was a little busy, but it did not take away from the experience. It was family friendly, there was tubing available and plenty of beauty to look at.
Click picture for more information.
I started on a part of the trail that took me through the woods and past a small waterfall. It was a short trail and certainly not at all challenging physically, but very beautiful.
From there, I was on a main trail, that was more like a pedestrian road and it led you along the river to the other two waterfalls.
I am all about trying to get nice pictures when I am on a trail, for things like this book, but also for my own memories. As I am writing this and adding the pictures, it’s turning into a wonderful trip down memory lane.
The other thing that I would like to mention about this trip and the places that I went to is that the drive to each destination was beautiful. There are mountains to look at everywhere, and the roads wind through rolling hills.
I did a lot of driving in the 3 weeks that I was there, but as I have said before, it was worth every minute and every mile.
Cherokee National Forest – Starr Mountain
The next day, I took a drive out to Tennessee and visited part of the Cherokee National Forest.
It was another beautiful drive and I went out there specifically to visit Starr Mountain. There is a trail that ended up basically being like rock climbing on the way up, but once you get there, it’s beyond amazing
I’m in my mid 50’s and I suppose in decent enough shape, but this one gave me a work out and worked my knees. At the top though, you are treated with breathtaking views and some very cool rock formations.
It was a perfect weather day and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
If you make it out that way, make sure to bring some extra water and watch your step along the way. The trail was classified as “hard,” and it definitely was.
On the way back, I saw a sign for the Chilhowee Mountain Overlook and turned in. This wasn’t on my list of things to check out, but I am glad that I did.
As you drive up the road, winding farther and farther up the mountain, the views get better with every turn.
Even if you don’t have a lot of time, it’s worth the stop and you can see a lot in a short amount of time.
Click picture for more information.
Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest
I started off my final weekend with a trip down to Georgia and the Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest, and the Woody Gap Recreation Area.
The trail that I hit was Preachers Rock, because I heard that it had a must see overlook. The trail on the way up was a steady incline, but not too difficult.
There were quite a few people on the trail that day, but it didn’t take away from the beauty at the top.
As a side note, I started hiking for the beauty of what I was able to see, but I also do it for the solitude and the peace. I am a very extroverted person, but when I am out in nature, I like to be alone with my thoughts. I don’t listen to music and I certainly don’t mind if other people are around, but at times, some of the trails can be extremely busy. It doesn’t take away from the overall experience, but I have had my greatest enjoyment when I am on a trail that is less busy.
Once again though, it was a beautiful day and I had a wonderful time.
On the way out, I made one more stop and that was at the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area. It’s a campground, but also leads to a nice little trail.
This was one of the places that warned of bears and made a point of saying to “keep your food secure.” It made sense since there was a campground right there, but honestly I am always wary of bears.
Last summer, I took a trip down to Arkansas for the first time and the area that I went to was definitely bear country. I purchased a can of bear spray at that time and thankfully have never needed it, but my suggestion is to be prepared.
The trail itself was basically just an easy walk, but the couple of waterfalls were pretty and also peaceful.
One of the things that I ran into over the summer, was some dryer areas and lack of rain. Based on previous reviews of these trails, the waterfalls are a bit more spectacular after a good rain, but I enjoyed myself either way.
To start out my final weekend in this area, I stayed in North Carolina, but made my way back to the Nantahala National Forest and the Whiteside Mountain.
This was one area that I had my eye on and knew that I want to go take a look at it.
A landmark along the Eastern Continental Divide, Whiteside Mountain rises to an elevation of 4,930 feet. The mountain's cliffs look like sheets of ice draped across the mountain. This magnificent rock is about 390 to 460 million years old.
Attractions: A two-mile loop trail climbs above the sheer 750-foot high cliffs and offers outstanding views to the east, south and west. Whiteside Mountain Trail is rated "more difficult" because of its steepness.
The description didn’t lie, this was a steep trail, but there are 2 different ways to get to the top. You can go clockwise and go up gradually (which is what I did), of you can go counter clockwise and work hard through a challenging incline.
If you take the entire loop, you come down that challenging section, but in my opinion, it’s far more manageable.
When you get to the top, this is the first thing that you see as you come out of the end of the incline trail.
I was impressed, but it get’s so much better. The trail, goes along the side of the mountain and there are overlooks along the way.
Are you afraid of heights? I consider myself to be “respectful” of heights and not really afraid, but some of these areas are a little unnerving. But that was one of the best parts.
As you are walking along this trail at the top, every overlook gets a little better, because as you move along, you are able to see more of the side of the mountain. It’s spectacular.
Then on to what I felt was the best part. The rock that marks the 4930 feet of elevation. I didn’t feel like it was that far up and I wasn’t at all affected by the elevation, but I have to say that it was very cool.
I continued along the trail and took in every second of the natural beauty.
It was a little overcast the day that I was there and I suppose it would have been nice to have some sunshine, but it was a beautiful experience.
Day two of my final weekend, I stayed right in Murphy and went to The Panther Top Lookout Tower. This was another one that I had my eye on, and I am happy that I took the time to see this.
It is set way back in the woods and the “road” that led back to it was dirt and gravel. As a side note, many of the trails that I visit have these dirt and gravel roads leading to them. Quite a few have been in the mountains and it makes sense, but just be mindful.
I do have an all-wheel drive car, but it is a car, so I need to take it slow and make sure I don’t cause any damage to my car. At some point, I would like to get a small SUV, but for now, I am just careful.
The walk up to the tower is about a mile, but it is very gradual. Honestly, there isn’t much to see on the way up, just the woods, but it pays off at the top.
You come to the end of the trail, and to the right, there is the tower. You still need to walk around the front to get to the open area and up to the tower, but it’s pretty cool.
And it is part of the National Historic Lookout Register, which I did not know before I got up there.
You can walk up the staircase on the side of the tower, but not all the way up and you do not have access to the tower itself.
The views from the top were amazing and I spent probably 15 or 20 minutes up there just enjoying the peace and quiet.
There was no one else on that trail that day, and as I mentioned previously, at times that it exactly what I want and need.
Ramsey Bluff Boy Scout Trail Loop
My final day was Labor Day and once again, I stayed in the Murphy area. The place that I went to first just seemed odd enough to be interesting, so I checked it out.
What I read about this trail and what made it interesting to me, was that it was said to be by an abandoned campground. And it was.
It was kind of weird walking through the campground and you could see where the road and the campsites used to be. The start of the trail wasn’t very well marked, but I did find it without too much trouble. You could tell that no one had been on this trail recently, since there were many spider webs and cobwebs across the trail.
When I came to the first full opening, I saw the beautiful and calm lake. There was no one there and it was so quiet.
There was a sort of green color to the lake, but not in a bad way. It didn’t look mossy, it looked like it was an emerald color. It was beautiful.
I didn’t even walk the entire trail, because I just hung out at this spot for a bit. It was sunny and warm and I was very happy that I had stopped there.
The final stop of the day (and of my trip) was the Cherokee Lake Picnic Area, which is also right in Murphy.
This is exactly what it says it is; it’s a picnic area, plus a park, along a lake. If you stopped there with your family and your kids, you could hang out, have a nice picnic, go swimming and have a great afternoon with your family.
There are also some picnic areas along the trail, that are right along the shore of the lake, which are pretty cool.
The trail runs into a dam that separates 2 sections of the lake and although not raging with water, it was cool enough to see and explore.
It was a simple walk, but a great end to a beautiful day and a beautiful trip.
Trip Wrap Up
I really can’t say enough good things about the place that I stayed, the surrounding community and everything that I was able to see and experience.
However, since I was there, parts of the area have been forever affected by Hurricane Helene, and I don’t know what these places look like today.
One thing is for sure though, I did not even scratch the surface of places to see and things to experience. It was a wonderful trip and one of my favorites.