Feeling Great in Maggie Valley!

Maggie Valley, North Carolina is situated on the southeastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This quaint location has strived to keep its friendly, small town character. The beautiful Cataloochee valley in the National Park is a short drive from downtown Maggie Valley. Cataloochee valley is famous for its mountain history, scenic beauty, trout fishing, and two herds of elk which reside there.

Maggie Valley boasts many great family activities like nearby rafting, skiing, fishing, and hiking. Winter months welcome the opening of the Cataloochee Ski Area which also offers snow snowboarding, tubing, dining and more. If winter sports are not your preference check out the newly renovated Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. This is a wild-west themed amusement park with thrilling roller coasters and more. Ghost Town is unusual because it is entirely situated on a mountain top overlooking Maggie Valley. There is always an amazing view of the mountain ridges whether you are enjoying the ski resort or the amusement park. The Maggie Valley Festival Grounds is home to many special events sponsored by the city. And the famous Biltmore Estate is an easy thirty minute drive from Maggie Valley.

Maggie Valley has many dining, shopping, and lodging options to accommodate the thousands of visitors who come each year to enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Directions to Maggie Valley

There are several ways to reach scenic Maggie Valley:
From Interstate 40, take Exit 20 onto Highway 276 and travel west for approximately 5 miles.
From Waynesville, NC – Travel west on Highway 19 for 15 miles.
From Cherokee, NC – Travel east on Highway 19 for 14 miles.

Maggie Valley has interstate access to nearby cities with major airports like Asheville, North Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee so getting there is a snap!

How did Maggie Valley get its name?

Maggie Valley’s name has an interesting history in which many are unfamiliar. In the 1890’s Jack Setzer became fed up with hiring someone to take the mail from this remote mountain wilderness five miles to the nearest post office. He decided to petition the U.S. government to establish a post office in what is present day Maggie Valley. Setzer spent the next six months handling the mail himself, taking meticulous records and using a portion of his own home as the post office. He built a large wooden box to keep the mail organized and after the trial period submitted his records for approval. Along with the petition he suggested three names for the office, all of which were rejected. He then submitted the names of his three daughters Cora, Mettie, and Maggie Mae. You can guess which name the postal service approved. The story of this blond haired, blue-eyed mountain girl is chronicled by her daughter, Patty Plant, in the book Maggie of the Valley.