10/29/2026
Lake Junaluska Named Top Small Town Of The Year!
SMALL TOWN
Lake Junaluska, North Carolina
This 3,200-person waterfront escape in western North Carolina sits nestled in a high valley about 30 miles west of Asheville and 25 miles east of Cherokee. Three-thousand-plus-foot peaks and ranges in the Blue Ridge Mountains encircle the community, creating a picturesque backdrop.
Homes, local eateries, and businesses unfurl along the banks and hills surrounding a 200-acre manmade lake named after a legendary Cherokee chieftain. Motorized boating isn’t allowed, so fishing, kayaking and rowing are favorite local pastimes. And a scenic 3.8-mile walking trail winds around the lake. Guests can stay at the lakeside Terrace Hotel or historic Lambuth Inn, and many come for special events like the Balsam Range Art of Music Festival—hosted by regional bluegrass heroes Balsam Range—which takes place December 3-5.
For mountain biker, short drives deliver great options. Cherokee’s free Fire Mountain Bike Park, for instance, holds about a dozen miles of ripping and feature-laden single and double track. Find another pro bono public network 10 miles east at Berm Park. That flow system was installed on the northern side of Chestnut Mountain in 2022 and brings about 9 miles of pro-built trails and 1,000 feet of vert.
