{"id":521,"date":"2012-10-10T17:57:49","date_gmt":"2012-10-10T17:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/?page_id=521"},"modified":"2019-05-14T20:11:49","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T20:11:49","slug":"swain-county","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/?page_id=521","title":{"rendered":"SWAIN COUNTY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>SWAIN  COUNTY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>County  Offices<\/strong><br \/>\n101 Mitchell  Street<br \/>\nBryson City 828-488-9273<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.swaincountync.gov\">www.swaincountync.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chamber  of Commerce<\/strong><br \/>\n210 Main Street<br \/>\nBryson City  828-488-3681<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.greatsmokies.com\">www.greatsmokies.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Newcomers to  Swain County will have the advantage of living in one of the nation&#8217;s premier  areas for outdoor recreation. Close-knit communities with a warm, friendly  spirit and beautiful surroundings add up to an outstanding quality of life.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Services<\/strong><br \/>\nState-of-the-art  healthcare services are as close as Bryson City for Swain County residents, who  are well-served by the WestCare Health System. In addition to Swain County  Hospital, Bryson City is home to the WestCare Medical Park, where physicians  who represent major specialties meet most routine needs. The 48-bed acute-care  hospital maintains a 24-hour emergency room and a staff of physicians around  the clock but also provides many medical and surgical specialties on a weekly  basis. WestCare delivers advanced and routine healthcare services to more than  80,000 patients in four Western North Carolina counties. The system provides  another full-service hospital in Sylva, several medical centers, a 100-bed  skilled nursing center, and Mountain Regional Cancer Centers with the latest in  radiation therapies.<\/p>\n<p>Parents will be  pleased to know that Swain County residents are strong supporters of a quality  education system and take great pride in the academic and athletic successes of  local students. The per-pupil expenditure ranks 14 out of 115 North Carolina  public school districts, evidence of the commitment to modern classrooms and  dedicated staff members. Private schools are available for those who prefer  alternative learning environments and the options for higher education within a  short commute are excellent. Nearby Sylva is home to Southwestern Community  College, an institution that also provides learning opportunities at its Almond  Center in Swain County. Bryson City is only a 45-minute drive from the  sprawling campus for Western Carolina University.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lifestyle<\/strong><br \/>\nWith its  appealingly mild four-season climate and breathtaking scenery, Swain County is  an outdoor enthusiast&#8217;s ideal. Home to large expanses of the Great Smoky  Mountains National Park, the county is uniquely located to allow quick access  to some of the largest expanses of unspoiled wilderness in America. The park&#8217;s  highest peak, Clingmans Dome, combines with the Nantahala River for whitewater  rafting and shimmering Fontana Lake as natural attractions. Cascading trout  streams, biking and hiking trails, scenic mountain roadways, historic train  rides, and the southern leg of the Blue Ridge Parkway are all part of the kaleidoscope  of Swain County features. At the same time, exciting urban centers like  Asheville, Knoxville, and Atlanta are within an easy driving distance for  entertainment and day trips.<\/p>\n<p>Nearby cultural  centers range from college campuses with their fine array of visual and  performing arts to the rich heritage of the Cherokee Indians at Saunooke  Village in Cherokee, North Carolina. Some will enjoy the Cherokee Heritage  Museum and Gallery with its colorful displays, while others may prefer the  bright lights and excitement of Harrah\u2019s Cherokee Casino. Day trips from Swain  County&#8217;s centralized location include Asheville, Gatlinburg, Cades Cove, Joyce  Kilmer Forest, Cherohala Skyway, Chimney Rock, and scenic backroads. The  Mountain Farm Museum in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers special  events and combines historic farm buildings with gardens, orchards, and a  scenic riverfront walking trail. The county maintains an active recreation  department with year-round programs for all ages. The indoor recreation center  offers meeting rooms, sports courts, free weights, a playground, a swimming  pool, and skateboarding areas. Special events and holiday festivals dot the  calendar with opportunities to gather with friends and neighbors for an  old-fashioned good time. One-of-a-kind crafts, original artwork, and wonderful  antiques are all waiting for the savvy shopper, who can also tour artisan&#8217;s  studios to watch the masters at work. With its distinctive rural character and  world-class recreational opportunities, it is little wonder that Swain County  is growing in popularity as a place to call home.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bryson City <\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>City Hall<\/strong><br \/>\n828-488-3335<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.brysoncitync.gov\/\">www.brysoncitync.gov<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Chamber  of Commerce<\/strong><br \/>\n828-488-3681<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.greatsmokies.com\">www.greatsmokies.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Featured in the  book, &#8220;100 Best Outdoor Towns,&#8221; Bryson City serves as the county seat  of government and the hub of a vast rural area. Bryson City is the center of  recreational opportunities, including biking and hiking trails or rolling  rivers for kayaking, canoeing, and tubing. Hospitality plays a role in the  small city&#8217;s character, adding quaint shops, recreational services, fine art  galleries, and antique dealers to the mix of local businesses. Everything from  primitive campsites to elegant hotels are available to accommodate visitors and  vacationers. Residents are fortunate to be minutes away from wonderful natural  preservations that include the world-famous Appalachian Trail and the Tsali  recreation area. Nearby Cherokee adds cultural and entertainment attractions  from a fine arts and heritage museum to a wildly popular casino. Small in size  but proud in stature, Bryson City is a highly developed community that serves  as an urban center to a regional rural population.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SWAIN COUNTY County Offices 101 Mitchell Street Bryson City 828-488-9273 www.swaincountync.gov Chamber of Commerce 210 Main Street Bryson City 828-488-3681 www.greatsmokies.com Newcomers to Swain County will have the advantage of living in one of the nation&#8217;s premier areas for outdoor recreation. Close-knit communities with a warm, friendly spirit and beautiful surroundings add up to an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/521"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=521"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":708,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/521\/revisions\/708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Asheville3\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}