Cardinal Mountain A Whole ’Nother World
Many within ten minutes of the gate

Things to do

You came up here for the quiet, but there’s a lot of country around this mountain. Here’s what we send guests to.

Hikers on a wooded mountain trail in the Nantahala National Forest near Franklin, North Carolina

Hiking & waterfalls

Franklin sits inside the Nantahala National Forest, so trailheads and waterfalls start close and keep going.

Read more →

The main street in downtown Franklin, North Carolina, eight minutes from Cardinal Mountain Campground

Downtown Franklin

Eight minutes from the gate: restaurants, breweries, groceries, hardware, and a walkable main street.

Read more →

Sifting gravel for rubies and sapphires at a gem mine near Franklin, North Carolina

Gem mining

Franklin sits on one of the richest gem fields in the country. Rubies and sapphires come out of the ground here.

Read more →

A footpath through summer woods near Franklin, North Carolina, an official Appalachian Trail Community

The Appalachian Trail

Franklin is an official Appalachian Trail Community, and the trail runs just west of here.

Read more →

A trout stream running through the mountains near Franklin, North Carolina, close to Cardinal Mountain Campground

Fishing & water

Trout streams and fly water, the Nantahala and the Little Tennessee, and a swimming hole or two within a short drive.

Read more →