Brevard, NC Road Trips

Brevard is in Transylvania County, and was founded in 1862. Transylvania is a combination of trans = across and vania = forest. The county is 50% public lands with Dupont State Forest, Gorges State Park and Pisgah National Forest. Brevard College, a 4-year liberal arts institution, is an integral part of the community.

Waterfalls are everywhere, with over 200 identified or named. The most viewed waterfall in NC is 1 Looking Glass Falls. With easy access about 8 mi (13 km) from town, in Pisgah National Forest on US 276. 2 Sliding Rock. About 5 mi (8.0 km) further up US 276 from Looking Glass Falls, is the most visited natural attraction in WNC with thousands of "daredevils" sliding approximately 100 ft (30 m) into an icy mountain pool. 3 DuPont State Forest. Features many waterfalls including ones made famous from The Last of the Mohicans and 2012's The Hunger Games. 4 Lake Toxaway. The largest private lake in NC, and the Sapphire area are in the western portion of the county. 5 Gorges State Park, Visitor center: 976 Grassy Ridge Road, Sapphire (Hwy 281 west of Rosman). It has plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, and sheer rock precipices. Great opportunities for backpacking and horseback riding. This section of the Blue Ridge Escarpment spans over 8,000 acres of temperate rainforest and hosts extraordinary biodiversity. The park has 26 waterfalls, the northern shore of Lake Jocassee, and a portion of the 70-mile Foothills Trail. No fees for day use, fees are charged for camping. (updated Jun 2025)

1 Brevard Music Center. Considered one of the premier summer music institutes in the United States, Brevard Music Center hosts 450 high school and college students each summer. Students learn from faculty representing many of the nation's finest college music programs and professional orchestras. Performances nearly every night, June through August, and feature students and faculty with many of the world's leading performers in orchestra and opera.

Excellent restaurants abound in a town of this size (7,600 in the 2010 census). Main Street restaurants include: Falls Landing, Jordan Street Cafe, Big Mike's, Square Root, and Quotations. Others within walking distance of Main street include: Pescados, Jets Pizza, Rocky's Soda Shop, One More Thai, New China Restaurant, Henry's, Blue Ridge Bakery, Bracken Mountain Bakery, Cardinal Drive-in and El Ranchero. Other favorites in the area are Twin Dragons Buffet, Sora Japanese Restaurant, Hawg Wild Bar-B-Que, and Fuji Yama.

Brevard is blessed with abundant great restaurants and bars. Brevard Brewery (opened in 2012, is located on Main Street just down from the courthouse). They are open after 2PM daily. Kyle Williams has put together an amazing group of craft beer and his tap room is the best place to taste. The brewery is in the back and a spacious tap room fronts on Main. Frequent live entertainment and a lively crowd make this a must stop when in Brevard. Many local restaurants now serve Brevard Brewery beer on tap. 185 King Street, 185 King Street. Jackson Wine has combined a top-notch bar with an excellent music venue. Seating fewer than a 100 people, musicians rave over the sound quality of the room. is open in the evening. Oskar Blues, opened its East coast brewery in 2012 in Brevard. Originating in Colorado, owner Dale Katechis fell in love with Brevard's mountain biking and music. The brewery features a tap room on the second floor overlooking all of the brewing and canning operations. All Oscar Blues brews are available on tap along with a gift and apparel store. They are generally open afternoons and evening, 7 days a week.

Hampton Inn Brevard, 275 Forest Gate Dr, Pisgah Forest (From 280-S, turn right into the Walmart shopping center), ☏ +1 828-883-4800. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. (updated Jun 2018)

Brevard is 20 mi (32 km) southwest of Exit 40 on I-26 between Hendersonville and Asheville. Exit 40 is also the location of the Ashveille airport. Hwy 280 (4-lanes) goes through Henderson County, across the French Broad River and into Brevard at the entrance to Pisgah National Forest. Other routes include US 276 from Greenville, SC by Caesar's Head and US 64 from Hendersonville on the east and Franklin and Highlands on the west. Brevard is 15 mi (24 km) north of Caesar's Head State Park, SC; 25 mi (40 km) east of Cashiers, NC; 20 mi (32 km) west of Hendersonville, NC; 12 mi (19 km) south of the Cradle of Forestry, 15 mi (24 km) south of the Blue Ridge Parkway; and 25 mi (40 km) southwest of Asheville, NC.