WNC city voted among 10 Best Small Towns in the South: Here's why

Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times

April 12, 2024 at 6:26 PM·3 min read

A Western North Carolina mountain town received national recognition when it was voted among the 10 Best Small Towns in the South.

Brevard, in Transylvania County, was voted ninth in the South small town category in the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

WNC residents may already be familiar with Brevard for its natural beauty, popular summer camps and more. It has a population of 7,744 as of April 1, 2020.

Whitewater Falls in the Nantahala National Forest as seen from the observation deck

The full list of towns, each with a population of less than 25,000, was selected by an expert panel and voted on by readers to determine a top 10. The list describes the "relaxing getaways, cultural immersion, outdoor adventures and culinary delights" that make each of these towns top 10 material.

Here's the list, with some extra info on what makes Brevard so special.

The 10 best small towns to visit in the South

Starkville, Mississippi
Batesville, Arkansas
Thomasville, Georgia
West Monroe, Louisiana
Maysville, Kentucky
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Sevierville, Tennessee
Abingdon, Virginia
Brevard, North Carolina
Fairmont, West Virginia

What does the list say about Brevard?

Brevard made it into the top 10 list for a number of reasons, many of which include outdoor recreation:

Museums
Retail therapy
Mountain biking trails
Rock climbing
Over 200 waterfalls in the area

More: WNC Parent’s 2024 Day Camp Guide

'Land of Waterfalls'

Brevard is located in Transylvania County, known as the "Land of Waterfalls" due to the whopping 250 waterfalls located within its borders. This means there's a waterfall that suits just about every type of outdoor adventuring visitors - or residents - might be hoping for.

In fact, explorebrevard.com has its own top 10 list just for suggestions on which of the hundreds of waterfalls you might want to explore. Here are a few of the site's favorites:

Looking Glass Falls - Look into Looking Glass Falls for the waterfall experience without the hike. Visitors can view this waterfall from an observation deck near the parking area on U.S. 276, a little less than 6 miles north of the intersection with U.S. 64 and N.C. 280 in Pisgah Forest.
Upper Whitewater Falls - Whitewater is the tallest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains at 411 feet, but it's just as accessible as Looking Glass. A paved pathway takes you straight from the parking lot to the first viewing stand.
Rainbow Falls - Sunlight catches the mist coming off of this 150-foot waterfall, creating the iridescent phenomenon for which the cascade is named.
Triple Falls - This waterfall has a professional resume, with appearances in several hit movies including The Last of the Mohicans and The Hunger Games.
Batson Falls - Another easy-access waterfall on the list, Batson includes a wheelchair accessible boardwalk to their viewing area, which offers a long range view of the 20-foot cascade that is Batson Creek Falls.