North Carolina may not be the first place that springs to mind at the mention of adventure travel, but if it's whitewater paddling and a seemingly endless web of biking trails that you're after, the Nantahala country is the epicenter of one of the premier locations in North America.

First, consider the water. Rivers like the Nantahala, the French Broad, the Ocoee, the Nolichucky, and the Chattooga, each of which dish up plenty of thrill per mile, along with gorgeous scenery and some moderate stretches, are all in easy reach.

Then, take a gander at the bike terrain. Between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Nantahala National Forest, nearly 1 million acres of public lands lie nearby, with hundreds of miles of accessible trail and road. Lung-busting ascents of 5,000-foot peaks, quiet jaunts along the Tsali Trails and Lake Fontana, and several gravel and paved roads that wind through the Great Smokies, grant more scenery, more variety, and more unabated fun in a concentrated area than anywhere else I can think of.

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