2017 Total Solar Eclipse in Bryson City, Great Smoky Mountains

Bryson City, Swain County and much of the Great Smoky Mountains sit squarely in that path of totality. The 70-mile-wide disk of total darkness will reach Bryson City at 2:35:17 pm on August 21, and be gone in less than two minutes – a brief but unforgettable celestial display. We invite you to share the event with us here in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina through a series of events all weekend long. Take the ‘Eclipse Crawl’ visiting participating merchants with eclipse-themed food and drink offerings.

FRIDAY
Dusk. Free, outdoor family movie at Riverfront Park, which has a large, grassy lawn in front of an outdoor stage. Enjoy sitting at one of the picnic tables or bring a lawn chair or blanket for the grass. 101 Mitchell St. across from train parking and turntable.

SATURDAY
10 am – 4 pm. Enjoy a free, full-dome planetarium experience at the Fire Department on Main Street. Experience the universe (digital video projections in inflatable dome). Sponsored by Marianna Black Library.
7 -9 pm. Free, live music at Riverfront Park, which has a large, grassy lawn in front of an outdoor stage. Enjoy sitting at one of the picnic tables or bring a lawn chair or blanket for the grass. 101 Mitchell St. across from train parking and turntable.

SUNDAY
7-9 pm. Free, live music at Riverfront Park, which has a large, grassy lawn in front of an outdoor stage. Enjoy sitting at one of the picnic tables or bring a lawn chair or blanket for the grass. 101 Mitchell St. across from train parking and turntable.

MONDAY
11 am – 3 pm. Bryson City offers a number of excellent open viewing locations, such as:

RR Depot – Block party (live music)

Swain County Event Park (live music, food trucks, portable toilets). 1130 Hyatt Creek Road (exit 69 off US 74; or take US 19 toward Cherokee and turn right onto Hyatt Creek Road at East Elementary). Parking fee includes viewing glasses for everyone in the vehicle.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad – Train ride to an eclipse location

Darnell Farms (live music, food)

ALL WEEKEND LONG
With all the outdoor activities Bryson City offers, there’s no better place to spend a late summer weekend —

White water rafting and zip lining in the Nantahala Gorge

Riding a scenic excursion on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

Trout fishing on dozens of mountain streams and rivers

Lake fishing and boating on Fontana Lake

Tubing on Deep Creek in the Great Smokies National Park

Hiking and mountain biking at Tsali

Stand-up paddleboarding on the Tuck in downtown Bryson City

After activities, relax with a cool one at a local brewery. Or treat the kids to ice cream at a local soda fountain. Then complete the day with dinner at one of many downtown eateries.

There’s plenty of lodging, but make your reservations early. Visit GreatSmokies.com/lodging.ies.com/2017eclipse.html

More: https://www.greatsmokies.com/2017eclipse.html