Taking a road trip? These Western NC places voted among top 10 in US to stay. What to know.

Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·4 min read

Several Western North Carolina locations have been voted as top choices in the country for road trip lodging this summer, according to USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice. From vintage trailers by the river to midcentury roadside motels, the choices in WNC alone have a little something for everyone.

It isn't the first time WNC has topped a 10Best list. Methodology provides locations chosen by an expert panel to voters in the community, who choose their favorite options to add to the lists.

Here's what to know about the WNC options chosen by readers for the 2024 10Best road trip roundup.

More: Asheville, WNC communities earn multiple 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for beer, breweries

Best glamping 2024

Sky Ridge Yurts
Sky Ridge Yurts

Coming in at first place on this list is Sky Ridge Yurts. Located at 200 Sky Ridge Drive in Bryson City, Sky Ridge Yurts has eight structures available for booking. 10Best praised the three-person Santeelah and six-person Fontana, and mentioned the cooking areas, full baths, heating and air conditioning available in each that make the yurts a true glamping experience.

10Best glamping spots

  1. Sky Ridge Yurts (Bryson City, North Carolina)

  2. Beaver Island Retreat (Beaver Island, Michigan)

  3. Piney River Ranch (Vail, Colorado)

  4. Treebones Resort (Big Sur, California)

  5. Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo (River Ranch, Florida)

  6. Nomad Ridge at The Wilds (Cumberland, Ohio)

  7. Little Arrow Outdoor Resort (Townsend, Tennessee)

  8. The Destination (Dadeville, Alabama)

  9. The Resort at Paws Up (Greenough, Montana)

  10. Borealis Basecamp (Fairbanks, Alaska)

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

Best roadside motel 2024

Two WNC options made the 2024 10Best list of best roadside motels. First was the Sunset Motel at third place. Located at 523 S Broad St. in Brevard, the motel has a wide range of rooms including a separate cottage on the property available to reserve. Rooms feature midcentury modern themes.

Rhodes Motor Lodge was the other WNC choice on the list, coming in at seventh place. The lodge at 1377 Blowing Rock Road in Boone features two stories of rooms all facing the Blue Ridge Mountains. In fact, the views were among the specific features praised by 10Best. Their house bar and restaurant, Canteen, serves homestyle meals and a rotating selection of local craft beer and ciders, plus wine and cocktails.

10Best roadside motels

  1. The Groovy Nomad (Trenton, Georgia)

  2. Sugarloaf Mountain Motel (Virginia City, Nevada)

  3. The Sunset Motel (Brevard, North Carolina)

  4. Roadrunner Lodge Motel (Tucumcari, New Mexico)

  5. Bear Cove Inn (St Ignace, Michigan)

  6. The Local - St. Augustine (St. Augustine, Florida)

  7. Rhode's Motor Lodge (Boone, North Carolina)

  8. The Starlite Motel (Kerhonkson, New York)

  9. Americana Motor Hotel (Flagstaff, Arizona)

  10. The Ozarker Lodge (Branson, Missouri)

More: West Asheville eatery is No. 2 on national Best New Restaurants list: What's on the menu

Best national park lodge 2024

From left: D.J. Rodell, Julia Hudgins and Dylan Lossiah, all of Sylva, enjoy takeout on chairs overlooking the mountains at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway on July 13, 2020.
From left: D.J. Rodell, Julia Hudgins and Dylan Lossiah, all of Sylva, enjoy takeout on chairs overlooking the mountains at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway on July 13, 2020.

Pisgah Inn, located at 408 Blue Ridge Parkway near Canton, was sixth on the list. The inn, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pisgah National Forest, has a rich history beginning in 1919, when it first opened, and is one of only two remaining park lodges on the 469 miles of the parkway.

At an elevation of 5,000 feet, Pisgah Inn features views of the forested mountains and plenty of nearby hiking trails. 10Best also mentioned the quality of the meals served at the inn's dining room.

10Best national park lodges

  1. Jackson Lake Lodge (Grand Teton National Park)

  2. Paradise Inn (Mount Rainier National Park)

  3. Old Faithful Inn (Yellowstone National Park)

  4. Skyland (Shenandoah National Park)

  5. El Tovar Hotel (Grand Canyon National Park)

  6. Pisgah Inn (Blue Ridge Parkway)

  7. The Ahwahnee (Yosemite National Park)

  8. Many Glacier Hotel (Glacier National Park)

  9. The Inn at Death Valley (Death Valley National Park)

  10. Glacier Park Lodge (Glacier National Park)

More: This NC amusement park ranked in the top 10 countrywide; Coaster, entertainment praised

Best vintage trailer hotel 2024

Asheville River Cabins was fourth on the list of best vintage trailer hotels of 2024. At 318 Wanderlust Ridge in Arden, Asheville River Cabins offers reservations for private cabins and vintage Airstream trailers. Its website suggests hiking the property's river trail or tubing down the river.

Currently, riverfront Airstream rentals start at $159 per night. Airstreams are equipped with full kitchens and private fire pits.

10Best vintage trailer hotels

  1. The Vintages Trailer Resort (Dayton, Oregon)

  2. Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground (Buellton, California)

  3. SkyStream Resort at SkyPark Camp + RV Resort (Skyforest, California)

  4. Asheville River Cabins (Arden, North Carolina)

  5. Sou'wester Historic Lodge & Vintage Trailer Resort (Seaview, Washington)

  6. Hart's Camp (Pacific City, Oregon)

  7. AutoCamp Yosemite (Midpines, California)

  8. AutoCamp Cape Cod (Falmouth, Massachusetts)

  9. Lake Bastrop North Shore Park (Bastrop, Texas)

  10. Camp LeConte Luxury Outdoor Resort (Gatlinburg, Tennessee)

Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: USA TODAY 10Best NC road trip places to stop: Pisgah Inn, Sunset Motel