Camping, hiking, and biking, too

For a weekend of outdoor exploration at Nantahala, camp at Tsali (pronounced SAH-lee) Recreation Area adjacent to Fontana Lake. From there, you can hike and go mountain biking through the Nantahala National Forest. Some of the trails head into the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park where you can find the peeling trunks of the silver birch and the drooping branches of hemlocks.

In the evening, have a cookout on the Blue Ridge river banks and warm up for a full day of white water rafting. Tsali's 41 unit campground has conveniently located toilets and showers and easy access to the surrounding trails.

You're bound to be worn out by the Nantahala River's fast pace, as well as such activities as horseback riding, biking and exploring. Fishing and reading in the shade offer good downtime, or you can just sit on the banks, relax, and watch kayakers and canoers stream past.

For more information on the Nantahala River and surrounding area, contact Nantahala Outdoor Center, Nantahala National Forest Service, Wayah Ranger District in Franklin, North Carolina, or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Jenna Milly is an associate producer in the CNN Interactive newsroom. She is a Georgia native who canoes, kayaks, and fishes -- in her words -- "as many rivers as I can find." She cites north Georgia's Cartecay River as another favorite spot.

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