Visitors to Graham County will now have a stronger authority on where to go and what to see locally, as the Graham County Travel and Tourism Authority rolls out its new county maps.
Last week, the new county folding maps and tear off maps premiered. The maps have hanged slightly from last year, with the addition of several driving and sightseeing loops, most of which start and end in Robbinsville. Other local features, including The Dragon, the Cherohala Skyway and the Blue Ridge Parkway are also shown.
The folding map also includes a list of businesses, restaurants and other entities along each loop, as well a “s” symbols showing the circles offered by each.
“What’s new ish an update on all the commercial entities, but it also shows all the camping sites, where you can rent a kayak and that kind of thing” said Bob Wehr, who does much of the design work for the county maps.
Wehr said he started drawing out the loops to keep people coming back to Graham County.
“It’s scenic driving loops, and there’s over 12 of them,” Wehr said. “The idea of these is that they’re loops. It’s trying to keep everybody in Robbinsville."
A second map shows only the largest few of the driving loops and focuses more on outdoor activities and natural assets in the area with a list of several natural assets including trails, overlooks, lakes, dams and boating and fishing opportunities.
Trails passing through the area including the Appalachian Trail, Benton-McKaye Trail and Bartram Trail are also shown along with information about each.
The start of the Trail of Tears at Fort Hill on Sweetwater Road is also shown, with its description on the folding map written in both English and Cherokee.
The folding map also shows close-up maps of Robbinsville and the area surrounding Fontana Lake.
“They promote this county and reasons to stay in Graham (County) and reasons to come back,” Wehr said.
The maps can be found at several local businesses and community buildings. Initially, 5,000 of the folding maps and 3,000 of the tear-off maps will be printed. A QR code on the folding map will lead readers to a more detailed interactive map of the county. A Graham County tourism app is also through the Apple or Google Play app stores.
Any questions, comments or concerns regarding the maps should be addressed with the Graham County Travel and Tourism Authority.