4WD Tours
6+ hours
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Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Carolina Bound Adventures
Carolina Bound Adventures
Carolina Bound Adventures
5
4WD, ATV & Off-Road ToursAdrenaline & Extreme ToursBike ToursBeer Tastings & ToursBoat RentalsHiking & Camping ToursDay Trips
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
Carolina Bound Adventures - Guide Business & Vacation Planning in Bryson City, NC. We offer vacation planning and Guided Hikes to Waterfalls, at Sunset, & in the Smokies plus Guided Mountain Biking, Lake Kayaking & SUP rentals, and our popular Waterfalls and Breweries Tour. You can also book your Bryson City Adventures thru us including whitewater rafting, ziplining, horseback riding & fly fishing
Bryson City, North Carolina
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Tours and Tickets by Carolina Bound Adventures
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
64 reviews
Excellent
62
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
JAB
1 contribution
Mar 2021 • Family
My family and I were in North Carolina for a week in March. We were referred to Mark and Carolina Bound Adventures by a family member. Mark was an invaluable resource in planning our trip even before we arrived. Since we were not visiting in “season” and during COVID Mark was able to help me plan activities that would be open when we were there. He also helped us find the perfect accommodations and offered a grocery service (which we didn’t take him up on but definitely will next time). He is also a very knowledgeable guide and worked with me to choose activities that would work for my young children (4 and 6). He planned and took us on the most amazing hike and kayaking trip. He happily referred us to several other activities in Bryson City and in the neighboring towns even though he was not affiliated with them (and therefore wasn’t receiving any fee). I do not usually write reviews but was so impressed by Mark and Carolina Bound Adventures that I had to. If you are reading this review - don’t hesitate - call Mark, you won’t regret it!
Written March 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ForetFamily
Burke, VA13 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
My son and I used Mark’s hiker transport service to get from Fontana Dam to Newfound gap for our backpacking adventure.
Mark was a perfect host. He offered to work on the 4th of July when he really wasn’t planning to. He made sure we had everything for the start, that my truck was parked at a safe location at the dam, gave us time to use the restroom, and provided a spacious, comfortable Lincoln Navigator to travel in.
Mark made the hour and twenty minute drive a joy. He provided hiking tips for these mountains and shelters, including bear safety tips and a plug for leave no trace.
He made sure we slowed for the amazing views along the way, the Elk in the lower mountains, and told us all about the mountains that he loves.
When we arrived, he took some photos for us, showed us the trailhead, and made sure we saw the last real bathroom opportunity for four days.
I highly recommend you choose Mark and his tours for your next adventure. He’s a great guy who loves this area and what he does.
Mark was a perfect host. He offered to work on the 4th of July when he really wasn’t planning to. He made sure we had everything for the start, that my truck was parked at a safe location at the dam, gave us time to use the restroom, and provided a spacious, comfortable Lincoln Navigator to travel in.
Mark made the hour and twenty minute drive a joy. He provided hiking tips for these mountains and shelters, including bear safety tips and a plug for leave no trace.
He made sure we slowed for the amazing views along the way, the Elk in the lower mountains, and told us all about the mountains that he loves.
When we arrived, he took some photos for us, showed us the trailhead, and made sure we saw the last real bathroom opportunity for four days.
I highly recommend you choose Mark and his tours for your next adventure. He’s a great guy who loves this area and what he does.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brandon D
1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Couples
Our group of 6 did the brewery tour. Mark (our guide) was fantastic, he shared local tips on hiking trails and other activities. All 5 breweries were great, with accommodating servers and a great selection of distinct beers. For food I’d recommend waiting until the Balsam Falls stop. We had a burger with tots, and a Buffalo chicken flatbread, and all three were really good!
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IslandGirlMon
Florida14 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Wow! What a great day we had with Mark and Joanie. They picked us up promptly at 11:15 and we were soon on our way. We did the Brewery Tour. We hit 5 breweries. Our tour included a pint at each brewery. They were fantastic guides. We got some great history tidbits throughout the day about the different areas we were in and lots of laughs along the way. We would highly recommend them for any of the tours and services they offer. They know the area very well and can make your adventure special! Our only regret is that this is their busy season so they were working at each stop while we were enjoying our brews so they weren’t able to join us. I guess since they were driving that isn’t a bad thing lol! Thanks again for a great day! Hope to see you next time.
Written October 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Lisa! It was a joy working with your group! We had a blast with you and hope to see you here in the mountains again sometime!
Written October 26, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dottie B
1 contribution
May 2023
Multiple favorites about the day. Mark the owner and guide is a wealth of knowledge about Lake Fontana as well as the whole Nantahala area and Bryson City. He is an excellent communicator. Our kayak adventure was both beautiful and educational. He and his wife were amazing guides as well as kind good people. Our group of mid 60's age women handled our trip without difficulty due to their instruction and guide skills. I could not have asked for a more perfect day in such a beautiful setting. I highly recommend Carolina Bound Adventures and will definitely use them in the future.
Written July 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank You Dottie! What a fabulous and fun day we had on beautiful Fontana Lake! I hope we get to see you here in the mountains again!
Written July 28, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Barbara F
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Couples
Mark at Carolina Bound Adventures was a fantastic guide. He personalized our hike based on conversations and emails prior to us arriving in Bryson City. On the hike, he taught us so much about the history of the area and the many flowers, trees, and mushrooms that grow there. No bears, snakes or pigs were seen, but we were ready for whatever we encountered.
Written September 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming out and hiking with us in the Great Smoky Mountains! I hope we get to see you back here in the mountains again!
Written October 13, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FarAway14252774995
1 contribution
May 2023 • Friends
Our experiences with Carolina Bound Adventures were outstanding! Mark and JJ guided our kayak tour of Fontana Lake. They were informative, educational, professional, and FUN! Sarah guided our 6 mile waterfall hike, which was stellar due to her knowledge of the mountain, not to mention the views. Bonus to our unforgettable adventures with Carolina Bound-we felt that we made new friends! Carolina Bound Adventures gets my highest recommendation- simply the BEST!!
Written May 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words! We hope to see you here in the mountains again!
Written May 31, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anne A
3 contributions
Mar 2022
We had a fantastic experience with Mark. He reached out a few weeks prior to our trip asking about us to help gauge what would be a good fit for a hiking experience. We met him for a morning hike which was more than worth getting up for. It was apparent Mark knew the trails well and conditions. It was interesting to hear about the history of the park as well as the habitat. Mark slid this into conversations without a rehearsed feeling to it. He truly wants to share his passion for the outdoors with his clients. We throughly enjoyed our experience!
Written March 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Anne! It was a joy working with you two! I hope we get to see you back here in the Great Smoky Mountains again in the future!
Written April 4, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephanie B
Northdale, FL13 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
I took my family to the Bryson City and The Great Smoky Mountains and we had an AMAZING time!! From Zip Lining & Horseback Riding in the Nantahala Gorge, Kayaking & Paddle Boarding in Fontana Lake, and Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park we had an adventure packed-fun filled weekend. Biggest thanks to Mark and Carolina Bound Adventures for recommending and setting up all our adventures as well as navigating us through our hikes and around Fontana Lake. Mark went above and beyond to make our trip a great one…He was friendly, funny, knowledgeable and kind. I would be hard pressed to find a better tour/tour guide. Thank you for making memories for my family that will last a lifetime…
Written July 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JW_Cal
San Diego, CA88 contributions
Aug 2022
As first time visitors to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, we wanted to get the most from our limited time in the area. Mark, at Carolina Bound Adventures, did not disappoint. On our first day together he took us out on a half day hike, which he respectfully tailored to my Mom's physical ability. Along the way, he provided a great back drop with local history which brought the mountains alive.
On our second day together he surprised us with a personalized adventure that included a half day mountain bike trip that was over the top amazing! Mark's passion and love for the outdoors, and the area, was so evident and made our experience even better. You will not regret choosing Carolina Bound Adventures!
On our second day together he surprised us with a personalized adventure that included a half day mountain bike trip that was over the top amazing! Mark's passion and love for the outdoors, and the area, was so evident and made our experience even better. You will not regret choosing Carolina Bound Adventures!
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Those were two big fun days! Thank you for the opportunity to work with your family and I hope we see you here in the mountains again!
Written November 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.