Where to Park: GAF 2013

To make your visit as enjoyable as possible, please read the following information about parking before traveling to NOC for the Guest Appreciation Festival on September 27-29.  This is the official event parking plan: 

• We expect most guests will be able to park on-site on Friday and Sunday. When you arrive at NOC, drive across the bridge and let our friendly parking staff direct you to an open spot. Please take their advice, and park efficiently so everyone can park on-property.

• If on-property parking is full--as we expect for Saturday morning and afternoon--we will have convenient satellite lots open within one or two miles of the event site. We'll also provide easy, dependable shuttles to the event for all visitors parking in these lots. 
• If coming from the east (Asheville, Charlotte, etc.) you will see "Event Parking" signs directing you to the open lot at the Gem Mine which is visible from the main highway. 
• If coming from the west (Chattanooga, Knoxville, etc.) you will drive past NOC where a parking attendant will direct you to the Gem Mine by following the signs. 
• From here you will have shuttles available for the duration of the event.   Event shuttles will drop off and pick up at the NOC General Store on a continuous schedule until 7pm. The Gem Mine is just up the street, so riding a shuttle is often easier and more convenient than searching every nook and cranny of NOC for a space.
  
  As a reminder, please don't park alongside Silvermine road. We've seen too many festival attendees get tickets on this road over the years, even though it looks like there are pullouts. 

NOC is also offering free shuttles to the Wayah Forest Service Put-In for those who choose to leave their cars off-property while they are on the river. We usually do this as a thank you to guests helping us avoid a parking crunch during Saturday at GAF. In other words, if you paddle into GAF we'd be glad to drive you back to your car when you're finished. (Just make sure you catch the last rafting bus headed to the put in around 3:30. With all the extra traffic on the river, it should be pretty easy to thumb a ride to the top with another boater this weekend anyway.)

Finally, NOC, in partnership with Endless River Adventures, is offering free shuttles for paddlers running the Upper Nantahala and Cascades section of the Nantahala River on Saturday and Sunday.  Upper shuttles will run from 10am to 4pm. Please "RSVP" for a shuttle by going to the event's Facebook page and letting our staff know your plans. We're just trying to get a good idea of demand; we don't need specific times,

Please note that all GAF remote parking lots close at 7pm. We’d love for you to stay to enjoy the free live music and dancing, so please make your way up to the lots as the afternoon progresses to move your car back down to the center. It’ll make life easier for you when it’s time to go home.

Thanks for planning ahead!

Live Music lined up well into the evening on Friday and Saturday