Observatory

With nearly all of Swain and much of its neighboring counties being public land – National Forests, National Parks, water, water and water – Mystic Lands is the region's true Land of the Sky. Just wait for nightfall, and you are sure to become a believer. There, in the seclusion of the private Mystic Ridge top, uncluttered by lights and population, you’ll nightly spot shooting stars, or an annual meteor shower. Without fail, the sky over the Ridge, buffered by the Nantahala National Forest, offers a visual experience fueled by an unfathomable number of stars. With the goal of amplifying and magnifying the celestial experience to the greatest delight, the Ridge will feature a state-of-the-art astronomical observatory with rotating dome, delivering you closer to the stars-filled sky than probably ever before.