Yesterday, Today, and Forever
With 110,000 acres of public lands, 250 waterfalls, 421 miles of fishable trout streams, 350 miles of singletrack, and the headwaters of the third oldest river in the world, Transylvania County is an outdoor paradise. It is the goal of the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority (who you know as Explore Brevard) to be a leader in the effort to take care of Transylvania County’s natural resources in order to create a safe and enjoyable user experience and ensure that these assets are here for future generations. We created an initiative called Transylvania Always in 2017 to accomplish this goal.
About Transylvania Always
In 2016, following a summer season where local public lands were particularly inundated by heavy visitation, the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority (TCTDA) convened a meeting with public land managers and asked, “How can we help?” From that simple question came a waterfall safety campaign, and the following year, the official Transylvania Always initiative was formed. This effort relies on input from and collaboration with public land managers, like-minded non-profits, emergency services, volunteers, and others. It is coordinated and fully funded by the TCTDA.
One key aspect of Transylvania Always is a focus on encouraging good behavior in woods and waterways. This is reflected in the initiative’s Be Waterfall Wise and Leave It Better campaigns. Many public land users are unfamiliar with the real danger that is often found with the beauty of Mother Nature and are unaware of the impact they have on their surroundings when visiting. Our hope is that these campaigns will allow for an enjoyable user experience with a minimal impact on our natural resources and the land managers and emergency personnel who support them.
The Transylvania Always initiative also makes a difference through grants that fund projects that either 1) address the impact of users on natural resources, 2) create safe and enjoyable use of natural resources, 3) support the ecosystem of our forests and waterways, or 4) enable sustainable use of our natural resources. More than $600,000 has been invested in local projects that meet one or more of these objectives.
Supporting Our Destination’s Infrastructure
Our destination, of course, extends beyond our public lands. Based on the success of the Transylvania Always initiative, the TCTDA has created an additional funding path for projects that preserve or enhance the infrastructure of the destination. They ensure that the music, art, heritage, safe and walkable downtown, and other key elements that make our community special continue to do so. More than $400,000 has been invested in destination infrastructure projects, with an additional $750,000 pledged to the exciting Ecusta Trail project.
How Can You Be a Good Steward to Our Destination?
We are honored when you select our community as the destination for a trip. We want you to have an unforgettable experience that provides lasting memories. We also want to help you be safe and reduce your footprint when visiting. With that in mind, please Leave It Better when visiting our woods and waterways, Be Waterfall Wise when around our waterfalls, and Explore Responsibly throughout your time with us.
Explore Responsibly
We ask visitors to Explore Responsibly when visiting our destination, which of course includes leaving it better in our public lands, but also means supporting local businesses, being good to those who serve you, and more to ensure that you are being a mindful traveler when you visit.