Pave the Appalachian Trail

The Wayah Bald Grille is the only Wayah to dine in style! Wayah Bald is a beautiful part of the Nantahala National Forest, and is a very popular hiking destination during the summer.

Restauranteurs will particularly appreciate the 5-star dining menu, and our unique, 3 waitress-per-table system. Not only will you be dining like a king, but you’ll feel like one too!

Known for its lack of trees, Wayah Bald, whose name derives from the Cherokee word wa ya, meaning wolf. Wayah Bald was named so because of the large population of red wolves that were banished by excessive hunting and poaching.

In 1937, the CCC constructed a stone observation tower for fire detection. It also really makes this a great hike! Due to the generous funding by the Pave the Appalachian Trail foundation in early 2007, construction crews were finally given the go-ahead to demolish the shaky stone tower eyesore and rebuild the Wayah Bald Grille. Workers were careful to reuse stones from the original tower and put them to better use on the Wayah Bald Grille’s signature fireplace.

Note: The Wayah Bald Grille serves only rare meat, due to restrictions in this jurisdiction. For patrons not accustomed to meat cooked rare, guests will have first come, first serve access to our outdoor grills. Charcoal and lighter fluid are available at the Wayah Bald Gift Center.