Discovering the town of Dillsboro is only a stroll away. The town's Heritage Walk is an outside walking tour of the town's historic sites that will put the participant in touch with the town's past.

A brochure of the walk is available at the Jackson County Visitors Center located on Depot Street, which features local history as well as a map and guide to 28 historic homes, businesses and notable locales.

While commercial business establishments welcome you to visit during regular business hours, the private residences are not available for tours.

Rich with history and surrounded by mountainous beauty, a promenade down the historic Dillsboro Heritage walk invites you to take a step back in time.

During your walk take note that much of the town's structures are just as they were more than a century ago.

Founded in late 1800s by William Allen Dills, the small town's businesses thrived due to their central location to lumber and mining operations. Some of Dillsboro's original businesses were a general store, drug store, boarding house, train depot and livery.

The current businesses offer an assortment of fine dining, convenient lodging and Appalachian keepsakes.

Now a destination for chocolate lovers, the Dillsboro Chocolate Factory was once a family home to Wade Wilson that was built in 1888 by J.H. McCoy.

Be sure to visit the Town Park located in the Depot Square, which was originally the livery stable where wagons camped and a marker is placed for the town dog Brownie.

Don't forget to take in Nancy Tutt's Christmas Shop, located in a building constructed before 1900, or the Jarrett House built in 1884, which is on the National Historic Register.