Nantahala Outdoor Center plans outfitter store in Gatlinburg

Friday, May 29, 2009

Nantahala Outdoor Center, the whitewater rafting and outdoor recreation company out of Bryson City, NC, is planning a major new outfitters store in Gatlinburg.

The new 18,000-square-foot retail store, which NOC will call the Great Outpost, will be located at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the building that most recently housed the Open Hearth Restaurant. The Outpost will become the largest retail store in Gatlinburg and will add 55 new jobs.

In addition to selling outdoor gear and apparel, the Great Outpost will serve as a launching pad for whitewater rafting, whitewater and flatwater kayaking, fly-fishing, guided hiking, mountain biking, outdoor education classes and nature tours in the Smokies. It will also feature educational exhibits on outdoor education, the environment, and connect guests with outdoor clubs and conservation groups that help protect the Smokies. And if that wasn't enough, the store will also have a 25-foot rock wall for climbing.

The new store is expected to open in the fall of this year.

The major venture into a new market during a recession landed NOC’s President and CEO Sutton Bacon a spot in the “Heroes of Small Business” Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., last week.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

5 comments

smoky scout said...

I wonder how this will affect the Happy Hiker and other outfitters in the area...

The Smoky Mountain Hiker said...

I imagine it will hurt them quite a bit. I've never been to the Happy Hiker, but it sounds like it's a local institution of some sort.

Hopefully they will be able to innovate and survive.

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Anonymous said...

nice

gatlinburg white water rafting said...

That is good news because I always visit Gatlinburg for white water rafting. I will come to see Nantahala Outdoor Center next time because I will come back to experience fly-fishing next time.