Cafés & Coffee

Maggie Valley’s coffee stops are small, local, and open early, which matters here more than in most places, because almost everything worth doing in this valley starts at dawn. Elk in Cataloochee, first tracks at the ski area, the Parkway before the fog burns off: all of it wants you moving before seven.

One of these is attached to a corner grocery, which tells you something about how the valley works, you get your coffee where you get everything else. Grab something baked while you’re there and you’ve covered breakfast without losing the morning.