Kituwa
Kituwa (also spelled Kituwah, Keetoowah, Kittowa, Kitara and other similar variations) or giduhwa (Cherokee: ᎩᏚᏩ) is a Woodland period Native American settlement near the upper Tuckasegee River, and is claimed by the Cherokee people as their original town.
An ancient site inside Bryson City
You can stay in Bryson City
Kituwa is inside Bryson City, which has 374 hotel and restaurant jobs, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Atlanta
Atlanta is about 128 miles southwest and Charlotte is about 148 miles east (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 71–84°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Census job and town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Bryson City. Green months are the mild ones.
Kituwa
Kituwa (also spelled Kituwah, Keetoowah, Kittowa, Kitara and other similar variations) or giduhwa (Cherokee: ᎩᏚᏩ) is a Woodland period Native American settlement near the upper Tuckasegee River, and is claimed by the Cherokee people as their original town. An earthwork platform mound, built about 1000 CE, marks a ceremonial site here. The historic Cherokee built a townhouse on top that was used for their communal gatherings and decisionmaking; they replaced it repeatedly over decades. They identify Kituwa as one of the "seven mother towns" in their traditional homeland of the American Southeast. This site is in modern Swain County, North Carolina, in the Great Smoky Mountains.
- Type
- Ancient site
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1973)
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.2K a year
Stay in Bryson City, or close by
Towns within 30 miles, closest first. Hotel and restaurant jobs show how many places there are to stay and eat.
| Town | From Kituwa | Hotel & restaurant jobs | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryson City | in town | 374 | 1,902 | $243K | C− |
| Cherokee | 8 mi northeast | 898 | 2,059 | $190K | — |
| Sylva | 13 mi east | 1,042 | 2,646 | $201K | D− |
| Webster | 13 mi southeast | 0 | 470 | $375K | — |
| Forest Hills | 16 mi southeast | 8 | 329 | — | — |
| Cullowhee | 17 mi southeast | 433 | 7,973 | $382K | — |
| Franklin | 18 mi south | 706 | 4,268 | $195K | C− |
| Gatlinburg 34% vacation homes | 20 mi north | 4,956 | 3,663 | $332K | D |
| Maggie Valley 44% vacation homes | 22 mi east | 454 | 2,112 | $321K | — |
| Robbinsville | 23 mi west | 109 | 577 | $27K | — |
| Pittman Center 20% vacation homes | 23 mi north | 128 | 583 | $432K | — |
| Townsend 29% vacation homes | 25 mi northwest | 347 | 701 | $371K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Kituwa
Other well-known places within 37 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw126 mi🎢 Theme parkDollywood3.1M visitors a year
Big draw212 mi🏞 National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
310 mi⛰ MountainKuwohi
415 mi⛰ MountainMount Le Conte🌲36 mi🌲 Park & preserveAmerine Park🌲37 mi🌲 Park & preserveJohn Sevier Park🎢520 mi🎢 Theme parkGhost Town in the Sky
616 mi🌲 National forestNantahala National ForestPhoto credits
Dollywood: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 2.5 · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Mount Le Conte: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nantahala National Forest: Sdrtm at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Visiting Kituwa
Is Kituwa in Bryson City?
Yes. It’s inside Bryson City, NC.
When is the best time to visit Kituwa?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 71–84°.
How far is Kituwa from Atlanta and Charlotte?
About 128 miles southwest of Atlanta and about 148 miles east of Charlotte, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Kituwa?
McGhee Tyson (TYS), about 41 miles away.
Where should I stay near Kituwa?
Bryson City (in town, 374 hotel and restaurant jobs), Cherokee (8 mi, 898 hotel and restaurant jobs) and Sylva (13 mi, 1,042 hotel and restaurant jobs).
Tips from people in Bryson City
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Bryson City’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.