Canton: Papertown, Reinvented
HAYWOOD COUNTY
Long known as Papertown for the mill that anchored it for over a century, Canton is finding its footing again without losing its blue-collar roots. Cold Mountain rises just beyond downtown, the new Chestnut Mountain trail system is drawing mountain bikers from across the region, and the Colonial Theatre anchors a Main Street that’s quietly filling back in. It’s an easy, affordable way into the Pisgah National Forest side of Haywood County.
Population ~4,200 | Elevation 2,614 ft