Valley Rewind: Miami Mountain

This photo from the museum's extensive archives shows a view of Miami Mountain from Black Mountain, circa late 1910s. During the first quarter of the 20th century, Miami Mountain was the home of the Sunset Park Hotel (also called the Peabody Hotel), one of Black Mountain’s busiest tourist attractions. A 1916 ad for the hotel in the Asheville Citizen encouraged sightseers from Asheville, Waynesville and Hendersonville to take morning trains to Black Mountain Station, and then take an auto or carriage ride up the 2.5 mile long road to the top of the mountain, "altitude 3,300 feet." At the top, visitors could enjoy impressive views, food and refreshments, and either stay at the hotel or take a train to be back home by the evening. A fire destroyed the hotel in 1928.  For many years the Swannanoa Valley Museum has hosted a Fouth of July Hike on Miami Mountain (today also referred to as "Sunset Mountain") to view Black Mountain's fireworks display. This year, the museum was unable to host this event.