WagonMaster Ranch Resort

First port of call surely has to be the clear waters of Apalachia Lake, three miles away. Sign up for scenic boat trips organised from the park or wander up there yourselves to take swims, walk along the lakeside trail, launch canoes or fish for trophy trout and bass. Several waterfall hikes are within around an hour’s drive too: try Fire Creek Falls (50 minutes) or Bald River Falls (an hour). To give your travels a blessing from on high, make the 10-minute drive to the Fields of the Wood for a serene wander around the 200-acre religious park; even staunch non-believers are likely to marvel at the 30-foot-high Ten Commandments monument on the side of the hill. Follow up with visits to fuss over the furry creatures at Ye Olde Goat Farm (half an hour) or the pack of alpacas at Two Crows Farm (50 minutes), or set off on an underground cave adventure in search of the Lost Sea (an hour).