Aerial view of 16.5 acres with approximate property lines overlaid -- does not represent actual survey. - Sylva
Entrance to property on left off of East Cope Creek Road -- just minutes to downtown Sylva - Sylva
Direct views of iconic Courthouse turned Library in downtown Sylva - Sylva
Long range views of Cashiers, Highlands and the Nantahala National Forest! - Sylva
Aerial view of property with East Cope Creek in the foreground and the Balsam Mountain Preserve in the background. - Sylva
Property is incredibly close to both Western Carolina University and(seen in distance on left) and downtown Sylva (seen in distance on right). - Sylva
Aerial view of upper half of tract with forest service road ready for hiking, biking or 4-wheeling! - Sylva
OnX Map of property with forest service road outlined in blue and build sites highlights by red waypoint pins. - Sylva
Forest service road works its way around the entire property providing access to build sites and a hiking, biking and/or 4-wheeling trail around the property. - Sylva
Beginning of forest service road at base of property. - Sylva
Forest service road provides access to entire property. - Sylva
Lower forest service road near base of property. - Sylva
Lower forest service road with entrance to build site #1 on right - Sylva
Entrance to Build site #1 - Sylva
Build site #1 - Sylva
Forest Service road between build sites #1 and #2 - Sylva
Forest Service road between build sites #1 and #2 - Sylva
Build site #2 - Sylva
Build site #2 - Sylva
Hardwood trees stockpiled from clearing can be used for firewood and/or milled on-site for lumber. - Sylva
Forest service road above build sites - Sylva
Forest service road at the peak of the property. - Sylva
Forest service road at the peak of the property. - Sylva
Feeders, game cams and no trespassing signs always mean the hunting is good! - Sylva
Looking down into this semi-forested playground! - Sylva
Looking over the 16.5-acre tract toward downtown Sylva, NC. - Sylva
Looking over the top half of the property with the Blue Ridge Parkway in the background - Sylva
Looking over the pastoral setting below this 16.5-acre tract. - Sylva
28 photos

$199,000

Sylva, NC 28779
Listed by Steven Reinhold · Good Hike Realty
Bedrooms
N/A
Bathrooms
N/A
Living area
N/A
Year built
N/A

About this home

16.5 acre tract available above East Cope Creek in Jackson County, NC, located just minutes from Sylva’s iconic downtown and Western Carolina University. The property features a freshly graded forest service road which navigates the entire property and leads to multiple build sites. The upper portion of the forest service road can be improved to reach more potential build sites or left as-is and utilized as a private trail system for hiking, biking and 4-wheeling! Top half of property features direct views of downtown Sylva and long-range views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Nantahala National Forest. This tract is conveniently located: 5 minutes to downtown Sylva and Harris Regional Hospital, 10 minutes from recreational access to the Tuckasegee River and Sylva’s Greenway, 15 minutes from Western Carolina University, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the infamous Fisher Creek Trailhead and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, 30 minutes from Cherokee’s amenities and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and within one hour of bucket-list trails and peaks in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests! Nestled in the East Cope Creek watershed, this property offers peace and quiet, spectacular sunsets and pastoral surroundings. Hardwood timber stockpiled from preliminary clearing can provide several seasons of firewood or potentially be milled for on-site lumber. The property is well-suited for building multiple homes for a family homestead or for developing cabins, campsites and/or treehouses for Airbnb, Hipcamp, or long-term rentals for students and professors at nearby Western Carolina University. Listed at tax value, the property has already benefited from the current owner’s early development work. Take advantage of their efforts and begin your mountain living—or rental investment—sooner rather than later!

Property details

MLS #
CAR4307186
Property type
Acreage
Subdivision
N/A
Status
Active
Days on market
262
On market date
September 29, 2025
Stories
N/A
Total bathrooms
N/A
Garage spaces
N/A
Parking spaces
N/A
Lot size
N/A
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Nearby schools

Within 10 miles. School directory data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), accessed via the Urban Institute Education Data API. Local Score is calculated by INNOVATE Real Estate; where a state rating is shown, it comes from that state's own official school report card (e.g. NC Dept. of Public Instruction, SC Report Card).

Elementary
Scotts Creek Elementary
2.63 mi away · Grades 0-8
Zoned school (attendance boundary, 2015-16 data)
2.6
Local Score (state rating (2025) blended 70/30 with student-teacher ratio) -- not an official state rating
State rating: D (2025)
Enrollment
459
Student:teacher ratio
14.3:1
District
Jackson County Public Schools
Middle
Catamount School
2.05 mi away · Grades 6-8
Nearest school -- attendance-zone data not available here
3.6
Local Score (state rating (2025) blended 70/30 with student-teacher ratio) -- not an official state rating
State rating: C (2025)
Enrollment
53
Student:teacher ratio
10.6:1
District
Catamount School
High
Jackson Co Early College
2.66 mi away · Grades 9-13
Zoned school (attendance boundary, 2015-16 data)
3.1
Local Score (state rating (2025) blended 70/30 with student-teacher ratio) -- not an official state rating
State rating: B (2025)
Enrollment
100
Student:teacher ratio
25.0:1
District
Jackson County Public Schools

Walkability

Blended score for Sylva's center, calculated by INNOVATE Real Estate from two sources: the EPA's National Walkability Index (street network, transit, land-use mix) and Google Places amenity data (what's actually reachable on foot from this point). 60% EPA National Walkability Index + 40% nearby-amenity density (Google Places).

24
Car-dependent
out of 100
EPA National Walkability Index
7.8 / 20 -- Below average walkable
Google Places amenity density
0 / 100
Restaurants & cafes0
Grocery stores0
Parks0
Schools0
Transit stops0
Pharmacies0

Market position

How this listing compares to current activity in Sylva, from live MLS data.

On the market 262 days -- 7 fewer days than Sylva's current average of 269 days.
For reference, the median list price across 177 active listings in Sylva right now is $395,000.

Mortgage calculator

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Est. monthly payment
$1,348/mo
$39,800 down
$159,200 loan
Principal & interest$1,033
Property tax (est.)$166
Home insurance (est.)$150

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Data source: Listing information provided by Canopy MLS (carolina) via Trestle/CoreLogic. Last updated June 18, 2026.

Information herein deemed reliable but not guaranteed; all measurements, school assignments, HOA fees, taxes, and feature lists are approximate and should be independently verified. Equal Housing Opportunity.