Where to next? New round of wayfinding signs to provide seamless tourist experience

May 27—Another round of wayfinding signs aimed at directing tourists will soon be installed throughout Haywood County.

Last year, the first phase of 23 wayfinding signs cropped up along major corridors and key gateways from Canton to Waynesville to Maggie Valley. Phase II will now focus on getting people around town once they arrive.

"This next round of signs will help direct people to parking, dining, shopping and attractions," said Lynn Collin's, director of the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.

In Waynesville, for example, the additional signs will encourage tourists to circulate beyond downtown and discover Hazelwood and Frog Level, as well.

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said the second phase is a welcome addition.

"The first round was getting people to our major landmarks, the next round really draws people into our local businesses and restaurants and parking. This takes it to the next level," Smathers said.

The wayfinding sign initiative was spearheaded by the county tourism authority in collaboration with Canton, Clyde, Maggie Valley, Waynesville and Lake Junaluska.

The attractive signs with a mountain vibe seek to provide a seamless experience as tourists move around the county. While the signs all have similar theming, each locale has its own unique icon: a bear for Canton, a cardinal for Clyde, a Plott Hound for Waynesville, a bald eagle for Lake Junaluska and an elk for Maggie Valley.

"We developed what's probably the first countywide wayfinding sign program in the state," said Waynesville Town Manager Rob Hites. "Wherever you go in Haywood County, you are going to see that sign and trust it."

Hites has been a champion of wayfinding signs since his own arrival to Haywood County a few years ago, which gave him the lens of a newcomer.

"From the moment I came to interview for the job, I knew GIS was screwy when it came to Haywood County," Hites said. "I realized something was askew. People get confused and they get lost."

The first round of wayfinding signs was $150,000 for design, fabrication and installation, and was paid for with tourism dollars. For the second round, the tourism development authority allocated another $150,000.

Waynesville leaders chipped in an additional $60,000 to pair with their $40,000 allocation from the TDA. They dipped into the town's pot of federal COVID stimulus money to cover the balance of fully building out phase II wayfinding signs — nearly 30 more in all.

"That sounds like a lot, but we have the most complex system because we have three commercial districts," Hites said, citing downtown, Frog Level and Hazelwood.

Waynesville also has numerous public parking lots, along with public restrooms and a litany of attractions like HART Theater. Waynesville's phase II will also include gateway signs coming off exit 100 in Hazelwood and exit 98 on South Main.

Directions are less complex in Maggie Valley, which is largely linear. So Maggie Valley is applying its phase II wayfinding money to a signature sign creating a sense of arrival near town hall.

"This new town hall sign continues the town's work in creating and enhancing a recognizable sense of place along Soco Road," said Maggie Town Manager Nathan Clark.

Instead of being pole-mounted, Maggie's sign will have a rock foundation and an electronic message board component, which Maggie chipped in to pay for.

Clyde, meanwhile, is so small that fewer signs are needed, so it also came up with a twist on the traditional wayfinding model. Also aimed at creating a sense of place, Clyde's sign will be a large three-panel display with mural-like decorative graphics on one side, and brochure racks on the other.

"They are thinking people will take a lot of selfies with this," Collins said.

Canton has already installed one of its phase II signs at Chestnut Mountain Park, a mountain biking and outdoor recreation preserve three miles east of town, which held a grand opening last month.

"Now, all the people coming to Chesnut Mountain will be directed on to downtown," Smathers said. "Now that we have the attention of the region, it's the time to be purposely getting them to our restaurants and brewery and shops."

The signs were designed and coordinated by Bizzell Design, an industry expert in wayfinding signage in the state.