The site was well drained and safely elevated from flooding. Early settlers could travel in all directions along the river valleys radiating from Asheville, and today the city extends four directions from its downtown hub. Because of extremes in elevation, the climate varies widely from one section of the region to another. The mean elevation of Asheville, for instance, is about 2,300 feet. Here the summers are cool and the winters are moderate, with small amounts of snow.
Higher elevations receive considerable amounts of snow and the summers are much cooler.
Annual rainfall near the southern edge of the Region is almost double that in Asheville. A ski resort is located in Madison County, with another in nearby Haywood County. Building boomed as hotels, inns, boarding houses, summer homes, sanitoria, golf courses, bridle paths, and religious retreats were constructed. News of the region's potential attracted developers, builders, engineers and businessmen from all over the world. Soon visitors recognized that the winters were also mild.