Laurel River Store

We are located at the junction of NE Hwy 25/70 and 208 in Hurricane. Many of you will remember our store as 'The Old Mill Wheel' or 'The Steady Eddy'. The highways may be the reason many pass by our store, but there are a lot of reasons you should just plan to spend the day down here with us on the Big Laurel River.

First reason is our store. It is a building that has stood the test of time. Built in the '40s, it is an old cafe that sits on top of Little Hurricane Creek. It has been a landmark in Madison County for over 100 years, and almost everyone in the area has fond memories of visiting the place over the years.

For the past two years, we have operated as a coffee shop that serves coffee and espresso drinks made with organically grown, fair trade beans that are roasted at Bean Werk's in West Asheville, 14 varieties of organic/fair trade teas, dairy & vegan ice creams made at The Hop Ice Cream Cafe in North Asheville, 35 flavors of snowballs & fresh squeezed lemonade, orangeade & limeade.

We show off the work of a number of local crafts(wo)men, anything from paintings to quilts to ironwork to stained glass... the folks that supply me with art are mainly family and friends, and my selection will change and evolve depending on what sorts of things they feel like making.

The second reason to come this way is for the Big Laurel River Trail. This trail is an old railroad grade that follows the Big Laurel all the way down to the confluence with the French Broad River, approximately 3.5miles(7 miles round trip). It is an easy hike along a beautiful river.

Another reason to visit us is for the fishing on the Laurel River. There is a 'delayed harvest' section of river that starts at our store and runs up stream for about 4 miles. This section is catch and release from the first weekend in October, until the first weekend in June, and is all road side, following Highway 208.

We have a pretty solid selection of flies and supplies for the fisher(wo)men that come down to fish the Laurel River. For now we have the emergency odds and ends that you may have forgot at home or that you ran out of while here fishing. Over time this selection will just continue to grow. We are also an outpost for Elk Creek Outfitters, a fly-fishing guide service that is based out of Boone, NC. We can take you out on a guided fishing trip to any number of the streams and rivers in the east Tennessee & western North Carolina region.

The river from our store downstream also brings out boaters of all sorts when the water level is high enough. Our store is the put in for a class IV river section. Looking out my window I can give you a reading on the visual gage, so be sure to check in with me when you are trying to formulate a paddling plan. I'm also happy to help out with your shuttle needs as time and drivers allow. Please call in advance so we can work out a plan.

Come on by and check us out!