High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Swain County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 12,968. Its county seat is Bryson City. Swain County is home of the Nantahala River (along with Macon County, North Carolina). The Nantahala is one of the most popular whitewater rafting rivers in the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 541 square miles (1,400 km²), of which, 528 square miles (1,368 km²) of it is land and 13 square miles (32 km²) of it (2.32%) is water.