Boone North Carolina

Located seven miles off the magnificent Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina at milepost 291.8 is the town of Boone, named after the famous American pioneer and explorer, Daniel Boone. We’ve heard great things about the town of Boone from many people and have even been told that it is a great town to settle down in. We stopped in Boone for two weeks as our next destination in our northerly trek along the Blue Ridge Parkway and are here to share our experiences.

After previously spending two weeks in Asheville, 84 miles to the south, we found the smaller size and slower pace of Boone to be welcoming. Now don’t get me wrong, Boone is a big little town with a college campus, many retail chains and restaurants you would expect, but absent of highways and the hustle and bustle of a big city. It seems that any way you travel from Boone is a new adventure, or another charming little town to explore.

Exploring the Boone region is like an easter egg hunt, with a hidden treasure around every corner, you just need to know where to look. I’ll highlight some of the “must see” places in the area, some more well known than others.

Exploring Boone

We found that there are not many options for full service RV parks in the area so we made the Boone KOA our basecamp for our two week visit. It’s an older campground but we found a site with a great view and enjoyed the camaraderie of the folks there.

As mentioned, Boone has a bit of everything and even a nice historic downtown area with all the traditional local shops and such. The Watauga County Farmers Market is a very popular stop on a Saturday morning to stock up on fresh vegetables, baked goods and craft items from over 60 vendors.

Although there are plenty of restaurants in Boone, we didn’t particular find anything that blew our socks off but did enjoy The Local and Coyote Kitchen for a casual meal and friendly service. Our favorite, and frequently visited, coffee shop just outside of town was Mountain Dog Coffee, serving great coffee and delectable eats.

Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock is another cute town just adjacent to Boone with a pretty spectacular attraction, The Blowing Rock, a famous cliff and natural center. The venue is privately owned and originally opened in the 1930’s as the town of Blowing Rock had become a popular destination. A small admission fee will get you into this very well done natural attraction where you can walk several paths along gardens and the cliff’s edge, climb on the famous rock and take in the amazing views. There’s even a small art gallery and museum on the grounds which is very informative. One of the rare natural phenomenon of Blowing Rock is the unique wind currents that can actually blow upward, sometimes lifting light objects back toward the top of the cliff.

While in Blowing Rock, be sure to visit the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. The museum hosts a rotating collection of current and historical art and photography that was quite impressive. In particular, the ceramic pieces from Eric Serritella that resemble natural wood branches, was a real treat and art at a completely different level. If we hadn’t been told, we never would have believed these were ceramic and not natural wood pieces. In this particular collection, unaware to the naked eye, each piece is a hidden teapot.

Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain is one of the most iconic and unique peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains, standing at 5,946 feet. The mountain got its name from the mountain ridge that looks like the profile of an old man’s face when viewed from certain angles. The mountain is part state park and part private attraction with an entrance fee that seems kind of steep but well worth it. The entrance road itself is a beautiful drive up the narrow winding road with sights to see like Split Rocks, a 600 million year old rock that has been naturally split down the middle, and Forrest Gump Curve, a famous spot from the movie where Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) was walking across America.

The most recognized attraction on the mountain is the Mile High Swinging Bridge which spans 500 feet above a gorge. It’s much narrower than other bridges of this type I’ve been on so walking across it can be a little intimidating. But it even gets better once you reach the other side where you have an opportunity to scramble over the rocks to Linville Peak. For me (my brave wife who did cross the bridge has better sense than I do) the view and experience of standing on that peak was a highlight. It’s “one of those places”.

There are hiking trails for any level on the mountain, from easy nature walks to extreme climbs requiring ladders and cables. Although we did not hike the Grandfather Trail to Calloway Peak, which is the most extreme, we did experience some pretty amazing hikes. For the best experience, I recommend parking at the hiker’s lot just down from the Top Shop (end of road) and then taking the 1.5-mile Loop Trail. This trail is a bit harder than its short distance would indicate because of the bouldering you will do along the way. At about the 3/4 point (going counterclockwise) you will come to the bridge and the Top Shop. After experiencing the bridge and Linville Peak, continue back to the hiker’s lot. But don’t stop there.

The Black Rock trail with a similar distance as the Loop Trail, has even more bouldering and scenic rock formations along the way but less elevation gain… until the end. There’s a short loop at the end of the trail with two amazing viewpoints. The first (going counterclockwise) takes you to an unnamed spot where you have to climb a short ladder to get to the top of the rock face where you will have amazing views. The second viewpoint is Grandmother View, which also requires a ladder and cable to reach the top. This is much steeper and trickier than the former spot, but the views are even better. You can see the swinging bridge in the distance one way and the Linn Cove Viaduct (more on that later) the other way with the vast Blue Ridge Mountains spanning in between.

In addition to the aforementioned activities, there is a Discovery Center with interactive exhibits, an informative film and animal habitat where you can see cougars, black bears and bald eagles among other native wildlife. The mountain has a unique ecology and is known for extreme winds so plan your trip to Grandfather Mountain accordingly.

Linville Gorge

Linville Gorge is one of the most dramatic natural landscapes in the eastern U.S. – often nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East”. The 12-mile canyon drops 2,000 feet with jagged rocks and steep drop-offs. Towering above are the mountain peaks of Hawksbill, Table Rock and The Chimneys. At the beginning of the gorge is Linville Falls.

Linville Falls is one of those “must do’s” and can be reached by a pretty easy trail. There are two trailheads where you can reach the falls, from the Linville Falls Visitor Center parking lot or from the Linville Gorge gravel lot off of Old 105. Either way will get you to three viewing areas, the first being the Upper Falls where you get great views of the gorge and the falls winding down through the rocks below. It gets even better. Take the trail a little further to the Chimney View and Erwin View overlooks where the vantage points are further away but with magical views that will give you the full perspective of the falls. We’ve seen a lot of waterfalls, and I’d easily put this in our top 10 list.

If you parked at the Old 105 lot (also called Kistler Memorial Highway) the next amazing scenic spot will be a short but rough drive four miles further down the road. Normally this does not require 4WD but check the current road conditions first. Wiseman’s View, accessible from a small parking area and down a short (half mile) path is an absolutely incredible spot with amazing views of the gorge from the west rim. You’ll be hard pressed to find this kind of view with minimal effort in many places. If you like the road, you can continue for another 10 miles for some further exploring.

Experiencing the east rim of the gorge requires a little more effort but is equally rewarding. There are trails of varying difficulty to reach the three peaks. We hiked the Hawksbill Mountain Trail which seemed to provide the best bang for the buck and understood to have the better views of the three. The trail did not disappoint. At just under 2.5 miles, it’s not a long hike, but pretty steep up the mountain. The payoff is just incredible views where you feel like you’re on top of the world! There are actually two different viewpoints at the top, go to them both. Overall, this was a “10” on the effort verses reward scale.

After that hike you deserve to treat yourself to a reward and the town of Linville has two great options. The Linville Falls Winery is an amazing and unexpected spot with some really good wines. Sitting out on their patio, listening to a guitar player strumming, you would think that you were just transported to Napa Valley. And if you’re hungry, the Tin Trout is another amazing hidden treasure featuring farm fresh vegetables and some amazing trout. But save some room for their coconut cake for dessert! The building itself is quite unique as well, as it used to be an old gas station.

Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway

As mentioned in our previous blogs, traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway is an epic experience that should be enjoyed as a leisurely journey. Whether you simply drive the parkway and stop at the overlooks or spend more time exploring the many small towns and activities along the way, it’s a great experience for all. We covered a good stretch of the parkway from our Boone stop, spanning from Linville Falls at Milepost 316.4 to the far end of Doughton Park at milepost 238.5, minus the sections which were closed.

There are endless overlooks along the parkway, such as Wildcat Rock Overlook at milepost (MP) 241.1, with magnificent views that never get old. The views can change drastically based on weather conditions, so it always seems to look different. There are also many historical spots along the way for brief stops such as Jesse Brown Cabin (MP 272.4), Jess Sheets Cabin (MP 252.3) and the original, slightly restored, Brinegar Cabin (MP 238.5). They are all worth stopping at and have a unique story to tell.

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, located at MP 294 along the parkway, is another great stop. The 3,500-acre estate was the resident of Moses Cone, a textile magnate of the Gilded Age. The estate, including two lakes (Bass and Trout), 25 miles of trails (original carriage trails) and the mansion (Moses Cone Manor), is now owned by the National Park Service. It’s a beautiful place to take an easy hike and visit the 14,000 square foot, 23 room mansion built in 1901, which now also houses the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. Ranger led tours of the upper levels of the mansion are available on weekends.

Speaking of nice lake hikes, Price Lake is located just a bit further south down the parkway at MP 296.7 and makes for a nice light hike around the lake. For a good portion of the trail you are walking through the rhododendrons which makes it feel somewhat tropical. It was a great hike for a day out with the dogs.

Possibly the most recognized point along the parkway is the mile of raised roadway referred to as the Linn Cove Viaduct. The section of road runs along the base of Grandfather Mountain at milepost 304 and is essentially a 1,243-foot-long concrete bridge that curves in a sweeping “S” shape along the mountainside. It was built in a way to protect the fragile ecosystem of Grandfather Mountain, hugging the terrain rather than cutting through it. It’s an engineering marvel and one of the most photographed roads in the country. Unfortunately, this section of road was closed for a road resurfacing project when we were there so we couldn’t drive across it, but we were still able to experience it.

The 13-mile Tanawha Trail traverses along the viaduct and provides the perfect viewpoint of the Linn Cove Viaduct, but you only have to hike a short distance of the trail for the money shot. The trail can be picked up at the Linn Cove Visitor Center parking lot where the viewpoint, up on a rock adjacent to the parkway, can be reached in about a half mile. Since the road was closed, the hike was more pleasant with the absence of traffic noise and we had a clear unobstructed view at the rock. It’s a truly unique hike crossing through a boulder field and with a mix of natural and man-made beauty.

If your in for a little longer hike, I highly recommend alternately parking at the Stack Rock parking area and adding this part of the Tanawha trail to the hike for about a total of just over 2.5 miles round trip. It’s a beautiful trail going through several really cool rock formations and nothing too difficult.

Still on the heels of Helene recovery, along with regular parkway maintenance, made getting around on the parkway somewhat frustrating at times. The closures are a moving target and since there are minimal on/off access points to the parkway, at times it required a long detour to get to where we wanted to go. That said, we are glad the repairs and improvements continue and suspect in peak season, this should not be as much of an issue.

In Closing

So, was Boone that special place to settle down in that we heard it was? Well, many people do just that or make Boone their summer home destination. It’s a beautiful area within the Blue Ridge Mountains with so much to explore, and we could certainly see ourselves living in one of those houses on the edge of the mountain with a magical view. However, the winters can be brutal and that “house on the mountain” can be a little unachievable. Besides, we’ve still got a lot more to see down the road a piece.

Check out all of our pictures from the Boone region.