The North Carolina Mountains: Places to Explore

Asheville is the hippest city in the South. At least that's the claim of Asheville's fans, who are legion. Visitors flock to Asheville to experience the arts and culture scene, which rivals that of Santa... Read more

Banner Elk is a ski-resort town, which bills itself as the "highest town in the East," surrounded by the lofty peaks of Grandfather, Hanging Rock, Beech, and Sugar mountains. The massively ugly condo tower... Read more

Black Mountain is a small town that has played a disproportionately large role in American cultural history because it's the site of Black Mountain College. For more than 20 years in the middle of the... Read more

Blowing Rock, a draw for mountain visitors since the 1880s, has retained the flavor of a quiet New England village, with stone walls and buildings with wood shakes or bark siding. About 1,000 people are... Read more

The Blue Ridge Parkway's 252 mi within North Carolina wind down the High Country through Asheville, ending near the entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Highlights on and near the parkway include... Read more

A fast-growing college town, Boone is home to Appalachian State University and its 16,000 students. Suburban sprawl has arrived, especially along U.S. 321 with its clusters of fast-food restaurants, chain... Read more

With its friendly, highly walkable downtown, Brevard is Mayberry RFD transported to the Pisgah National Forest. In fact, a popular toy store in town is called O.P. Taylor's—get it?... In summer, more... Read more

Cashiers (pronounced CASH-ers) is not a quite a town. Until recently, it was just a crossroads, with a store or two, a summer getaway for wealthy South Carolinians escaping the heat. But with the building... Read more

Chimney Rock and neighboring Lake Lure—both popular day trips from Asheville—were the dream projects of a single man, Dr. Lucius Morse. In the early 1900s he bought and began developing Chimney... Read more

Flat Rock has been a summer resort since the early 19th century. It was a favorite of wealthy planters from Charleston eager to escape the Lowcountry heat. The trip from Charleston to Flat Rock by horse... Read more

With about 12,000 residents, Hendersonville has one of the most engaging downtowns of any small city in the South. Historic Main Street, as it's called, extends 10 serpentine blocks, lined with about 40... Read more

Highlands is a tony town of around 900 people, but the surrounding area swells to 10,000 or more in summer and fall, when those with summer homes here flock back, like wealthy swallows of Capistrano. Once... Read more

This little village is a way station for hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Since the early 1800s, Hot Springs, not far from the Tennessee border in Madison County, has attracted visitors seeking relief... Read more

A century ago a group called the Lake Toxaway Company created a 640-acre lake in the high mountains between Brevard and Cashiers. Nearby, a grand 500-room hotel built with the finest materials, providing... Read more

This tiny mountain town has the state's first rural historic district; vintage stores line the downtown streets.... Read more