The High Country around Boone and Blowing Rock is North Carolina's four-season playground — skiing and cozy fires in winter, hiking and festivals all summer, and some of the state's best leaf color in fall.
Classic Attractions
Tweetsie Railroad is a beloved Wild-West theme park and a family rite of passage. The town of Blowing Rock is named for its famous cliff attraction with sweeping gorge views, and downtown is full of shops, galleries, and restaurants around Main Street and Memorial Park.
Mountains & Parkway
Grandfather Mountain and its Mile-High Swinging Bridge, Moses Cone Memorial Park with its carriage trails and Bass Lake, Julian Price Park, and Linville Falls & Caverns are all a short drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway — a hiker and photographer's dream.
Winter & College Town Energy
This is one of the Southeast's few real ski regions: Appalachian Ski Mountain, Sugar Mountain, and Beech Mountain offer skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Boone brings Appalachian State University energy — college football Saturdays, live music, and a lively downtown.
Best Time to Visit
Summers are cool and green, fall is spectacular (and busy), and winter turns the towns into a snow-globe ski escape. Spring brings waterfalls and blooming rhododendron. A High Country second home works hard in every season.
Thinking About a Second Home Here?
Love the High Country? See our Boone and Blowing Rock area guides, or the gated Sweetgrass and The Bluffs at Blowing Rock communities.