At a Glance

Three scenic fall drives in the Blue Ridge Mountains for 2026 are the Blue Ridge Parkway, the U.S. 421 byway near Boone, and the Mountain Waters Scenic Byway through Nantahala National Forest near Franklin and …

At a Glance

Old Fort in McDowell County, NC has become one of the Southeast's fastest-rising cycling destinations. The Old Fort Gateway Trail System serves beginners through experienced riders, with classics like Kitsuma Trail and Heartbreak Ridge, and …

At a Glance

The best way to avoid Blue Ridge Parkway crowds during fall color season is to follow the color down the mountain instead of chasing it on one weekend. Cataloochee Valley, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Bent …

At a Glance

Pickens Nose is a roughly 1.5-mile out-and-back trail in Nantahala National Forest near Franklin, North Carolina, in Macon County. The trailhead sits on Ball Creek Road near the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, close to the Georgia …

At a Glance

The best fall hikes in Western North Carolina include Graveyard Fields and Cradle of Forestry near Brevard, DuPont State Forest and Gorges State Park in Transylvania County, Grandfather Mountain near Boone, Mount Mitchell in Yancey …

At a Glance

Chimney Rock State Park sits in Rutherford County off US-74A, about 25 minutes from Asheville, and centers on two landmarks: the 315-foot Chimney Rock, reached by …

At a Glance

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile scenic road connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, built starting in 1935 as a Depression-era project that gave Asheville …

At a Glance

The National Park Service is accepting public comment through September 7 on a Floodplain Statement of Findings for proposed upgrades to the Oconaluftee River Trail near …

At a Glance

North Carolina visitors spent a record $37.2 billion in 2025, and Western NC led the growth. Macon County posted an 11.1 percent increase in visitor spending, second only to Cherokee County's 13.9 percent. Jackson County …

At a Glance

About 300 miles of the Appalachian Trail run through North Carolina, and researchers now link the awe it produces to real gains in mood, stress, and social connection. The best access points in WNC include …