The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is comprised of the 25 westernmost counties of North Carolina and Qualla Boundary. The unique culture and heritage of the Blue Ridge is a tapestry of rich traditions, from the ancient Cherokee ways to the lifestyles of the immigrant Europeans and Africans who came into the mountains after the Revolutionary War.
In the mountains of North Carolina, visitors will find not only stunning scenery around every curve, but will also discover a culture of community among the people of the Blue Ridge—people who care deeply about the mountains, their traditions, and one another.
The birthplace of the Cherokee's advanced early civilization, the region is today home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who continue to preserve many facets of traditional Cherokee culture. Beginning in the eighteenth century, European and African settlers moved into the mountains. The relative isolation of mountain life helped these settlers nourish and preserve many traditions, especially music and handmade crafts. Africans brought with them the banjo, the Scots-Irish their fiddles and traditional tunes. Over time these traditions have melded to create the unique music of Appalachia.
The area has also become the center of handmade art and craft in America, with a rich legacy of both traditional and contemporary craft schools and over 4,000 working craftspeople. And visitors have literally hundreds of places to experience the authentic ways of life that still thrive in the small towns and rural settings of the Western North Carolina mountains.
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A land of mountain wilderness, waterfalls, Cherokee tradition, string bands, and craft studios, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is truly a region with a personality like no other.
What is the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area?
A Region of National Significance
This region was designated a National Heritage Area by Congress and the President in November, 2003 in recognition of the unique character, culture, and natural beauty of Western North Carolina and their significance to the history of our nation. The designation lists five heritage themes that have created the unique culture of the Blue Ridge: Agriculture, Cherokee, Craft, Music and Natural heritage.
A Region of Superlatives
• The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are among the oldest mountains on Earth.
• The highest mountain east of the Mississippi is Mount Mitchell.
• The deepest gorge in the eastern United States is Linville Gorge.
• The highest waterfall in the eastern United States is Whitewater Falls.
• The oldest river in North America is the New River.
• The two most visited National Park lands in the country are the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• The region supports a stunning diversity of plant and animal life; more, in fact, than the whole of Europe.
The mission of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is to protect, preserve, interpret, and develop the unique natural, historical, and cultural resources of Western North Carolina for the benefit of present and future generations, and in so doing to stimulate improved economic opportunity in the region.
For more about what to see and do, stop by the Blue Ridge Parkway Destination Center or visit the Blue Ridge Heritage Area Web site .
Blue Ridge Mountains Driving Tours & Itineraries
Below is a sampling of itineraries that could be created using the Go Blue Ridge Card:
Central Mountains Region: The Asheville Historic Trolley Tour (On card) is the ideal way to experience downtown Asheville and the Asheville Urban Trail (Free). Also located downtown are the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Colburn Earth Science and Smith McDowell House museums, The Health Adventure, and Mast General Store (All on card). America’s largest home and previous residence of George Vanderbilt, the 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate is a “must see” and one of the top values included on the Go Card.
From Asheville travel fifteen minutes east to the quaint town of Black Mountain for some eclectic shopping and visit the Swannanoa Valley Museum (Free) en route to Chimney Rock Park, Lake Lure Tours and Rockhouse Vineyards (All on card.)
Or going north from Asheville, visit the Vance Birthplace (Free) then follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Mitchell State Park (highest peak in the east) (Free), then on to Emerald Village in Spruce Pine, (On card). In Spruce Pine, visit the “Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree” and shop for handcrafted holiday items in their retail store (Free).
High Country Region: From Spruce Pine, follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to milepost 328.3 to the historic Orchard at Altapass, then visit nearby Linville Caverns (Both on card). Have lunch at Spear’s BBQ and Grill at Linville Lodge (On card), then visit the nearby Linville Gorge, one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern U.S. (Free). The Linville River spills into the Gorge, and there are 39 miles of hiking trails in the surrounding wilderness area. The journey can continue to Grandfather Mountain (home of the Swinging Bridge—On card) and on north to the attractions in and around Boone (N.C.’s ski area).
Or go from Spruce Pine to Bakersville for a water adventure, tubing the Toe River at Loafer’s Glory (On card). Afterward, travel the scenic road to the top of Roan Mountain for some of the most spectacular views in the Blue Ridge, especially during June when the rhododendrons are in full bloom (Free). From Roan Mountain, travel to Newland and visit the Avery County Museum, (Free) located in the old jailhouse, then on to Grandfather Mountain (On card).
Smoky Mountain Region: This westernmost region offers rugged outdoor adventures and many scenic overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From Asheville travel south on the Parkway, stopping for a scenic view or a hike at Mt. Pisgah, Shining Rock Wilderness Area, the Pink Beds and/or Graveyard Fields (Free). The Parkway ends in Cherokee, where the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Village, and the outdoor drama Unto These Hills (All on card) give visitors an insight into the rich history and culture of the Cherokee Indians. While in Cherokee, picnic in the park along the banks of the river and listen to the “Talking Trees” tell their story in both English and Cherokee (Free.)
The Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and Creamery (On card) is a great lunch or ice cream stop. The Balsam Mountain Inn (On card) is on the National Register of Historic Places and makes a good “home base” for exploring all the attractions in the Smoky Mountain Region. It’s a short drive to historic Dillsboro and the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and Dillsboro Rafting (On card). In nearby Franklin, the Scottish Tartans Museum displays and explains the many varied clan tartans and other artifacts depicting the rich Scottish heritage of many mountain families (Free).
In the far west is a playground of outdoor adventure including, the Nantahala Outdoor Center (rafting, kayaking…), Smoky Mountain Jet Boats, Wildwater Rafting, Great Smokey Mountains Fish Camp & Tubing, Rose Creek Mine (All on card) and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest - the site of the largest stand of virgin trees in Western North Carolina (Free). And a journey through this region wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are many options for fly fishing in this region as well.
Read more about the Go Blue Ridge Card.
