Readers choose the most effective Blue Ridge cities to dwell and play
The Blue Ridge is residence to a few of the planet’s most stunning mountain ranges, forests, wilderness areas, and waterways—and it’s chock filled with culture-packed, outdoors-loving cities and cities.
Annually our editors compile an inventory of the area’s prime 100 hubs throughout 4 classes: Tiny, small, medium, and huge. Then we invite readers to select their favourite adventure-ready locations to dwell, go to, and play.
Now hundreds of votes have been forged and champions have emerged. The winners provide beautiful surroundings, stunning parks and greenways, proximity to stellar outside recreation alternatives, in addition to thriving native companies, eating places, bars, and cultural choices.
Learn on to study extra about this yr’s High Journey Cities.
Editor’s Be aware: Voting for our annual High Journey Cities contest and many of the reporting on the winners happened earlier than Hurricane Helene introduced devastating flooding to the mountains of western North Carolina and areas in surrounding states. Though we’d nonetheless wish to have a good time these cities, locations on this article are at the moment coping with results of the storm and will not be capable of be visited. Contact native officers for journey advisory updates. And to study how one can assist these affected by Helene, go to blueridgeoutdoors.com/helene.
TOP LARGE TOWN
Winner
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville has lengthy been the beloved journey epicenter of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it’s no shock that our readers named it the area’s High Massive City. As of press time, the town was within the very early phases of restoration, nonetheless reeling from the devastating results of Hurricane Helene. Many components of city, together with the colourful River Arts District, skilled unfathomable destruction.
With houses and companies nonetheless with out energy and water—and plenty of uninhabitable—inspiring scenes emerged of locals coming collectively in a time of disaster. Neighbors helped one another with rescues and shelter, whereas most of the metropolis’s well-known breweries and eating places cooked free meals and handed out bottled water.
It’s going to take a very long time for the town to get again to full energy, however Asheville is filled with decided adventurers who will diligently rebuild and finally get again to having fun with surrounding close by outside treasures, together with the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah Nationwide Forest, and 6,684-foot Mt. Mitchell, the very best peak east of the Mississippi River.
To search out out how one can assist Asheville, and for updates on journey advisories, go to exploreasheville.com.
Runners Up
Roanoke, Va.
The city and surrounding Roanoke Valley are outside recreation hotspots, as locals mountain bike at Carvins Cove, hike the Appalachian Path, and trip street bikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Charleston, S.C.
This historic Southern port metropolis is surrounded by rivers, creeks, and lakes for kayaking and paddleboarding, so locals who love water-based journey can usually be discovered gliding throughout favorites like Charleston Harbor and Shem Creek.
TOP MIDSIZE TOWN
Winner
Charlottesville, Virginia
Say “Charlottesville” and most of the people consider the College of Virginia, wine, or the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, however outside aficionados know the little metropolis has a lot to supply in the best way of journey.
For starters, it sits on the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains a 45-minute drive from the Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington Nationwide Forest, Appalachian Path, and Shenandoah Nationwide Park. Nice family-friendly paddling alternatives are discovered on the town on the Rivanna River, whereas entry to the mighty James River awaits simply 20 miles to the southeast. Residents can carve up 129 skiable acres of snowsports at Wintergreen Resort lower than an hour away. And there’s additionally a whopping 96 miles of mountain biking trails in and round city.
“I like that I can step proper exterior my backdoor and have so many choices for outside issues to do any time of the yr,” says longtime resident and Charlottesville Space Mountain Bike Coalition vp Sam Lindblom, who spearheaded efforts to kind the state’s first public school-sanctioned aggressive mountain biking workforce at Albemarle Excessive College in 2015.
The opposite prime factor he loves about Charlottesville “is it’s such a cultural melting pot.”
“We have now the sorts of eating places and cultural alternatives you’d anticipate finding in main cities like Washington D.C.,” says Lindblom. Main, midsize, and small music venues entice artists that vary from pop megastars like Sabrina Carpenter to competition favorites just like the Notorious Stringdusters or jazz up-and-comer Julian Lage.
High all of it off with a fantastic outside mall downtown, a 40-vineyard vino area that Wine Fanatic named the world’s finest for 2023, and greater than two dozen space craft breweries and cideries? Now that’s a profitable recipe.
Runners Up
Sevierville, Tenn.
The city the place nation legend Dolly Parton grew up is the gateway to Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park and its 800 miles of maintained trails. Anglers come to the realm to forged for smallmouth bass within the Little Pigeon River, whereas paddlers and rafters like to bounce by way of the category III-IV rapids of the Higher Pigeon.
Boone, N.C.
This school city within the North Carolina Excessive Nation has lengthy been revered for an abundance of out of doors treasures. Favorites embrace mountain climbing the Daniel Boone Scout Path to Calloway Peak, using at Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park, and snowboarding at close by resorts, together with Beech Mountain. Boone is at the moment in restoration mode after extreme injury from Hurricane Helene, so contact native officers and companies earlier than planning a go to.
TOP SMALL TOWN
Winner
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Its place on the northern fringe of 522,000-acre Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park has reworked this small city within the rural southeastern Tennessee highlands right into a bustling vacation spot for outside lovers of all stripes. However don’t let the sparse inhabitants idiot you: The Smokies entice some 13 million official guests a yr and a excessive share of them cease in Gatlinburg. Which means you’ll discover a busy downtown space brimming with eateries, music venues, and drink spots.
“We’ve actually obtained the most effective of each worlds,” says Kaitlyn Kerrigan, a head river information with Nantahala Out of doors Heart Gatlinburg. She loves you could spend the day doing issues like mountain climbing to beautiful views from 6,593-foot Mount Le Conte, then observe with craft beers and a topnotch meal within the coronary heart of downtown. “That’s not one thing you possibly can say about many locations,” she continues. “And it makes this city actually, actually particular.”
However whereas the Smokies boast greater than 800 miles of strolling trails—together with a 72-mile span of the enduring Appalachian Path—outside alternatives don’t cease there. Ober Mountain Journey Park and Ski Resort affords 35 skiable acres and a lift-served MTB park with a dozen purpose-built trails. And there are tasty kayaking alternatives on the Little Pigeon River and miles of newbie to intermediate pleasant whitewater on the decrease Pigeon.
Runners Up
Brevard, N.C.
Brevard is a tight-knit mountain group in western North Carolina that’s beloved by mountain bikers, hikers, and waterfall seekers. It’s surrounded by an enormous stretch of public lands, together with Pisgah Nationwide Forest and Dupont State Leisure Forest. As of press time, Transylvania County was nonetheless underneath a journey advisory after experiencing widespread injury from Helene.
Clifton Forge, Va.
Tucked away in a scenic valley within the Allegheny Mountains, Clifton Forge is surrounded by a few of Virginia’s most unspoiled terrain, with the Jackson River flowing by way of city and Douthat State Park simply minutes away.
TOP TINY TOWN
Winner
Cherokee, North Carolina
The municipal seat of the Jap Band of Cherokee Indians’ 56,000-acre Qualla Boundary is without doubt one of the most scenic—and under-the-radar—outside locations within the Southeast. Cherokee’s quaint, historic downtown space occupies a slim valley that sits a couple of mile from the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, sandwiched between Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park to the north and the Nantahala Nationwide Forest to the south. The city is surrounded by densely forested and sparsely populated 3,000-plus-foot peaks which might be residence to numerous trout streams. And it’s bisected by a beautiful, 1.5-mile public greenway and park system that occupies either side of the Oconaluftee River.
1 / 4-century of fiercely intentional revitalization and onerous pivot towards an out of doors recreation economic system has spurred an ongoing renaissance. It’s introduced Cherokee-centered outlets, outfitting operations, an out of doors retailer, new eating places, and a native-owned brewery and distillery.
Out of doors recreation is bountiful in Cherokee. Mountain climbing alternatives are plentiful, with dozens of picturesque waterfalls and summits inside a couple of miles of city alone. Anglers can choose from a slew of guided outings alongside the Oconaluftee and its tributaries, and paddlers can discover every little thing from professional to beginner-friendly whitewater rafting inside half-hour of city on the Nantahala River. Within the chilly months, carve powder on the Cataloochee Ski Space, which sits lower than 20 miles away.
However in Cherokee, mountain biking actually steals the present. The tribal-owned Hearth Mountain Bike Park is lower than a mile from downtown, options about 14 miles of pro-grade trails, dozens of picket options—and received’t value you a dime to trip. Highlights embrace half-mile-long, feature-packed development path Skilly and 2-mile doubletrack rollercoaster, Kessel Run. The latter brings 2,000 ft of vert.
Runners Up
Blowing Rock, N.C.
Situated within the North Carolina Excessive Nation simply off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock is a quaint village with vibrant native companies situated close to beautiful mountain surroundings. Guests usually flock to the city throughout the crisp fall months, however at press time many roads—together with the Parkway—in surrounding Watauga County have been nonetheless closed following Helene.
Elkton, Va.
This tiny city sits simply minutes from Massanutten Resort and the Swift Run Hole entrance of Shenandoah Nationwide Park. Native companies like Elkton Brewing Firm and Small Axe Farms Hostel are hospitable to adventurers.
Cowl picture: The skyline of Asheville, N.C.. Photograph courtesy of ExploreAsheville.com
