Attractions and Activities
Grandfather Mountain is a member of the Southern Highlands Attractions (www.southernhighlands.org), an organization of family attractions that promotes high standards of quality and service for its members.
Consider investing in the Go Blue Ridge Card
The
Blue Ridge Go Card includes admission to Western North Carolina's most
popular attractions. When you visit a participating attraction, restaurant,
or shop, present your Go Blue Ridge Card and you'll be granted general
admission at the attraction or get a discount automatically. Click
here to learn more.
Open year round, weather permitting in winter. Asheville Administration Office (828)271-4779. US Highway 221 intersects with the parkway in several places. The Grandfather Mountain exit is at Milepost 305. The Entrance is located one mile South.
Linking Shennandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a 470-mile, linear National Park with many stopping points along the way. Special Parkway features near Grandfather Mountain include: Linn Cove Viaduct, Cone Manor House & Craft Center, Julian Price Park, Price Lake & Campground, Linville Falls and Linville Gorge.
Driving on the Parkway is free of charge. Fees are charged for the use of facilities, such as boat rentals or campsites. Visit virtualblueridge.com to learn more about the Blue Ridge Parkway and to view virtual tours of the Parkway.
The
Linn Cove Viaduct is an award-winning elevated roadway that carries
the Blue Ridge Parkway across an environmentally fragile section of
Grandfather Mountain and is the most visited section of the 470-mile
Parkway.
The NPS visitor center is open from May through October and trails wind under and around the elegant suspended road.
Linville Falls
Open year round, seasonal campground. Ranger station phone 828-765-7818. Off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Linville Falls Community. Allow two hours. No admission charged.
90-foot waterfall plunges into the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area. 1/2 mile walk to the top of the falls.
Fresco Art by Ben Long, Sloop Chapel at the Crossnore School
Open daily from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. 
except
on Thursdays from 2-3 p.m. Sloop Chapel is on the grounds of the Crossnore
School, up the hill from the Weaving Room. Allow 30-45 minutes. No admission
charged. For more information call 828-733-4305.
“Suffer, the Little Children" is a wall-sized fresco by internationally acclaimed fresco artist Ben Long that tells the story of how Jesus received the children as the crowds surrounded him. Part of the Benjamin F. Long IV Fresco Trail.
Old Hampton Store & Grist Mill
Open April to November. Phone 828-733-5213. 77 Ruffin Street, Linville, NC. No admission charged.
Hampton Store was built in 1921 and the grist mill was added in 1934. The country store carries housewares and unique decorating accents plus delicious jams, jellies, cheeses, country ham, honey and our very special stone ground flours and meal. Inside the store, you'll also find Uncle Lee's Barbeque serving lean, hickory-smoked barbeque, on homemade sourdough rolls--made fresh daily! The Mill is periodically open for demonstrations throughout the summer season.
Daily mid-May to Labor Day, Weekends through October 31st. Admission charged. Halloween Ghost Train. Blowing Rock...800-526-5740 or 828-264-9061...allow half a day.
Wild west theme park centered around the original narrow gauge steam locomotive that opened the High Country up for civilization over 100 years ago. Three-mile train ride includes an outlaw hold-up, Indian fights and spectacular mountain scenery. Show in the Palace saloon, amusement rides in country fair, petting zoo, crafts demonstrations, gift shops and more. In October, the mysterious Ghost Train appears at dusk and is a favorite with ghouls of all ages.
Daily, April-November, weekends December-March. One hour guided tour. Admission charged. US Highway 221 between Marion and Linville Falls, NC 800-419-0540, 828-756-4171
North Carolina 's only underground caverns. Carved by streams running under Linville Mountain, the cavern has a storied history as a hideout for robbers and Civil War deserters from both sides. Stalactites and stalagmites. Blind fish inhabit the underground stream.
Open year round. No admission charged. Valle Crucis...828-963-6511...allow one hour
Established in 1883, the Mast General Store is listed on the National Register Of Historic Places. In the old days, they carried everything the community needed, from cradles to caskets, and is still the place the people of Valle Crucis stop every day to pick up their mail. The main store carries eclectic array of items for the mountain home and has one of the best shoe stores in the High Country. The ANNEX has wonderful selection of casual clothing and The Candy Barrel...an adventure for the eyes with hundreds and hundreds of colorful candies sold by the pound. Many retro candies to bring out the child in everyone.
Horn In The West Outdoor Drama
Late June - mid August. Admission Charged. Boone...828-264-2120...2 hours
A dramatic play set in 1771 - a time of British dominance and Colonial unrest. Relive the building of a mountain culture as early settlers, led by Daniel Boone, struggle for independence from the Crown. A Cherokee Fire Dance is a favorite feature of the show. Unforgettable lesson in history and the performing arts.
An Appalachian Summer Festival
Sponsored by Appalachian State University. July. Admission Charged. ASU Office of Cultural Affairs, Boone, NC 28608 828-262-6084.....800-841-ARTS
The High Country's Festival of the Arts, featuring the finest in music, dance, theater and visual arts during the month of July. Named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.
" When we lived in NC we made several trips to Grandfather Mountain and brought members of our family there when they visited. It was one of our favorite places to visit and we visit again even though we are now living in Texas. I would recommend it to anyone who loves nature and the outdoors. The animals you keep are especially wonderful to see in their own habitat." Wallace Spring, Texas |
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P.O. Box 129 - US 221 & Blue Ridge Parkway - Linville, NC - 28646
Phone 800-468-7325 Fax: 828-733-2608 Email: nature@grandfather.com
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