Last Updated on June 26, 2025
Boone and Blowing Rock are charming mountain towns nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Boone, home to Appalachian State University, offers a lively college-town atmosphere with outdoor adventure, live music, and local breweries. Just a short drive away, Blowing Rock is known for its quaint downtown, upscale boutiques, and the scenic Blowing Rock cliff with sweeping views of the Johns River Gorge. Both towns provide access to the Blue Ridge Parkway and are popular year-round for hiking, skiing, and leaf-peeping in the fall. Together, they create a perfect blend of natural beauty, culture, and small-town hospitality.
Stroll through downtown Boone
Although there is plenty to do around Boone, you will not want to miss out on visiting Downtown. Boone’s King Street is a favorite for both residents and out-of-town visitors.
Lined with local specialty stores, coffee shops, antique shops, art galleries, ice cream parlors, boutiques, and restaurants, King Street brings the college community and the locals together and gives the mountain town its charm.
Local favorites include Mast General Store, the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, and Lost Province Brewing Company.
King Street is also home to many Mountaineer football tailgates, holiday parades, and university events that happen throughout the year.
With Appalachian State University right around the corner, King Street remains a lively place at all times and is sure to welcome you into the heart of Boone, encourage you to wander freely, and invite you to soak up the Appalachian air.
Take a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Take in the breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains when you catch a ride on America’s favorite drive. The Boone/Blowing Rock area of the parkway is marked by over 50 hiking trails and 20 overlooks.
Visit Price Lake
If you’re looking for the perfect place to fish, canoe, kayak, or paddle-boat, Price Lake makes it easy with their on-site rental facility that provides all equipment, supplies, and even bait for fisherman. Located at milepost 297 on the Parkway, Price Lake has it’s own lot where visitors can park and spend their day hiking along the provided trails or even pitch a tent and sleep under the stars.
Discover new plants at the Daniel Boone Native Gardens
Fall is the perfect time to take a walk through nature, and the Daniel Boone Native Gardens provides a lovely landscape to do so. Located on three acres, this magnificently landscaped garden contains more than 200 species of plant varieties, including a collection of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
The garden was created to represent a conservation and education effort, as a kind of laboratory where clubs, botanists, and schools can grow rare or endangered species. Fun fact—the wrought iron gates at the entrance were built by the descendants of Daniel Boone!
Take an adventure through Rocky Knob Park
If you’re looking for a little adventure in the mountains, check out the Rocky Knob Park. This beautiful park is free and open until dusk. There are five trails, each of varying difficulty so you are sure to find the right one for you. Whether you choose to walk, run, or bike, you can always wind down afterwards at the site’s large picnic pavilion and playground.
Stroll through Blowing Rock’s quaint downtown
You can’t visit Blowing Rock without spending an afternoon meandering the streets of Blowing Rock’s downtown village. This gem of an area is a must-do and see and filled with locally owned stores featuring work from area artisans, restaurants, pubs and more. And of course, what visit to downtown Blowing Rock would be complete without a visit to Kilwins to get some ice cream? Kids will love Memorial Park, located right across from the downtown area.
Hunt for gems at the Foggy Mountain Gem Mine
This family-owned site invites you to satisfy your craving for a gem mine adventure and experience the thrill of discovery as you pan for gems. Here, you will sift through dirt and rock using water flumes to find your treasure. The staff is highly trained and knknowledgeable d is excited to assist you in this fun and educational experience. You can even purchase a gem bucket to take home all of your riches!
Have a blast at Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad is a famous Wild West theme park located between Boone and Blowing Rock, Best known for the 3-mile ride on a train pulled by Tweetsie Railroad’s historic narrow-gauge steam locomotive. Tweetsie also offers live entertainment, amusement rides, gold panning, and even a zoo.
Tour Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
The preserved country estate of textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist Moses Cone features a magnificent view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Bass Lake. Meander the well-maintained carriage trails, which are appropriate for all ages. Peruse the one-of-a-kind pottery and jewelry located in the Southern Highlands Craft Guild location inside. The 20-room grand Colonial Revival mansion has been well maintained since its construction in 1901 and makes a perfect stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway to relax and take in the beauty of the High Country.
Have fun at Julian Price Park
Outdoor fun awaits at this 4,200-acre park at the foot of Grandfather Mountain. Adjacent to Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Julian Price Park features the 47-acre Price Lake where visitors can fish, canoe, or kayak (canoes and kayaks are available for rental). The park also has a 100-site picnic area, 197 campsites, and an easy or moderately strenuous loop trail.
If Boone or Blowing Rock, NC, sounds like a place you’d love to be, let the experts at Allen Tate find the right home for you.
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Allen Tate is the Carolinas’ largest real estate company based on closed sales volume, with more than 70 offices and 1,800 Realtors in the Charlotte, Triad, Triangle, High Country, Highland/Cashiers and Asheville/Mountain regions of North Carolina and the Upstate and Low Country regions of South Carolina. Allen Tate is a partner of Howard Hanna Real Estate, the largest privately held real estate broker in the United States. The full-service real estate company has 480 real estate, mortgage, insurance, title, and escrow service offices and more than 15,000 sales associates and staff across 13 states. For more information, visit www.allentate.com and www.howardhanna.com.
