Another beautiful overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway at an elevation of 3,240 feet. The views…read morefrom Grandview Overlook are extra-special when fall colors are blazing away on the hills. Generally speaking, this region of North Carolina sees peak autumn foliage in early to mid-October unfortunately we were a little early arriving here early September but the view was still spectacular. Only about 15 minutes from Boone, the Grandview Overlook offers a superb view at Milepost 281.4 along the Blue Ridge Parkway. While you won't find picnic tables, restrooms, or other facilities, the views out over seemingly endless ridges and valleys are well worth the stop. That's especially true at sunrise!

Don't let the name fool you. It's not really a swinging bridge - but it does creak. And those…read moresounds are a bit alarming as you're hiking up Grandfather Mountain. Admission to the mountain is $25/person. And it's highly recommended you pre-pay online, especially during tourist season when spots fill up. To get to Mile High Swinging Bridge, you pay the admission and can park in the various areas. The top of the mountain does have a parking lot, a gift shop, and restrooms; but the top parking lot fills up. So we parked farther down and did the 20-30 minute hike up. Take a lot of pics during your nervous walk across the bridge. Great views as you're 5,280 feet above sea level. Also, do not wear flip flops! I see a lot of people, even little kids, running around the top of the mountain with flip flops. What in the world?!

So totally worth it. The town is wonderful. We enjoyed just the approach to the mountain…read more Grandfather Mountain is very cool with a legendary history. The swinging bridge was just another jewel in their crown of glory. I totally recommend it for young and Old the Vista points are stupendous. And there's a really wonderful video to watch and a nature center, and even some animals to catch up with.

We traveled to Blowing Rock, NC to visit friends and to explore the area - what I didn't know is…read morethat our friends live only a few hundred yards from this beautiful marvel in a cliff side home over-looking the beautiful valley below. The Blowing Rock itself is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea-level overhanging John's River Gorge 3,000 feet below. I've read the legends of this rock and my friends have told me during the winter storms the snow blows upward from the cliffs and from their back porch the snow rises from the valley and appears to fall upward. The air currents that flow upward prompted scientists to surmise this location is "the only place in the world where snow falls upside down". I climbed up the blowing rock that protrudes over the valley to get the best view possible and felt the breeze rising upward, it was pretty cool while a little unnerving at the same time, I admit it was a crawl to the very edge and not a place I felt comfortable standing it's very steep and treacherous in my opinion. The entire facility is well maintained and the staff here was very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a snack bar with outdoor tables and a nice gift shop. On the day we arrived there were several artists with their canvases painting the blowing rock and backdrop. There's plenty of parking and as beautiful as it is I think allowing less than an hour here is more than enough time to see it all and explore the observation platform and hiking trails...

I went here for the penny, I have to admit but I'm glad that I did. The views are stunning from the…read moreobservation area. It was beyond foggy the day we went, they warned us before we paid but I wanted to press on. The gift shop is nice and has literally something for everyone. The properly has 3 kitties roaming around. The rock itself is sorta a gimmick but the story behind it is full of culture and myth. The property is VERY well maintained and beautiful. There is a small cafe/snack shop halfway to the observation tower. There are some stars but also a ramp. There is a view finder for a few quarters on the deck you can make use of. The paths are short and this place is pretty accessible. I really liked the gem room too it was very interesting, there is also a tiny museum with some history and artifacts. Blowing rock is pet friendly!!

A majestic view from an elevation of 3,834 feet along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the town of…read moreBlowing Rock, North Carolina. It seems there aren't many folks traveling along this beautiful parkway who can resist pulling over and taking it all in. Raven Rocks Overlook, located at Milepost 289.5 the view faces northwest, one of the few northern overlooks in the area. It's definitely worth a few minutes of your time...

7/24/26 My husband…read moreand I like to take a cave trip every year for our anniversary. This year, we decided to travel from Ohio to the Bristol area. We saw that this cavern wasn't too far away as well and decided to see what a North Carolina cave had to offer. This was the 26th cave/cavern that we have visited in the US. We enjoyed our tour. Our favorite part was standing over the grate with the water down below! It was a unique experience and very cool. Our tour guide was great but we didn't quite catch her name at the beginning of our tour.

We really enjoyed bringing the kids to tour this cavern! It got flooded out by Helene but is back…read moreup and running, and it's a great spot to cool off on a hot day too! My favorite part of the tour was when they cut the lights off for a moment so you can experience total darkness! You couldn't even see the hand in front of your face! Some good history lessons on the tour as well.

Before driving through the area I had looked prior to starting the drive if there were any…read moreinteresting places to see that I may never have the opportunity to see again - this covered bridge is one I had booked marked so why not. I consider these types of structures interesting and definitely qualifies as a roadside attraction and oddity in my opinion. We arrived mid-day to find a few visitors mulling around snapping a few photos and taking advantage of the free access. The Doe River below was filled with ducks and geese swimming and looking for a free handout, apparently they have become accustomed to the generosity of the visitors here. This is a well built bridge that reminds you of how things used to be built there aren't many projects now days that are built to last 143 years, although this covered bridge hasn't been in service since the Federal Highway Administration and the Tennessee Department of Transportation funded a $400,000 bridge rehabilitation in 2003-2004 at that time, it was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian-only bridge. It's definitely a survivor having withstood major flood events in 1901, 1940, 1998 and the horrific flooding in September 2024 and she still stands as beautiful as ever...

Me and my wife recently stopped by here today to see what this bridge had to offer. Ground screw…read morethat work with the city were installing Christmas lights around the area. This Bridge very historical and it features plenty of information nearby across the river. This bridge is an easy walk though there are no Scenic views at all inside . Though there are paths to walk through there is a area for pedestrians on the narrow side where everyone else gets to have the larger section.

It was easy to stop and read this marker which has the same text on both sides. It's located at a…read moresmall intersection along the highway and I was easily able to resume my travels. The mine itself is pretty far from here but you're probably not going to accidentally drive that far out of the way. The marker reads, "Sink Hole Mine. Among oldest of area mica mines. Evidence indicates it was first worked by Indians. Remains 4 miles southwest." This is marker number N-7 and it was erected in 1987 by the Division of Archives and History. There is more information on their web page. Commercial mining began in 1867, and the site became a key contributor to the region's mica industry, which thrived until the 1960s. Mica from the mine was prized for its insulating properties and used in various industrial applications, including electronics and wartime manufacturing. Senator Thomas L. Clingman, a former U.S. senator and Confederate general, was hired to assess the mine's potential and helped formalize its development. The mine played a central role in establishing North Carolina as the nation's leading mica producer. Though demand for sheet mica declined with technological advances, the mine remains a symbol of the region's mineral heritage. [Review 1290 of 2025 - 4435 in North Carolina - 24842 overall]

Located at the intersection of Skyland View Drive and US-321, this marker recalls the place where…read morean educator had an impact on the local community. The marker reads, "Emily Prudden, 1832-1917. Missionary. Founded 15 western N.C. schools including Pfeiffer College forerunner. Her Skyland Institute stood here." Online, there is more information. "Few educators were better known in western North Carolina at the turn of the century than Miss Emily C. Prudden (1832-1917). In his eulogy Congregational minister George Dickerman estimated that no less than 10,000 students had passed through her schools." "Prudden was one among many "Yankee schoolmarms" who came South in the late nineteenth century. At age fifty-one, she left her native Connecticut, where she had raised her late sister's orphaned children, to serve as housemother at Brainerd Institute in Chester, South Carolina. Her accomplishments over the next thirty years were all the more remarkable in light of the fact that from the age of seventeen she was deaf. She began her work in North Carolina in 1884 when she acquired fifty acres at All Healing Springs in Gaston County. Her school there was known in time as Jones Seminary and later as Linwood College. In 1888, she established Lincoln Academy nearby for black females. From this beginning she went on to found schools at Blowing Rock, Connelly Springs, Saluda, Elk Park (one white, one black), Mill Springs, Cedar Valley, Lawndale, Brevard, Tryon, and near Lenoir. This last one was her greatest success. Oberlin Home and School, transferred to the care of the Woman's Home Missionary Society in 1903, was the direct forerunner of Pfeiffer University at Misenheimer." "The strategy she followed at Oberlin was the one she used elsewhere: to establish a school and, after a few years, transfer control to an organization (usually religious and most often the American Missionary Association) better able financially than she to keep it going. Consequently Prudden usually did not stay in one community more than two or three years. Upon retirement in 1909 she returned to Blowing Rock, site of her Skyland Institute founded in 1887. Prudden's body was returned to Connecticut for burial. The site of Skyland Institute and her home is now the location of a condominium complex." [Review 15910 overall - 3126 in North Carolina - 1415 of 2021.]