For fans of The Hunger Games films, this is a must-see!…read more We stopped in on a beautiful spring day. We were given an informative tour by Donavan, who was hilarious and full of knowledge. After the tour, we were free to explore the 78 acres. It's a beautiful place and we had a great time looking at the mill homes and the surrounding terrain. They also offer a military discount which is always appreciated! Great place!

"The Hunger Games filming location - District 12" and an Old Mill town full of history! A must…read morevisit! We were in Hickory for the weekend and we're looking for things to do nearby. I found this place and I saw that "Hunger Games" were filmed there and decided to go check it out. We paid $18 per person to enter and it includes a 30 min tour that explains the history of Henry River Village and talk a bit about the "Hunger Games" filming locations and you can even go inside Katniss' house. After that, you can walk around on your own. You're not allowed inside the other houses or on the porches for your own safety since the houses are very old and abandoned. The history of the place is very interesting to listen to. I recommend you actually participating in the tour. It's quick and interactive and the lady is very passionate and respectful about the place's history. You can also stay there for the night. They renovated one of the houses and you can book it and have the whole village for yourself. You can actually watch the renovation on HBO Max "In with the Old" Season 1 episode 4.

The Lincoln Theatre was opened in 1929 and its history is quite fascinating. My friends live in…read moreMarion and wanted me to see the local offerings. We went into the theater shop midday and they asked the lovely woman running the theater if we could have a tour? She was in the middle of getting ready for that night's Rocky Horror Picture Show, but in true sweet Southern hospitality, cheerfully let us in so we could look around and she could talk to us about the establishment. The theatre was lovingly restored in the 1980s by locals who turned it into a nonprofit. PBS broadcasts its Song of the Mountains show here monthly. The woman we spoke to was working on grants to bring in movies and other performances to the theater. It would be a great venue for all of the above. As I had an early flight home the next day, we didn't come back to see the show, but I truly believe this is a gem to be checked out in Marion.

Perfect venue in a small town, have seen great entertainment here! All seating has great views,…read moreprices are reasonable

My Husband and I went for our first Tubing experience on Saturday (7/11/26) and we had a great…read moretime! We had a 2p appointment and actually got into the water a little early; it was overcast that day and not crowded. We are also a bit older (59) and had no issues getting into or out of the tube or manipulating the rocks in the shallow spots. Overall wonderful time and we look forward to our next opportunity to Tube with High Mountain Expeditions!

If you're on the fence about rafting the Nolichucky, stop thinking and book with High Mountain…read moreExpeditions. My wife and I had an absolute blast. This wasn't just a rafting trip, it was one of the most fun days we've had in a long time. Honestly, it felt like spending the day at an amusement park, except there were no long lines, no concrete, no crowds... just an incredible river, beautiful scenery, and a whole lot more excitement than we expected. From the moment we arrived, everything was organized, professional, and friendly. The guides were outstanding. They struck the perfect balance between making everyone feel safe and keeping the trip fun and entertaining. You could tell they genuinely love what they do. The Nolichucky Gorge is absolutely gorgeous. Between the rapids, calm stretches, and mountain scenery, we couldn't stop smiling. It was adventure without feeling intimidating. As for value, I honestly don't know of many experiences that give you this much fun for the money. If you're looking for something different to do with your spouse, family, or friends, this is it. We left exhausted, soaked, laughing, and already talking about coming back. Five stars isn't enough. High Mountain Expeditions earned lifelong customers, and I'll be recommending them to anyone looking for an unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Beautiful Serene Calming and if you pick the right time of day or year quiet too. A local said it…read morecan get quite crowded in peak season. You have several routes to choose from we did the shortest which was just a loop around the pond!

Gorgeous views! Wonderful hiking…read more We fished at Trout Lake and enjoyed the 1/2 mile hike from the parking lot to the dam. Next time we'll go all the way around. About 1 mile total.

Being born and raised in SoCal this was a cool place to stop. My friend who recently moved nearby…read morefrom California had seen the sign to this place but hadn't had the chance to visit yet. So off to the bridge we go. It was not far from the freeway. We were the only ones in the park on this overcast, hot and humid day. We weren't sure how far we had to hike to the bridge and the map at the kiosk was a bit faded so it made it difficult to figure out. After doing one loop we looked at the map and went the opposite direction. Thankfully there wasn't much bug activity going on. Not sure if it's because put on bug repellent on before our trek. Anyway, we found it! It wasn't even a mile to the bridge. We were glad we didn't give up and made it to this cool bridge. It's historic and also one of the last covered bridges in NC. It's beautiful here, plenty of lush trees. The have signs and info along the path. My friend said that schools plan field trips to visit here. The bridge is sadly covered with graffiti but if you can look past that you will see the beauty of the bridge and imagine yourself in the time it was built. There is quite a few parking spaces and a covered seating area. It's worth stopping to check out.

Has to make a trek out to Bunker Hills Covered Bridge one afternoon recently, to enjoy the fall day…read moreand see on of the last and few remaining covered truss bridges left. Built in 1894 and covered in 1900, this one hundred plus year old landmark sits quietly off in the distance on an off beaten path. There is paved parking close but you must walk in a short distance to see the actual structure. Its covered in graffiti now but still standing, strong timbers and heavy wood beams with a heavy wooden two runner lane path. Its not in service any longer but is still walkable. We stopped and admired this century plus old bridge and then took a slow stroll across it, thinking about all the people from eras long ago that had walked before where we were walking. A Solid 4 Stars - Worth the effort and journey, if you like history, old bridges or unique structures and architecture 01171

Murray's Mill is easy to find from I-40. The gristmill was built in 1913 and the Murray & Minges…read morestore from the 1890s is also open. When you arrive, find a spot to park on either side of the street. Then go into the Murray & Minges General Store to pay for your self-guided tour. You will receive a binder to read through of the history and photos of the equipment and what it does. You can tour all three levels of the mill as there are stairs to the top floor and stairs to the basement. The mill used the barter system to grind wheat and corn. The water wheel is 28 foot high and 4 foot wide. the buckets on it have rusted so they are raising money for the needed repairs. The water wheel is attached by a shaft to a gear on the wall and powers everything in the mill except the lights. The mill is still operational and grinds on the 3rd Sunday of the month when it is warm enough. The stones weigh 2400 pounds and were used to cut corn and wheat. Leather belts were used and were pieced together to make them long enough. They could make 300 pounds of flour an hour which was much less than what modern mills could produce. 10 sets of pins are needed to make flour and roller mills are used to crush the wheat. Each screen has an elevator and each set basically sifts the flour to get it to where it needs to be. Making flour creates a white dust and that dust is explosive. If you are looking for a historic mill to visit this one is a great one to visit and learn how the mill operated.

A fun historical site, preserved so well & well worth the $7. Remarkable how industrious & sharp…read morethis family was. From a time when attention to detail was valued, all the chutes are made of wood with beveled edges & beadwork because...some of it is furniture quality. Pay your way & get the 3-ring binder of pics/info & step back in time. This is the heartbeat of America. "1965-1966 - Lloyd & brother Ernest run the milling operation by themselves to cut cost. In 1966 Lloyd let Ernest go & ran the whole mill on his own. Ernest went to work for Southern Furniture. 1967 - The mill closes due to government taxing. In 1964, the federal government levied a grain tariff that heavily taxed corn & wheat. Small mills were put out of business by larger industrial mills. Lloyd Murray had been working by himself for the last year, he locked up the mill & went home for the last time. He goes to work for Pinnacle Furniture Company. 1980/81 - With help from NC Preservation Fund & Stewart Family, the Catawba County Historical Assoc. purchases Murray's Mill, the General Store, & the Wheathouse for $68,000. 1982 - John Murray dies one month shy of his 105* birthday. At the time he had 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great-grandchildren. 1986 - Murray & Minges General Store reopens to the public. 1988, April 30 - Murray's Mill reopens to the public after a $2M restoration". That's just a taste of the recent info, go get a history lesson...wheel is still in the process of being replaced

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!!

7/25/26 My husband…read moreand I like to go on a cave trip every year for our anniversary. This year, we traveled from Ohio to the Bristol area. We took a trip to Appalachian Caverns on the second day of our trip and it became the 28th cave/cavern that we have visited in the US. We loved our tour here and our tour guide Roger was great! He was so funny while having a great balance of knowledge to share. We heard so much new information while on the tour and loved hearing about the bat population. We also got to see two bats while walking through. The bridges over the water were our favorite part. So beautiful! We highly recommend stopping in for a tour!

So they give tours about every hour or so. I think it was about 45 minutes. They had 2 tour guides…read morewhile we were there . But our tour guide complained alot about his life. We did joke around about some things, but at least pretend you enjoy your job. They had a couple cute doggos that greet you while you are there. They also have a little store with a lot of different kinds of rocks if that is your thing.

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 came to the area to hike to Rough Ridge Overlook. We wanted to start our hike here, but the…read moreparking area was closed. There's a nearby overlook parking where you can walk along the road and get a really nice view of the viaduct. We also hiked from the Stone Rock Parking Area to the visitor center which was nice but didn't have many views. This area is really pretty and visiting in the fall is gorgeous for the changing leaves!

If you're driving the Blue Ridge parkway you must stop near the viaduct to check it out. The views…read moreare amazing and it's even better in the fall.