Situated in the northwest of North Carolina, high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Watauga County, Boone boasts the highest elevation east of the Mississippi River of a town of its size. Boone is therefore good to visit when the rest of the state is scolding hot in the summer and it also has some of the best skiing in the region.
Home to the vaunted Appalachian State University, Boone takes its name from famous explorer Daniel Boone, and you can see a dramatization of the pioneer at an outdoor amphitheatre in the town every summer. A statue of the original Daniel Boone actor, Ned Austin, stands downtown.
Most people come to Boone for the outdoors and thus it can get fairly busy in the winter ski season. Although the various nearby resorts have accommodation, staying in Boone works out a lot cheaper. Getting here is made easy by the proximity of Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro airports and interstates 40, 77 and 26.
Highlights
Daniel Boone Native Gardens: featuring a collection of North Carolina plants, a bog garden, rockery, wishing well, reflection pool, stone gatehouse, and Squire Boone Cabin.
Skiing: the ski season in North Carolina generally runs from December to March and there are several nearby resorts to choose from, including Ski Beech, Appalachian Ski Mountain (between Boone and Blowing Rock), Ski Sugar and Hawksnest.
Howard’s Knob: rising 1,000 feet above the town and the Appalachian State University, the ‘Knob’ is part of the Appalachian mountain range and great for hiking.
Blue Ridge Parkway: this very famous scenic road is the longest, narrowest national park in the world and runs right through Blue Ridge.
Appalachian Cultural Museum: set on the university campus, the interesting exhibits here cover everything from the local production of moonshine whiskey to regional stock-car racing.