[Updated January 9, 2023]
Located just a couple of hours north of downtown Asheville, the town of Boone NC is the county seat for Watauga County.
This hub of North Carolina’s High Country is a slice of the Blue Ridge Mountains that’s choc-a-block with outdoor activities and other attractions.
Boone was named for American pioneer/explorer Daniel Boone, who is said to have camped within what is now the city limits on several occasions.
The town of some 20,000 residents is deeply steeped in bluegrass music and other aspects of Appalachian culture and history.
Boone is home to Appalachian State University, the headquarters of disaster relief NGO Samaritan’s Purse, and the Junalaska community, a free black community just north of downtown that has been in existence since before the Civil War.
For those seeking for a sort of Asheville feel, but with a closer connection to small town mountain roots, Boone might just be an ideal place to get away.
It’s got a lot of modern creature comforts, yet still maintains that pioneering spirit of old.
Read on for our in-depth guide to the best things to do in Boone NC, from hiking trails and ski slopes to restaurants, museums, and other attractions.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Cabin Rentals in Boone NC
Best Things to Do in Boone NC Guide
- Daniel Boone Native Gardens
- Hickory Ridge Living History Museum
- Ski the Slopes
- Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway
- Hike the Cascades Trail
- The Boone Greenway
- Whitewater Rafting
- Tweetsie Railroad
- Sample Boone NC Restaurants
- Shopping on King Street
- Explore Boone’s Best Breweries
- Grandfather Mountain
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
- See the Blowing Rock
- Boone Christmas Tree Farms
- Visit Banner Elk
- Elk Knob State Park
- Mountain Biking at Rocky Knob
- Price Lake Memorial Park
- Hike to Rough Ridge
- Swim at Elk River Falls
- Explore Mount Jefferson Natural Area
- Paddle the Waters of New River State Park
- Peruse Boone’s Farmers Market
- Jam at a Music Festival
1. Daniel Boone Native Gardens
Created in 1957, Daniel Boone Native Gardens is an 8-acre tract in the town of Boone that’s dedicated to conserving native species and educating visitors about them.
Designed by Doan Ogden of Asheville and constructed in the early 1960s, the garden has lovely stone walls and walkways, a pond, and a rockery, as well as Squire Boone Cabin.
All of this sits amongst some 200-plus species of native flora, including a stunning array of North Carolina wildflowers in the Spring.
This Boone botanical garden is open daily during the warmer months– May through October– and asks for a $2.00 donation from visitors.
Picnics and instrument picking are encouraged, but all flowers should remain untouched.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Boone NC Hiking Trails to Explore
2. Hickory Ridge Living History Museum
The Hickory Ridge Living History Museum in Boone provides visitors with a sense of what life was like for early North Carolina colonists in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
During those times, this small North Carolina mountain town was diverse, largely self-sufficient, and content with sparse luxuries.
Along with “Horn in the West,” a play set during the War for Independence, the Hickory Ridge History Museum is the work of the Southern Appalachian Historical Association. The organization strives to “explore, preserve, and share the region’s rich cultural heritage.”
The museum has six mountain cabins dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Museum tours provide insight into classic crafts such as spinning, candle making, and cooking on open hearths.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Campgrounds In Boone NC
3. Ski the Slopes
North Carolina may not be the first location that comes to mind for skiing the slopes. But there are many great ski resorts in NC, the best of which are all located within 30 minutes of downtown Boone.
From late November through March, Boone (and the surrounding High Country) turns into one of the most popular snow skiing destinations on the Eastern seaboard.
There are three of the state’s top ski resorts nearby– Appalachian Ski Mountain, Beech Mountain Resort, and Sugar Mountain Resort. Skiing their slopes easily ranks high among the best things to do in Boone NC in winter.
All of these places offer ski lessons for beginners. They also have snow tubing slopes for those who aren’t inclined to try skiing or snowboarding.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Places for Snow-Skiing in North Carolina
4. Drive The Blue Ridge Parkway
It’s kind of a no-brainer to say that taking a spin on the Blue Ridge Parkway is truly a must when you’re exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The stretches of the BRP near Boone are among the best, offering fantastic vistas of the North Carolina Piedmont to the east and the classic Blue Ridges to the west.
The Blue Ridge Parkway was actually started near Boone (at Cumberland Knob) in 1935, and finally completed near Boone (at Grandfather Mountain) in 1987, when the awesome Linn Cove Viaduct opened.
There are over 50 noteworthy Blue Ridge Parkway hiking trails near Boone, 20-plus overlooks, and several of the area’s most spectacular waterfalls, including Crabtree Falls, Linville Falls, and the Cascades.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Hotels & Cabin Rentals in NC & VA
5. Hike The Cascades Trail
Though it’s not particularly challenging for hikers, the Cascades Trail is a loop that stretches about one mile.
Its highlight is Falls Creek, and that moment when Falls Creek swan-dives from a cliff into a wonderful waterfall.
The paths of the Cascades Trail are very tourist friendly. They make an amiable switch from paved to gravel but remain easy to traverse throughout. In my opinion, it’s one of the best hikes near Boone NC!
The flora surrounding the trail is a mix of local hardwoods (including black locust, white oak, and chestnut oak) with a magical mix of flowering plants, such as serviceberry, mountain laurel, dogwood, flame azalea, and highbush blueberry.
Near the Tompkins Knob Parking area, you’ll find a dirt path that leads to a late-19th century cabin once owned by Jesse Brown. From there, the hike to Cascades can be extended by a mile or more.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Waynesville NC
6. The Boone Greenway
While most Boone hiking trails require driving out of town and disappearing into the woods, The Greenway in Boone is a flat, paved/gravel trail that is accessible to walkers, joggers, cyclists, and wheelchairs alike.
The Greenway has several routes that can be combined to provide a few miles worth of entertainment, including several bridges across the South Fork New River and Winkler’s Creek, recreational parks with picnic shelters, and highly regarded sites to watch North Carolina birds.
Along the Greenway trails, you can see the remains of an historic dam that provided electricity for the Appalachian Training School (now Appalachian State University) in the early 1900s.
The Boone Greenway can be accessed from Downtown Boone, near Clawson-Barnley Park and Southgate Shopping Complex, and takes travelers into more natural, riparian buffers along the river.
All of this adds up to make the Greenway one of the best hikes in Boone NC.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Pisgah National Forest Hiking Trails in North Carolina
7. Whitewater Rafting
The NC High Country offers lots of snow-based activities in the winter. But once it has melted away and the air has warmed a little, the white water rafting here is fantastic.
With so many creeks and rivers cascading down the Blue Ridge Mountains, there are options for every skill level, and plenty of outfitters to help you access them.
High Mountain Expeditions has decades of experience, offering rafting tours on the Nolichucky River, Watauga River, and Wilsons Creek, as well as tubing, hiking, and caving adventures.
River & Earth Adventures hosts tours with an eye towards environmental awareness, and Wahoo’s Adventures is an award-winning outfitter that offers water-based activities, land explorations, cabin rentals, and camping options.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Cherokee NC & the Qualla Boundary
8. Tweetsie Railroad
For a mixture of family fun and historical context, the Tweetsie Railroad is a Wild West theme park with a steam-driven locomotive, shows, rides, a zoo of sorts, and experiential activities such as gold panning.
The rides at Tweetsie tend to be more of the fairground variety, such as Ferris Wheels and Free Falls as opposed to roller coasters.
Their live shows steer towards the Wild West theme, with bandits, dancers, and magic acts.
But the railroad itself is a major highlight here. Engine #12 is an actual narrow-gauge locomotive that historically ran between Johnson City TN, and Boone NC.
It operated from 1919 to 1940 and is the last remaining engine from that local rail line.
There’s also another narrow-gauge steam engine here, #190, which was transferred from Alaska’s White Pass & Yukon Railroad.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Restaurants in Blowing Rock NC for Foodies
9. Sample Boone NC Restaurants
The Boone restaurant scene offers a fantastic mix of the down-home cooking of the Appalachia Mountains with new-age foodie cuisine, leaning locally on fresh ingredients that celebrate the seasonal flavor.
Here are some of our picks for the best restaurants in Boone:
- Coyote Kitchen takes Boone to the Caribbean, with soul food that includes jerk chicken tacos, coconut rice, and fried plantains. The staff is great about adjusting the menu to meet special gluten-free or vegan diets.
- Daniel Boone Inn Restaurant has been around for more than 50 years, serving up Southern comfort food such as buttermilk biscuits, black cherry preserves, and fresh stewed apples.
- F.A.R.M. (Feed All Regardless of Means) Café taps into Boone’s socially conscious and youthfully hip scene. The menu is created daily based on available ingredients, includes vegetarian and vegan options, and comes with soup and desert.
- Gamekeeper Restaurant has received the AAA Four Diamond Award for 10 consecutive years now. It focuses on humanely raised meats, local organic produce, and a wood-fired grill to create upscale dishes.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Restaurants in Boone NC
10. Shopping on King Street
Downtown Boone is a walkable city center with lots of restaurants, shops, and art galleries to explore. But none are quite so inviting as the ones you’ll find on King Street.
King Street is flush with the sort of specialty shops and Western NC small town character that willfully defy the big-box homogeny of the suburbs.
Antiques, collectable vinyl, Appalachian State gear, mountain bikes, handmade arts and crafts, and used books are amongst the many items to be found here.
There’s also the ubiquitous small town Mast General Store, which are impossible not to browse.
READ MORE: 3 Great Places for Ziplining in Boone NC (and Other Aerial Adventures)
11. Explore Boone’s Best Breweries
Asheville NC Breweries are the undisputed Mecca of craft beer on the East Coast. But that’s not to suggest that craft brewers aren’t finding other homes in the North Carolina mountains.
Boone has some of the best breweries in North Carolina, many of which offer inviting tasting rooms, outdoor seating, and good stuff to eat (in other words, they’re also the best bars in Boone).
Appalachian Mountain Brewery (and Cidery) offers great libations and has built their businesses with an eye on sustainability, community, and philanthropy.
The Farm 2 Flame food truck churns out wood-fired pizzas here from locally sourced ingredients.
Other popular Boone NC breweries include the Booneshine Brewing Company and Lost Province Brewing Company. There are also local microbreweries in nearby Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and Beech Mountain.
READ MORE: The 10 Best North Carolina Distilleries to Visit
12. Grandfather Mountain
An icon of the North Carolina High Country, Grandfather Mountain is a signature landmark of the Boone landscape and a top destination for enjoying the area’s wilderness.
Grandfather Mountain State Park spans nearly 2500 acres. It offers a multitude of challenging trails, with cliffs and ladders and rocky crags, not to mention insane biodiversity.
In addition to the park, the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation offers paid access to the trail system, with the bonus of a mile-high swinging bridge providing the best views.
Additionally, the park offers backpack camping sites for those looking to do overnight hikes. But for those seeking a comfy bed, the best Boone hotels are just 20 miles away.
READ MORE: Little Switzerland, NC: Cutest Mountain Town on the Blue Ridge Parkway
13. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 294, the 3500-acre Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is part of the US National Park Service.
Among the expansive area to explore, there’s a 16-acre trout lake, a larger bass lake, and over 25 miles of horse and carriage trails to enjoy.
Visitors can hike, fish, go horseback riding (rentals available), and even cross-country ski in winter. There’s also a crafty souvenir shop and amazing vistas for photography enthusiasts.
The centerpiece of “Cone Park” is the Flat Top Estate, which was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 2013. It’s well over 100 years old!
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Bryson City NC & Swain County
14. See the Blowing Rock
It’s hard to imagine visiting Boone for any amount of time without taking a quick trip over to Blowing Rock, which is just under 8 miles south of town.
The town of Blowing Rock and Boone share many similar features– a centralized shopping area (Main St.), microbreweries, quality restaurants, plenty of cabin rentals, and ample nature nearby.
However, it also has one thing Boone doesn’t: The Blowing Rock. This iconic rock formation hangs above the town of Blowing Rock and is one of the oldest attractions in the area.
The Blowing Rock offers amazing scenic vistas and is famed (and named) for the unusual updraft that occurs due to its location.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Things to Do in Blowing Rock NC
15. Boone Christmas Tree Farms
Boone is best known for its top-notch Christmas tree farms. There are loads of Western NC Christmas Tree Farms, but the Christmas tree farms in Boone are arguably the best.
Buying a Christmas tree in Boone is far more than the typical supermarket experience. Many of the tree farms here offer the choose-and-cut selection method.
Additionally, some farms offer hot chocolate in the barn, hayrides, and/or craft shops, turning tree-shopping into a memorable Christmas event for the whole family.
If a rousing dose of Christmas spirit is what your family is after, check out the Cornett and Deal Tree Farm, Circle C Tree Farms, Panoramic View Christmas Tree Farm, or C&J Christmas Tree Farm.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Christmas Towns in North Carolina
16. Visit Banner Elk NC
North Carolina’s High Country has a plethora of notable Blue Ridge Mountain towns that warrant a visit, whether for a weekend, a week, or more.
Banner Elk is one of our favorite towns near Boone. It’s close to Grandfather Mountain, Otter Falls, and Elk River Falls, not to mention Beech Mountain’s ski slopes.
Consequently, the little town (with a population peaking just over a thousand) offers some great restaurants, NC wineries, and shopping for the tourists that pass through.
Banner Elk is also home to Lees-McRae College and a handful of registered historical sites, and the Elk River passes right through the heart of it!
READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do in Banner Elk NC
17. Elk Knob State Park
Around 10 miles from Downtown Boone, Elk Knob State Park provides a wonderful day out, with the hike to the summit of Elk Knob being the showstopper.
Elk Knob State Park is one of the newest state parks in the North Carolina mountains, and it is centered around Elk Knob, which is a 5500-foot giant of a rock to climb.
The hike up to Elk Knob is challenging in that it’s a lot of elevation. But the trail itself is fantastic and demonstrates the effort of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours of labor.
Aside from the Summit Trail, there are other fun trails in the park. One is part of the NC TRACK trails for kids, and there’s another long hike that drops into the valley beside Elk Knob.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Treehouse Rentals in the North Carolina Mountains
18. Mountain Biking at Rocky Knob
A huge investment in money and volunteer hours have been put into making Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park a fantastic facility for cyclists and hikers alike to enjoy.
The trails in the park are primarily for experienced riders, with the easiest trail—the 1.6-mile Rocky Branch Trail— being rated as a moderate ride.
The park at Rocky Knob is located right off of US-421 en route to Wilkesboro.
For mountain biking enthusiasts, a trip to Boone can combine Rocky Knob with a trip to Dark Mountain at the Kerr Scott Reservoir, just outside of Wilkesboro, for two fantastic places to ride.
READ MORE: The Mysterious Brown Mountain Lights of Morganton NC
19. Price Lake Memorial Park
As long as you’re in Boone NC, it seems almost a given that the Blue Ridge Parkway (particularly the section south of town) is going to feature prominently in your travel plans.
Grandfather Mountain State Park is down there. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is down there.
So is Julian Price Memorial Park, with its stunning 47-acre Price Lake– one of the most beautiful lakes in North Carolina– cozying right up alongside the Parkway.
Price Lake has a fantastic NC hiking trail that loops it, as well as on-site boat, kayak and canoe rentals. It’s also open to fishing with a valid Virginia or NC fishing license.
The Jullian Price Campground has 197 camp sites. The park also offers a 100-site picnic area for visitors to enjoy.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Lakes in the North Carolina Mountains to Visit
20. Hike to Rough Ridge
Accessed via the Rough Ridge overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the summit can be reached via a boardwalk and hiking trail.
Note that its sharp climb in elevation can be a little challenging for those who aren’t regular hikers.
But Rough Ridge has sweeping views of the North Carolina Piedmont stretching out from the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
It also offers great shots of Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct.
This is one of the premier spots around Boone for catching the famous fall colors in North Carolina.
For those taking a trip to Grandfather Mountain State Park, Julian Price Memorial Park, Beacon Heights, or Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Rough Ridge makes a worthy stop along the way.
READ MORE: The Best Hiking in Asheville NC Bucket List (Top 25 Hiking Trails)
21. Swim at Elk River Falls
Looking for what to do in Boone NC in summer: There is a gluttony of North Carolina waterfalls that rank amongst the most remarkable in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but few offer the swimming hole that the magnificent Elk River Falls does.
Elk River Falls is just beyond the boundaries of the tiny town of Elk Park, and it is a beauty: a 50-foot plunge that splashes down into an enormous pool surrounded by boulders that look as if they were strewn about for the purpose of sunning oneself.
The falls are about 30 miles from Downtown Boone by way of Banner Elk and Grandfather Mountain State Park.
Once in the vicinity, the waterfalls are less than a hike from the parking area, and the pool in front of them is a true NC swimming hole, i.e. whole body is submerged and has room to do laps.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Waterfalls Near Boone NC
22. Explore Mount Jefferson State Natural Area
Rough and rustic, Mount Jefferson State Natural Area has several short trails to enjoy and vistas that are worth writing home about.
Mount Jefferson shoots up over 1600 feet above the valleys and countryside surrounding it, and reaching the summit requires less than a mile of hiking, round-trip.
Near the top of Mount Jefferson is a designated picnic area with 19 tables, eight grills, and a picnic shelter.
This is a newer addition to the NC State Parks collection, which means it still has a lot of the wild left in. If that sounds like a good thing…
READ MORE: Camping and Hiking in Grayson Highlands State Park, VA
23. Paddle the Waters of New River State Park
The New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world, potentially dating back some 360 million years.
The headwaters begin near Blowing Rock before the river flows through Boone and meanders north to West Virginia.
New River State Park is one of North Carolina’s best places for enjoying the river, including fishing, paddling a canoe or kayak, and dipping in the designated beach area.
There are several access points to New River State Park: US 221, Wagoner, Kings Creek, and Elk Shoals. The official visitor center is at the US 221 access.
READ MORE: Non-Venomous vs Venomous Snakes in North Carolina (ID Guide)
24. Peruse the Boone Farmers’ Markets
Boone is the hub of Watauga County and the NC Highlands, so it is a great place to get a feel for the local produce, meats, and artisanal treats.
There are four markets to check out:
- Watauga County Farmers’ Market (April-Nov, Saturdays 8:00 am – 1:00 pm),
- King Street Farmers’ Market (May-Oct, Tuesdays 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm),
- Boone’s Winter Farmers’ Market (Dec-March, Saturdays 9:00 am – 12:00 pm),
- and High Country Food Hub, an online outfit that has several pick-up points.
Not only is this a good place for getting some grub, but it’s some of the best craft shopping in Boone, North Carolina.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Pumpkin Patches in the NC Mountains
25. Jam at a Music Festival
There are a ton of music events in Boone NC, so much so that there are likely events in Boone NC this weekend.
Among the top festivals in town and in cities close to Boone NC are
- Appalachian Old Time Fiddlers Convention (Boone, February),
- MerleFest (Wilkesboro, April-May),
- Boonerang Music and Arts Festival (Downtown Boone, June),
- An Appalachian Summer Festival (Boone, July)
- Reevestock Music Festival (Elkin, August)
- Antlers and Acorns: The Boone Songwriters Festival (Boone, September)
- Spruce Pine BBQ Championship and Bluegrass Festival (Spruce Pine, October)
For those not coming at these particular times, fear not, music in Boone NC dances on the mountain breeze.
There are loads of local venues and performances to enjoy throughout the year. –by Jonathon Engels; lead image by Dawson Tozier
