Best Things To Do In Boone and Blowing Rock

Boone and Blowing Rock in NC feel like home to Dhubs and me. We had the pleasure of spending some of our college years at the great Appalachian State University. These two small towns packs a punch of pleasure into a tiny package. Finding things to do in Boone and Blowing Rock has never been easier as the towns continue to blossom into a Carolina college town and a tourist destination.

Need To Know Things About Boone & Blowing Rock

Boone’s a college town first and foremost. There are a boatload of late teen-early twenties young lively people living in this town from August to May. They love sports, sledding down hills on cafeteria trays in the dead of winter and spending time outdoors when the weather’s nice.

Like all good college towns, there’s an abundance of bars, restaurants, and App State gear shops. You’ll find reasonably priced meals, drink deals and good old fashion bar food to go with the PBR and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. I joke, sort of, but really and truly you’ll find pretty good eats and shopping on Kings Street.

Blowing Rock is a quaint, artsy, festival loving little town with cute boutiques, independent restaurants, art galleries, old churches and a beautiful public park. The lodging options are smaller inns and bed and breakfast homes for the most part, but you can also find some incredible Air B&B options in Blowing Rock. It’s bustling year round with live music, farmer’s markets, or holiday festivals and you’ll love all of it.

Blowing Rock is also an actual rock, or rather a cliff with an interesting natural phenomenon and a legend to go with it. You can visit the Blowing Rock and walk the short 1/2 mile trail to enjoy the views from the Blowing Rock cliff.

Mountain Weather

If you don’t like the weather in Boone, just wait five minutes. It can be a comfy 68 degrees in the morning, 83 by afternoon and then drop to the 30s during the night. You can go from wearing shorts and a tank top to needing a coat and gloves within 24 hours. The point is, layer up if you are going to visit Boone anytime outside of July and August.

Autumn & Spring

Autumn and spring have similar patterns of foggy cool morning, warm afternoons and crisp cool evenings. The fog rolls off the mountains mid morning most days and by mid day the sun is shining and the colors of the seasons are bright and vibrant. You’ll find yellow vibrant greens and pastel blooms during the spring and amber, burgundy, orange and bright yellow foliage in the fall.

During autumn and spring, you’ll need to bring layers for any outdoor activity. You might start in shorts and tank and end up in a jacket and jeans. The first time I took a friend from Florida to Boone, they thought I was joking. 40 degrees temperature change later…they were purchasing an Appalachian State jogging outfit from one of the local stores. Just pack all the things just in case.

Summer

Summer is the quiet season in Boone and that’s a good thing. It starts getting pretty warm around June and by July you’re in the roasting pan just like the rest of the south. You might have some cooler evenings occasionally, but overall…it’s hot and humid. The deep lush green of the mountains and summer blooms of rhododendron and mountain laurel make for a great hiking backdrop in the area.

Wear shorts and t-shirt or tank top if you’re doing outdoorsy things in the summer. Bring a rain jacket and waterproof shoes along on any hikes because the probability of rain at some point during the day is high. If you’re cold natured, bring a long sleeve t-shirt for roasting marshmallows at night just in case and always remember the bug repellent!

Winter

People say the humidity in the south is miserable in the summer, well let me assure you, it ain’t no piece of pie in the winter either. The humidity in the mountains during the winter means the cold damp air clings to your skin. We don’t get fluffy Colorado snow, we get dense, thick heavy wet snow.

Be prepared with a jacket rated for lower temps than the anticipated temperatures. I always suggest bringing gloves, a toboggan (a beanie for the folks up north), warm socks and grippy boots or athletic shoes. It sleets more than it snows in Boone and it rains and freezes overnight quite a bit.

Is it always snowing or sleeting in Boone? No. A lot of the winter weather is cool and mild but when it’s not, it’s miserable if you aren’t prepared for it. Remember, this is the south and we don’t do winter well. Schools, stores, gas stations and roads close when it snows because towns don’t have snow removal gear here like they do up north. Even in the ski towns, getting around when it’s icy or snowing can be tricky.

Getting Around Town

One great thing about being in a college town is the public transportation. Boone has the AppleCART bus system that runs all over town during the school year and even has scheduled routes during the breaks between each semester. It’s busy, but convenient and can get you to and from anywhere in Boone and to and from Blowing Rock area hotels and shopping areas.

You can check out the routes and schedules for AppleCART and even get a feel for where things are located around the Boone area using their route maps. If you’re in Boone during a school semester, there’s even a Night Owl run that goes until 2:30 a.m. Like everywhere else in the world, Boone has plenty of Uber/Lyft drivers ready to transport you to and from your destination.

Because of the distance from Boone to the nearest airport, you’ll most likely have a car of your own to drive around town. One thing you definitely want to do is spend some time outside of town on the Blue Ridge Parkway enjoying the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains from the local overlooks.

Sporty Things To Do In Boone & Blowing Rock

College Football

Say it with me…(left side)APP….(right side)STATE…(left side)APP…(right side)STATE! You’ll need to know that chant if you happen to come into town on a Saturday in the fall. Football is life in most southern college towns and Boone will not be left out of that tradition.

Tailgaters invite random strangers into their canopied truck bed grill sites, restaurants have the game televised, and you can hear the chanting of the crowd all across town when App gets a touchdown. Yosef, the Appalachian State University mascot, makes appearances around campus before the game and we love a good photo op with a mascot. If you like college football and happen to be in town, join the festivities whether you go to the game or not.

Winter Sports

Skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing are all wonderful wintery activities in Boone. Appalachian Ski Mountain, Sugar Mountain & Beech Mountain offer a little bit of everything snow related each winter. Now, I’m not coordinated enough for skiing but give me a snow tube and I’ll fly down a mountainside like a donut on ice.

Snow tubing is one of my absolute favorite winter activities in Boone. Even so, there’s also a zamboni maintained ice skating rink at Appalachian Ski Mountain which is super fun during the holidays. I like ice skating even though I’m not great at it, but I love sitting rink-side and watching other people skate.

Hiking & Biking

Hiking in and around Boone is an awesome way to spend a day or just a couple of hours. There are trails all around the area designed for hikers of every ability level. Whether you’re a beginner who’s walking around a lake or an expert who enjoys almost scaling a mountain face, there are hiking things to do in Boone for you.

Boone & Blowing Rock offer mountain views, lake strolls, forest treks and even a bike park for new or avid hikers. There are waterfalls, trickling streams and great old trees along the way of many trails as you hike to peaks or through valleys to see all the beauty the area offers. Use our list of favorites to find a trail that’s right for you.

Hiking trails in the Boone/Blowing Rock area.

Bass Lake Hike – A handicapped-accessible hike around a beautifully calm High Country lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock, NC.

Boone Greenway – This trail system welcomes hikers and bikers alike and offers a diverse set of gravel and paved riverside trails for both. Stop off at one of the picnic spots, the rustic ruin, or take time for a nature study or birding.

Glen Burney Falls Hike – Take the trail from directly from the streets of Blowing Rock and find yourself in amidst beautiful waterfalls.

Grandfather Mountain State Park Hikes – These are easy lower level trails but adventurous hikers can also choose to hike the epic peaks of Grandfather Mountain.

Linville Falls Hikes – A variety of easy to moderate hikes lead to beautiful vistas of Linville Falls.

Price Lake Hike – Price Lake is a pleasant lakeshore walk around a “golden pond.” You can even access it from the A Loop that goes through campground as well.

Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park – Hike or bike 8 miles of great trails at the Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park in Boone.

The Cascades Hikes – These moderate hikes to a Blue Ridge Parkway waterfall offer informative signage to learn about native trees and even feature historic log cabins.

River Things To Do In Boone & Blowing Rock

Grab a tube for you, your cooler and your friends and float down the river in full relaxation style. Tube Boone provides tubes and shuttle service so you can simply enjoy the ride. A couple things to note: wear water shoes and remember it’s cans or plastic bottles only (adult beverages are allowed).

Another excellent way to relax on the water is to rent a kayak from River and Earth Adventures in Boone. They often have Groupon deals available. You can save up to 56% off the regular price for 4 single rider kayaks for 2 hours! The water is tranquil and the staff are helpful and very friendly.

High Gravity Adventures

Swing, climb & zip at this crazy adventure park. The three person giant swing that plunges 45 ft towards the ground and swings almost 4 stories into the air. After you’ve screamed your head off on this ride, take a walk up the ropes as you climb the spider webs. Traverse the sky bridges and swinging logs. If that wasn’t enough, now you can zip-a-dee-do-da yourself along a 1000 ft express line above and among the treetops.

There are variety of activity packages and you can do one activity for $19-$80 or all of them for $99/person. You can also host an epic birthday party for anyone 4-99 years old. If you are looking for a new and exciting adventure, this is a great place to start.

Fishing Things To Do In Boone & Blowing Rock

Want to learn how to fly fish or want a guide to show you the best places to fish? There are several local fishing guides and outfitters in the area and a plethora of great fishing holes. Whether you prefer lake, stream or river fishing, there’s a great fishing hole for you near Boone.

Here is a list of some of our favorite fishing spots

• Bass Lake on Highway 221 S
• Grandfather Trout Farm on Highway 105 S
• Green Valley Community Park on Big Hill Road
• Guy Ford River on Guy Ford Road
• Moses H. Cone Park at Milepost 294 on the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Payne Branch Park on Payne Branch Park Rd.
• Price Lake at Milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway
• Sterling Creek Park on Whitener Mountain Rd.
• Todd Island Park on Todd Railroad Grade Rd.
• Trout Lake on Old Shulls Mill Rd.

If you want to learn more about the best outfitters and gear shops in the area, take a look at Explore Boone.

Visual and Performing Arts Things To Do

It’s not just about being outdoors in Boone & Blowing Rock. If you like art galleries, the performing arts and live music, you’re in luck because this region thrives with local artistic talent.

Want to watch someone throw clay or create piece of pottery? Check out High Country Clay or Doe Ridge Pottery. Get a custom piece of smithed jewelry at Gaines Kiker Silversmith in Blowing Rock or just stroll through the Turchin Center For The Visual Arts on King Street.

Horn In The West

If you like live performances, and you’re visiting during the summer, you should take time to see Horn in the West. This outdoor drama gives insight to life in the region before and during the Revolutionary War. The show has been running since 1952 and runs Tuesday-Sunday during the summer months. General Admission for adults is $20 and VIP tickets can be purchased for $45.

There are six historical cabins with costumed guides telling stories of the era before the gates open for the performance. You can find educators and tour guides at the Hickory Ridge Museum throughout the year as well. Admission to the museum is $8 for adults and $5 for children.

Community Theater

Appalachian Theater of the High Country is an excellent community theater offering live performances and classic movie viewings. Plays, musicians and film festivals happen throughout the year and we love taking in a performance when we’re in town.

Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts is ASU’s campus community theater. As you would expect, students from the university often put on plays, musicals and concerts. However, there are many visiting artists from around the globe come to perform here as well.

Other Fun Things To Do In Boone & Blowing Rock

BRAHM

The Blowing Rock Arts & History Museum is an excellent gallery and museum that rotates exhibitions three times a year. They host the summer concert series featuring classical to jazz and traditional Appalaichan music each year. There are workshops for adults and kids that teach art and crafting skills.

Mystery Hill

This little tourist attraction is great if you have kiddos coming with you on your trip. There’s a gem mine, a hands on science center, and a history museum. Then there’s the reason most people stop in, the gravitational anomaly! It’s a weird experience that still messes with my head but I love going here to see water flow uphill.

Yes, I know it’s just a weird illusion but I still love it. There are several other attractions at Mystery Hill. You can spend a few hours checking out the Native American Artifacts, river walk, and Prospector Hill gem mining. You can even try throwing a tomahawk or marking crazy human size bubbles at Bubblerama.

Tweetsie Railroad

Choo Choo! All aboard because the fun is about to start. This little theme park is nestled into the side of a mountain between Boone & Blowing Rock. There are several rides including a carousel, chair lift, tilt-a-whirl, and Turnpike Cruisers just to name a few.

Along with the rides, you’ll find live entertainment, dining and of course, trains! Can-can dancers and magicians take the stage at Tweetsie Palace. Meanwhile Hopper the rabbit, Porter the turtle and the TR country cloggers take the stage up on Miner’s Mountain.

You’ll find a great little playground, arcade and even gem mining at Tweetsie. Of course there are great western gear shops, a petting zoo and fun dining options in the park as well. My personal favorite place to stop in is Fudge Works where they make fudge every day.

Wrapping Up Things To Do In Boone & Blowing Rock

Natural beauty abounds throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains and Boone & Blowing Rock are great stops in the High Country for a weekend getaway or a full family vacation. Every season offers unique activities for outdoors enthusiasts. History, art, and music provide great ways to enjoy the area for those who are more ”indoorsy.”

We love visiting Boone & Blowing Rock and hope you find as many wonderful things to love about the region as we have. As you plan to travel through the mountain region of NC, check out these unique things to do in the mountains of North Carolina.