Whether your destination is the North Carolina mountains and foothills, or you’re just passing through, the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail can enrich your journey.

Use this website to find your way to the 70 heritage sites that are part of the trail, or, if you don’t have time to stop by the actual places, delve into their stories that can be found here.

Search by heritage theme, activities and interests, or by town as well as the interactive map. You’ll discover wonderful stories about the people, the culture, the traditions, and the natural scenic beauty that will make your visit to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area even more memorable.

Air Bellows Gap, Blue Ridge Parkway

This overlook provides a long range view of an area of mixed agriculture, with numerous Christmas tree farms dotting the landscape.
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Bechtler Mint

After NC’s gold rush in the early 1800s, jeweler Christopher Bechtler opened a private mint. By 1837, he’d minted $2.4 million in coins from local gold, including the first $1 gold coin in the U.S.
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Bethel Rural Community

The Bethel Community is surrounded by natural beauty, with Black Balsam Knob, Cold Mountain, and Mount Pisgah providing striking contrast to farmlands and valleys below.
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Biltmore Estate

Elegant architecture, manicured gardens, a winery, restaurants, hotels, shops, and special events make a visit to “America’s Largest Home” a memorable experience.
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Bostic Lincoln Center

The Center’s exhibits tell an alternate history of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln—that he was born on Puzzle Creek, near Bostic, North Carolina, not in Kentucky.
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Chapel of the Prodigal Ben Long Fresco

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Cheoah

About 500 Cherokee lived in the Cheoah Valley before the United States Army forcibly deported Cherokees to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears in 1838.
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Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

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City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium Ben Long Fresco

Sacred Dance and the Muses adorns the ceiling of this city-owned theater, a center for arts and music. Part of the Benjamin F. Long IV Fresco Trail.
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Clay County Heritage

The Hiawassee River Valley was once home to hundreds of Cherokee, a history that comes to life at the Cherokee County Historical & Art Museum and five other interpretive sites.
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Cradle of Forestry, Blue Ridge Parkway

The Cradle of Forestry was the site of the Biltmore Forest School, the first forestry school in America. The Center includes exhibits, hiking trails, special events, a movie, and a gift shop.
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Earl Scruggs Center

Learn about the life, music, and home of the legendary Earl Scruggs, who pioneered and popularized a banjo picking style that set the standard for bluegrass banjo players.
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Gardens of the Blue Ridge

The oldest licensed plant nursery in North Carolina, Gardens of the Blue Ridge supplies wildflowers and native plants to customers in the U. S. and around the world.
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Gem Mining

Hundreds of specimens on display highlight the rich gem and mineral history of this region. Visitors enjoy “mining” for rubies and other precious stones at many gem mines nearby.
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Grandfather Mountain

Located near Linville, Grandfather Mountain is a state park famous for its
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Haywood County Quilt Trails

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Hickory Nut Gorge

Rushing waters, rocky cliffs, a giant waterfall, lake views and pristine forests make Hickory Nut Gorge a popular destination for hikers, leaf-peepers, and photography buffs.
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Hickory Ridge Living History Museum & Outdoor Drama

Learn about life on the North Carolina frontier in the days of Daniel Boone and the story of the role of mountaineers in America’s war for independence.
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Historic Carson House

A rare example of an Up-Country plantation house, this was home to the Carson family which played a prominent role in politics and society during the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Historic Earle Theatre

The theatre is home of the Merry-Go-Round, the second longest currently running live radio program in the nation, and the Old-Time Music Heritage Hall.
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Historic Johnson Farm

Once a thriving tobacco farm, later a summer boarding house, the Historic Johnson Farm now offers school children and visitors an authentic farm experience.
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Hog Waller Market in Downtown Lenoir

Until the 1950s, this open-air market was a place for street performers, soap box orators, and musicians. Today, downtown Lenoir hosts numerous music events and festivals.
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Hot Springs

The warm waters of the springs, the rush of the French Broad River, the Appalachian Trail, and a rich music tradition combine to attract visitors to Hot Springs.
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Howard Gap Road

A former Native American trail, Howard Gap Road was used by settlers as part of a Drover's Road that ran for 300 miles from Charleston, SC to the Continental Divide.
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I-26 E Welcome Center

I-26 E. Welcome Center | Blue Ridge Heritage Trail
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I-26 W Welcome Center

I-26 W Welcome Center
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I-40 W Welcome Center

I-40 W. Welcome Center
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I-77 N Welcome Center

I-77 Welcome Center
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I-85 S Welcome Center

I-85 Welcome Center
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Joara and Catawba Meadows Native American Villages

An outdoor living history exhibit in Catawba Meadows Park tells of 16th century Native American life in North Carolina’s western Piedmont.
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John C. Campbell Folk School

Visit this historic folk school founded in 1925 and immerse yourself in classes in craft and art, music, dance, cooking, gardening, and writing.
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Judaculla Rock

One of the Cherokee's most important ancestral places, Judaculla Rock is carved with approximately 1,548 designs, more than any other known petroglyph boulder in the eastern U.S.
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Konehete

The rich, fertile soil and protection from the weather of the “Long Valley” provided ideal conditions for agricultural cultivation. Immigrants changed the name to Valleytown.
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Linville Caverns

Enchanting Linville Caverns offers tours of incredible
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Linville Gorge, Brown Mountain Overlook

Nicknamed the “Grand Canyon of the East,” Linville Gorge is one of the wildest, most rugged places in the eastern United States. It became a federal Wilderness Area in 1964.
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Little Tennessee Greenway

This Greenway meanders along the river through Franklin, where visitors can experience wetlands and upland woods, wildflowers, and wildlife, especially migratory birds.
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Looking Glass Rock, Blue Ridge Parkway

This 390-million-year-old granite monolith is named
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Lost Coves Cliffs Overlook

Dense tree canopies shelter isolated forest inlets or “coves.” From this overlook, the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights have been spotted over the centuries.
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Mast Farm Inn

The Mast Farm Inn is an award-winning historic country inn and restaurant in the Valle Crucis Historical District and has been welcoming guests since the 1800s.
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Mill Spring Agricultural Center

This agricultural center, housed in the Historic Mill Spring School, supports local farmers and agriculture through an on-site produce store, area farmers’ markets, and other projects.
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Moses Cone Park, Blue Ridge Parkway

The Gilded Age Flat Top Manor welcomes visitors to the vast Cone estate. Inside you will find fine handicrafts in the store operated by the Southern Highland Craft Guild.
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Mount Mitchell State Park

Mount Mitchell, easily accessible off the Blue Ridge Parkway, is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River and the centerpiece of North Carolina’s first state park.
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Mountain Gateway Museum and Heritage Center

Open year round, the museum exhibits reflect western NC history from the pioneer era through the early 20th century, with programs, reenactments, and festivals.
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Museum of NC Handicrafts

Housed in a Charleston-style mansion built in 1875, the museum showcases traditional North Carolina crafts and hand-crafted Native American pieces.
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Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Interactive video, intriguing displays, and a full sensory experience of the history of the Cherokee await visitors to this 12,000 square foot state-of-the-art museum.
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Nantahala Lake

Located in the Nantahala National Forest at an elevation 3,012 feet, the lake is the second highest lake east of the Mississippi.
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Nantahala Outdoor Center

The Nantahala Outdoor Center is popular for whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking. The river campus includes two restaurants, outfitters shop, and is a destination for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.
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NC Arboretum

Considered one of the finest public gardens in the Southern Appalachians, the Arboretum emphasizes connections between local culture and the landscape.
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NC Bartram Trail

The North Carolina Bartram Trail commemorates the 1775 visit of Philadelphia naturalist William Bartram and parallels Bartram’s actual route into Cherokee country.
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Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Museum exhibits tell of life in these mountains from Native American and early European settlement through the CCC and the development of the national park.
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Oconoluftee Village

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Old Wilkes Jail

Tom “Dooley” Dula, the subject of the well-known folksong, was one of many colorful characters to be incarcerated in the historic 19th century jail, part of the Wilkes Heritage Museum.
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Orchard at Altapass, Blue Ridge Parkway

More than 100 years old, this working apple orchard is also a place where mountain music can be heard during the warm season with dancing, performances, and jams.
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Original Mast General Store

Opened in 1883, the original Mast General Store in Valle Crucis is still in full operation, with old-timey goods and candies on shelves side-by-side with contemporary merchandise.
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Pearson’s Falls

Over 200 species of native deciduous and evergreen trees, flowering plants, wildflowers, and fern thrive in this 268-acre sanctuary. A moderate trail leads to a 90-foot waterfall.
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Qualla Arts & Crafts

Exquisite handmade Cherokee crafts are on display and available for sale at the oldest Native American artisan cooperative in the nation.
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Qualla Boundary

Here the Parkway overlooks the Qualla Boundary, home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Boundary is a small fragment of the extensive historical homeland of the Cherokee.
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Rural Heritage Museum

The stories of the history, the people, and life ways of the Southern Appalachians are told in the exhibits at the Rural Heritage Museum on the campus of Mars Hill University.
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Saluda

Once a stop on the Drover’s Road and a site of the storied Saluda Grade railroad, Saluda is home to writers and artists, with shops, galleries, and restaurants along its historic main street.
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Shindig on the Green

Shindig presents authentic, traditional music and dance in a stage show on summer Saturday evenings “along about sundown” in Asheville's Pack Square Park.
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South Mountains State Park

Outdoor enthusiasts are drawn to this park, considered the state’s most rugged with its 80-foot waterfall, more than 45 miles of trails, and cold mountain streams.
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St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Ben Long Fresco

Near the Old Wilkes Jail, two frescoes in the common area of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church depict Biblical stories about the life of St. Paul. Part of the Benjamin F. Long IV Fresco Trail.
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Statesville Civic Center Ben Long Fresco

Images at the Crossroads depicts the goddess of the crossroads from ancient mythology. Two major interstate highways cross at Stateville. Part of the Benjamin F. Long IV Fresco Trail.
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The Crossnore Communities for Children Ben Long Fresco

Suffer the Little Children depicts this Biblical story in the chapel at The Crossnore School, a residential foster care home. Part of the Benjamin F. Long IV Fresco Trail.
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The Perry N. Rudnick Art & Nature Trail

Whimsical outdoor art created by well-known artists combines with nature along this quiet one-mile pathway with interpretive signage and an array of regional plant species.
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Thomas Wolfe Memorial

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site preserves the childhood home of one of the giants of American literature and showcases his life and writing.
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Town of Sparta

Sparta and Alleghany County have a rich heritage of music, crafts, and agriculture. A visit to Crouse Park and Sparta’s quaint downtown is like a refreshing step back in time.
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Tweetsie Railroad

Locomotive #12, built in 1917, takes visitors around a 3-mile loop in North Carolina’s first theme park. Tweetsie offers Wild West fun for the whole family.
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Unto These Hills

Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama tells the powerful story of the Cherokee from the first contact with Europeans through the infamous and tragic Trail of Tears.
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Waldensian Heritage Museum

Retrace the lives and journey of the Waldenses, a religious body in Italy which immigrated to America to escape persecution and founded the community of Valdese in 1893.
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Explore the Heritage Trail


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