Boone is a charming town with a lively but laid-back vibe that is tucked away in the North Carolina Mountains. It is situated in the state’s northwest, surrounded by some truly breathtaking scenery and a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities.
The charming town itself has a number of tourist attractions in addition to the breathtaking Blue Ridge Parkway and its majestic mountains, which beg to be explored. While Downtown Boone is dotted with beautiful buildings and the Appalachian State University gives its streets a youthful vibe, things to do in Boone include visiting a brewery or a boutique. However, the majority of visitors use the mountain town as a launching point for outdoor activities like skiing, mountain biking, and hiking.
1- Skiing in Boone: Sugar Mountain Resort
The magnificent Sugar Mountain Resort is located just 30 minutes southwest of Boone and sprawls over a sizable area. It is situated within Pisgah National Forest and is home to beautiful slopes and powdery pistes that are open to visitors. It is situated along the Eastern Continental Divide.
The resort, which rises to a maximum elevation of 1,596 meters, offers 21 slopes for skiing down as well as a variety of other skiable terrain. Its chairlifts, which are meticulously groomed each day, serve its snow-covered slopes, which are suitable for beginners, intermediates, and experts alike.
Snowshoeing, ice skating, and tubing are also available at Sugar Mountain Resort in addition to its excellent skiing and snowboarding. Additionally, there are a ton of cozy lodges and inns to choose from all year round, as well as fantastic hiking and mountain biking to enjoy in the summer.
2- Boone Attractions: Daniel Boone Native Gardens
The Daniel Boone Native Gardens are a stunning naturally landscaped garden close to the center of Boone, North Carolina. It has a unique, sizable collection of indigenous trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. The 3-acre gardens, which were created as part of a conservation and educational initiative and served as a sort of laboratory for clubs, botanists, and educational institutions to grow rare or endangered species, were established in 1963.
Numerous plants continuously bloom throughout each growing season. Different gardens, including a bog garden, a rhododendron garden, and a fern garden, as well as a rock wish well, a vine-covered arbor, a charming pond next to the historic Squire Boone log cabin, and magnificent gates made of wrought iron at the entrance, which were constructed by Daniel Boone’s descendents, can be found there.
3. Things To Do In Boone NC: Turtle Island Preserve, Boone, NC
A 1000-acre Appalachian heritage farm and educational facility, Turtle Island Preserve was established by Eustace Conway. It is situated in a remote, uninhabited valley that can only be reached via a protracted gravel road.
Eustace Conway provides visitors with a glimpse of the way of life of their ancestors at Turtle Island, which includes living in simple, hand-made structures, using a “outhouse,” and using basic, primitive tools for daily tasks. Everything is harvested from the land and used carefully and in harmony with the environment. Both locals and visitors construct their own homes, cultivate and harvest their own gardens, milk goats, collect plants and herbs from the forest, and essentially “live off the land.”
4. Howard’s Knob
With a view of the town of Boone in the North Carolina High Country, Howard’s Knob is both a mountain and a park. The vicinity of Howard’s Knob and the Appalachian Mountain Range are included. It rises about 1,000 feet above Boone and the campus of Appalachian State University, reaching a height of 4,396 feet above sea level.
The High Country Conservancy and several locals signed a conservation easement that safeguards 46 acres as a natural forested area with provisions for hiking trails and a small shelter because of the breathtaking city views and the beauty of the mountain.
5. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Boone, NC
The country estate of Moses H. Cone, a textile businessman, philanthropist, and conservationist, was preserved by the creation of Moses H. Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway close to Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Flat Top Manor, a 1901 Grand Colonial Revival mansion with 20 rooms and 13,000 square feet of gleaming white beauty, is at the center of the community. Acres of forests, meadows, and wildflowers as well as lakes stocked with bass and trout surround the mansion.
The house is open for tours on the weekends, and there are 26 miles of carriage roads available for horseback riding, biking, or walking. The mansion, which is now the Parkway Craft Center, sells handmade items made by local artisans. These artisans occasionally give demonstrations of their crafts, including pottery, quilting, weaving, and embroidery.
6. Things To Do In Boone NC: River and Earth Adventures
Western North Carolina has some of the most amazing adventures for outdoor enthusiasts. Whitewater rafting, canoeing, caving, hiking, kayaking, climbing, and guided day trips are all organized by River and Earth Adventures. They also have a paddling school with instructors who have received the ACA certification.
All adventures can be combined with additional eco-education from guides who are North Carolina State environmental educators if you have an interest in conservation. They will aid in your comprehension of both the magnificent world you are paddling through and its inhabitants, including both plants and animals. Organic lunches, top-of-the-line gear, free pictures, and a lifetime of memories are all provided by River and Earth Adventures. Only those over 18 are allowed to participate in the more physically fit and adventurous whitewater kayaking on the Watauga Gorge.
7. The Greenway Trail
In the vicinity of Boone, the Greenway Trail is arguably the most well-liked hiking trail, and for good reason. It is mostly flat, partially paved, and surfaced with gravel. It is also easily accessible. It travels along the south fork of the New River, passing through rich, dense forests and wildflower-filled meadows.
Many benches, shelters, and picnic tables can be found along with a number of interpretive signs on both human and natural history as you pass a historical ruin. You shouldn’t skip either of the two short loops that offer fantastic opportunities for birdwatching or flower viewing. The trail might seem a little too easy for serious hiking,
8. High Mountain Expeditions
High Mountain Expeditions introduced tourists to some of the most breathtaking North Carolina wilderness when they first began their expeditions in 1986. In addition to whitewater rafting on untamed rivers like the Nolichucky, Watauga, and New rivers, as well as Wilson Creek, river tubing, hiking, and caving, they have been taking families, thrill seekers, and nature lovers on these excursions for the past 25 years.
Families of all sizes can now enjoy this magnificent wilderness that is teeming with wildlife and fish thanks to their highly knowledgeable guides. They created the thriving whitewater rafting business in the area, which now welcomes thousands of tourists each year.
9. Rock Dimensions, Boone, NC
People climb rocks for a variety of reasons, including recreation, self-adversity, limit exploration, close encounters with nature, and overcoming a fear of heights. Since 1998, Rock Dimensions has provided supervised climbing excursions and climbing instruction. The extensive training and certification of each of their guides guarantees that you will have a completely safe and enjoyable climbing experience.
To gauge your level of comfort, you might want to start with the Discovery Course. Kids adore their five-day climbing adventure camp, which features a challenge course, a climbing tower, rappelling, caving, and other activities. Everyone will find something to enjoy, the environment is upbeat and uplifting, the scenery is breathtaking, and you can’t help but have a great time.