Boone, North Carolina: Dining & Year-Round Activities

1. Daniel Boone Native Gardens

• What is the Daniel Boone Native Gardens?
  • The Daniel Boone Native Gardens is a magnificent naturally landscaped garden near downtown Boone, North Carolina. It has a rare, extensive collection of native plants, shrubs, trees, and wildflowers.
• When did the gardens open?
  • The 3-acre gardens, which opened in 1963, represent a conservation and education effort as well as a kind of laboratory where clubs, botanists, and schools can grow rare or endangered species.
• What can visitors see in the gardens?
  • There are hundreds of plants that continuously bloom during every growing season. There are different gardens with unique species – a bog garden, rhododendron garden, and fern garden, a rock wishing well, a vine-covered arbor, a lovely pond next to the historic Squire Boone log cabin, and magnificent wrought-iron gates at the entrance, built by Daniel Boone’s descendants.

651 Horn in the W Dr, Boone, NC 28607, Phone: 828-264-6390

2. Foggy Mountain Gem Mine

• What role did gem mining play in the High Country’s history?
  • Gem mining played a huge role in the High Country’s history. You can just imagine how the shiny rubies, topaz, and emeralds grabbed peoples’ imaginations and started the Gold Rush. The area is honeycombed with gem mines, and most are rich in gems of different kinds.
• Is finding gems in real mines easy?
  • Finding gems in real mines is a hard job that requires patience, equipment, and experience.
• What can visitors do at the Foggy Mountain Gem Mine?
  • At the Foggy Mountain Gem Mine, the hard work has already been done for the visitors. They can buy buckets of gems mixed with soil and rocks and sift through them in search of real, beautiful gems. It is a fun activity for kids, and there’s a competition for who can find the most valuable stones. If you wish, you can use the mine shop to set your precious stones in a piece of jewelry.

4416 NC-105, Boone, NC 28607, Phone: 828-963-4367

3. Hickory Ridge Living History Museum

• What historical significance do the North Carolina mountains have?
  • The mountains of North Carolina are rich in history. The Cherokee Indians, Daniel Boone, and other early explorers and settlers are an important part of the history of the area.
• What can visitors learn at the Hickory Ridge Living History Museum?
  • At the Hickory Ridge Living History Museum, you can learn what life was like in the 1700s as the young country was formed and expanded. The museum is located next to the site of the Horn in the West and consists of several original period cabins.
• What are some of the historical cabins at the museum?
  • The oldest cabin, the Tatum Cabin, dates back to the time of the American Revolution and was originally located in Todd, North Carolina. The Coffey House dates to the early 1800s. There is also a WPA cabin built in the 1930s, as well as another cabin from the same period that is now used as a tavern.
• Who runs the museum, and what demonstrations are available?
  • The museum staff are volunteers dressed in period clothing who provide stories about the cabins and showcase the lifestyle of the early settlers. They also offer demonstrations of settlers’ skills, such as spinning, weaving, blacksmithing, tomahawk throwing, candle dipping, basket weaving, and shooting black-powder guns.

591 Horn in the W Dr, Boone, NC 28607, Phone: 828-264-2120

4. Appalachian Ski Mountain

• What is Appalachian Ski Mountain?
  • Appalachian Ski Mountain is a ski area in one of three ski mountains in Watauga County in western North Carolina, located between Boone and Blowing Rock.
• What skiing facilities are available at Appalachian Ski Mountain?
  • The ski area features 11 slopes, three terrain parks, and five lifts, including two quads and one double chair.
• What activities are available for beginners and non-skiers?
  • There is a conveyor belt that takes ski novices to the top of the terrain, making learning easier. Additionally, there is a large outdoor ice arena, ensuring there is something for every family member, regardless of their ski experience.
• When is the skiing season at Appalachian Ski Mountain?
  • The season lasts from mid-November to late March. There is also night skiing every night, making it the only ski area in the Southeast with late-night skiing.

940 Ski Mountain Rd, Blowing Rock, NC 28605

5. Turtle Island Preserve

• What is Turtle Island Preserve?
  • Founded by Eustace Conway, Turtle Island Preserve is a 1000-acre Appalachian heritage farm and education center. It is located in a remote, wild, hidden valley that can only be reached along a long gravel road.
• What kind of experience does Turtle Island Preserve offer?
  • At Turtle Island, Eustace Conway offers visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of their ancestors, including living in primitive, simple hand-made structures, using an “outhouse”, and wielding simple primitive tools for everyday chores.
• How does Turtle Island Preserve promote self-sufficient living?
  • Everything at Turtle Island comes from the land and is used with care and in balance with nature. Residents and visitors build shelters, plant and harvest gardens, milk goats, gather plants and herbs in the woods, and literally live “off the land.”

2683 Little Laurel Rd, Boone, NC 28607, Phone: 828-265-2267

6. The Art of Living Retreat Center

• What is The Art of Living Retreat Center?
  • Located high on the top of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains near Boone, North Carolina, the The Art of Living Retreat Center and Ayurvedic Spa is a 380-acre sanctuary that provides an inviting place for those who seek peace, solitude, and personal growth.
• What activities are available at the retreat center?
  • Visitors can practice guided meditation and yoga, attend philosophy workshops, indulge in spa treatments, take part in group ceremonies and celebrations, or simply enjoy nature walks.
• Why is The Art of Living Retreat Center special?
  • A combination of spectacularly beautiful surrounding nature and a knowledgeable staff makes this center a great place to nurture your body and mind.
• Who founded The Art of Living Retreat Center?
  • The center was established by the renowned spiritual teacher Sri Ravi Shankar and was recognized by the readers of USA Today as one of the Best Health and Wellness Resorts in America.

639 Whispering Hills Rd, Boone, NC 28607, Phone: 828-263-4910

7. Howard's Knob

• What is Howard's Knob?
  • Howard's Knob is both a mountain and a park in the North Carolina High Country, overlooking the town of Boone. It is part of the Appalachian Mountain Range.
• What is the elevation of Howard’s Knob?
  • Howard’s Knob has an elevation of 4,396 feet above sea level and rises about 1,000 feet above Boone and the Appalachian State University campus.
• How is Howard’s Knob preserved?
  • The magnificent views of the city and the beauty of the mountain led the High Country Conservancy and local residents to sign a conservation easement that protects 46 acres as a natural forested area, with provisions for hiking trails and a small shelter.

8. Watauga County Farmer's Market

• What is the Watauga County Farmer's Market?
  • The Watauga County Farmer's Market has been a community effort since its founding in 1974. It is a gathering place where people come together for people, by people.
• When and where does the market take place?
  • The market is held every Saturday from 8 am to noon, from May through October, at the Horn in the West parking lot in Boone.
• What can visitors find at the market?
  • During the summer, the market offers fresh local produce, right-from-the-farm eggs, soft artisan breads, plants, fresh dairy products, delicious honeys, jams and jellies, local crafts, and on some weekends, a kid’s mini market, where children can sell their own wares.
• Are there any special events at the market?
  • The Watauga County Farmer’s Market also features special events such as chef demonstrations, live music, art demonstrations, and more.
• Why should people visit the market?
  • The market is a great place to see the community, meet local farmers, and learn where your favorite goodies come from.

591 Horn in the W Dr, Boone, NC 28607

9. Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

• What is Moses H. Cone Memorial Park?
  • Moses H. Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, was created to protect the country estate of Moses H. Cone, a textile entrepreneur, philanthropist, and conservationist.
• What is Flat Top Manor?
  • At the heart of the park is Flat Top Manor, a 1901 Grand Colonial Revival mansion with 20 rooms and covering 13,000 square feet. This gleaming white beauty is surrounded by acres of forests, meadows, wildflowers, and lakes full of bass and trout.
• What recreational activities are available at the park?
  • There are 26 miles of carriage roads for horseback riding, walking, or biking. Additionally, rangers offer tours of the house on weekends.
• What can visitors see inside the mansion?
  • The mansion is now home to the Parkway Craft Center, which offers handmade crafts by regional artists. At times, artists demonstrate traditional crafts such as embroidery, quilting, weaving, woodcarving, pottery, and glass blowing to the public on the porch.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, NC

10. North Carolina Daniel Boone Heritage Trail

• Who was Daniel Boone?
  • Daniel Boone, one of America's favorite heroes of the pioneer era, spent 21 years between 1752 and 1773 in North Carolina and left a significant impact on the area’s history.
• What is the North Carolina Daniel Boone Heritage Trail?
  • The North Carolina Daniel Boone Heritage Trail connects various locations that played important roles in Daniel Boone’s and North Carolina’s history.
• What can visitors experience along the trail?
  • By visiting the trail, you are transported back to the exciting times when the young country was being built. Along the trail, you can:
    • Visit a replica of Boone’s cabin on the bank of Beaver Creek.
    • See the site of the fort where Boone hid during the Cherokee War.
    • Explore the ruins of the historic 1753 Moravian village, where Boone took his ill brother for care.
    • Visit the cave on the Yadkin River where Boone lived while fishing and hunting.
    • And much more!

126 W Church St, Mocksville, NC 27028