A FREE Daily Visitor Guide for the North Carolina Mountains and 50+ NC Mountain Cities

Monday, March 28, 2016

Spring Break Family Fun At Chimney Rock State Park

March 28 - 31, 2016 Spring Break Family Fun Meet some of Grady the Groundhog’s woodland friends or possibly the birds of prey, a Red-tailed hawk and Great Horned Owl, at the daily 2 PM Family Animal Encounters. A Park naturalist will explain each animal’s role in our ecosystem, how they came to live at the park and lessons on what we can do to help protect wildlife.

Meet at Grady’s Animal Discovery Den for weekday Family Animal Encounters Mon-Fri and at the Outdoor Classroom Sat-Sun. Then, grab a Track Trail brochure at Grady’s Animal Discovery Den and round out the day with a hike along our Great Woodland Adventure trail with 12 interactive education stations.

Appalachian Ski Mountain Open for Last days to Ski NC for the 2015-16 Season

Slope conditions and updates as of March 28, 2016:

Appalachian Ski Mountain - OPEN Skiing 8 slopes with 6 lifts on a base of 10 - 25 inches. Ski or ride for the rest of the season free with the purchase of 2016-17 season membership. Late Season Rates are in effect. Projected closing day 4/2

Beech Mountain Ski Resort is CLOSED for the 2015-16 Season

Cataloochee Ski Area is CLOSED for the 2015-16 Season

Sapphire Valley Ski Area is CLOSED for the 2015-16 Season

Sugar Mountain Ski Resort is CLOSED for the 2015-16 Season

Wolf Ridge Ski Resort is CLOSED for the 2015-16 Season

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Easter Weekend Events in the Mountains: Annual Easter Hat Parade in Dillsboro NC

March 26, 2016 Annual Easter Hat Parade Make a hat, win a prize, get your face painted, meet the Easter Bunny. This family fun event continues to be a favorite Easter weekend mountain happening.

This year the parade will be led by a fleet of restored antique cars and begins in front of the Town Hall on Front Street in charming downtown Dillsboro NC. Awards will be presented for

the Prettiest, Funniest, Largest, Smallest, Most Unusual, Most Easter-like, Best Smelling, Cutest, Most Outrageous, Best In Show and "Poofiest" hats among other unusual categories. There is even a ribbon awarded to the Best Animal in Show!

Get times and details online.

Dillsboro NC is a small mountain village no longer known for mining and logging, but increasingly for fine artists and crafts. In 1886 Dillsboro was a favorite tourist destination via the railroad. Today, Located in the center of

Western North Carolina, Dillsboro is surrounded by NC's westernmost "outdoor playground" including The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Nantahala River, Fontana Lake and pristine forests. A stay in any Dillsboro NC inn or vacation cabin rental is always quiet but never boring.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Annual Easter Sunrise Service at Chimney Rock State Park

March 27, 2016 61th Annual Easter Sunrise Service Celebrate Easter with song, scripture and spiritual music as a spectacular sunrise ascends over Lake Lure. Chimney Rock’s annual Easter Sunrise Service has become a legendary event in WNC, attracting more than 1,000 early risers from around the Southeast each year.

This free non-denominational Easter celebration features live instrumental music, spiritual songs and breathtaking scenery. The 61th annual inter-denominational community worship service is a special tradition and a memorable event for the entire family.

Guests are invited to eat breakfast at the Old Rock Café and stay to enjoy the Park all day.

Get links for local details and lodging on our Chimney Rock NC Visitor Guide

The Blue Ridge Parkway at 469 miles long is the nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years old it is administered by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. For additional information visit :The Blueridge Parkway Association

The River Arts District is open year around with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings. The artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

Chimney Rock Park is named for a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles across the Carolinas. The now state owned park encompasses 1,000 acres offers the best of the mountains in one place with spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock NC

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

Tsali Recreation Area is an outdoors lover's paradise. Probably the most popular features of Tsali Recreation Area are the 39 miles of trails suited for mountain bikers and horse-back riders, as well as hikers. The 4-loop system offers a variety of landscapes. You can climb 1-foot wide rugged paths or travel flat, well-beaten roads. The four trails--Right, Left, Mouse Branch, and Thompson Loops--meander through mixed pine and hardwoods on a peninsula stretching into Fontana Lake. Near Bryson City NC and Robbinsville NC.