Black Mountain NC “Explore.Relax.Enjoy”

Town of Black Mountain North Carolina
Black Mountain is cradled by mountains and surrounded with gorgeous views; located just 15 miles east of Asheville. Our town overflows with art & craft galleries, artist studios, specialty & antique shops, bookstores and furniture stores, where you can bring a piece of the mountains back home with you. Enjoy lunch in a charming restaurant or cafe, go biking, hiking or just sit awhile. Spend the afternoon at Lake Tomahawk with its walking path, swimming pool, tennis courts, golf and croquet. Feed the ducks, swing on a swing and feel like a kid again. Pass the evening with a pleasant stroll, or tap your foot to the beat in one of Black Mountain’s music clubs. Come sit on the Front Porch of Western North Carolina and enjoy the quality of life we accept as every day living.

History of Black Mountain NC
Black Mountain North Carolina located in the Swannanoa Valley has been a pathway for humans for more than 12,000 years as they crossed the Blue Ridge over the Catawba River headwaters or through the Swannanoa Gap. It was one of the main routes taken by frontiersmen and pioneers making their way west.

“Grey Eagle” is what the town of Black Mountain North Carolina was referred to as at one time by the Cherokee and Catawba Indians that once called this region of the Smoky Mountains home.

The area’s beauty, combined with the rich country side of the Smokies, is what intrigued the early settlers when they first ventured into the Great Smoky Mountains region. In 1893, the town of Black Mountain was founded and named for the “Black Mountain” range that lies just to the north of the small Appalachian town in North Carolina. Visitors have been enjoying the spectacular views of the Appalachian Mountain Range and the Black Mountains ever since.

Sourwood Festival
Black Moutnain is host to the Sourwood Festival always the second weekend in August. The weekend festival fills the downtown area featuring music, dancing, arts & crafts, super food, and more in a no alcohol environment making it the perfect weekend for the entire family. Stroll the downtown streets with 200 vendors, local unique arts and crafts, bouncy rides and cotton candy for children, and live music acts performing every half hour. It wouldn’t be a festival if there weren’t a great selection of food, and the Sourwood Festival has something for everyone– vegetarian dishes, homemade ice cream, funnel cake, handmade jellies, Polish sausage and corn on the cob and much more. Honey-making and bee demonstrations are a popular attraction as well and good to taste.

Sourwood Festival hours are Saturday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Located at 201 E. State Street, the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce
828-669-2300
bmchamber@juno.com.
www.exploreblackmountain.com.

Taste of Black Mountain
The Black Mountain-Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce will hosts the annual “Taste of Black Mountain” at the White Horse Black Mountain, 105 C Montreat Road . The festival atmosphere allows visitors to enjoy food, chcoilate, wine, beer, goat cheese, and more. Experience a variety of local Black Mountain restaurants all in one place such as the Artisan Gourmet Market and Wine Bar, Black Mountain Bistro, Black Mountain Chocolate, Black Mountain Health Food Store, Bone-A-Fide Bakery & Pet Boutique, FRESH Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta, Johnnie’s Catering Company, Highland Brewing Company, Lucky Bamboo Café, the Madison Inn, Oak House, Okie Dokies Smokehouse, Palate at the Monte Vista, Pisgah Brewing Company, Red Rocker Inn, Round Mountain Creamery, and Thai Basil. Tickets are limited to the first 200 and are $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Call 828-669-2300 or visit www.exploreblackmountain.com for more information.

 

LEAF-Lake Eden Arts Festival
Lake Eden Arts Festival is weekend festival in the spring and the fall where thousands from all over the world come to see the arts, crafts, and music from a diverse range of cultures: African, Asian, Latin, Appalachian, Cajun, Celtic, Blues, Bluegrass, French, Texas Sounds and more. The festival is situated around a lake where four stages abound with different music as festival goers travel from one concert to the next like traveling across the world with out moving. Paddle a canoe, ride the zip line, hang at the jam tent, listen to poetry, experience the kids village, the african drum circle, and much more. Don’t forget there are plenty of artisans displaying their work, jewelers, clothing vendors, paintings, sculptures, and more. There are a variety of food vendors at certain locations in the festival. The spring LEAF festival is always the second weekend in May and the Fall LEAF festival is always the second weekend as well. This festival always gets sold out so get your tickets well in advance as well as reserve your spot for tent camping.

Cold Mountain
The mountain is one of the Great Balsam Mountains which are a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is located in the the Pisgah National Forest about 15 miles southeast of Waynesville and 35 miles south of Asheville. The mountain lies completely within federal lands and is uninhabited. The mountain was orginally owned by George Washinton Vanderbilt II builder of the Biltmore Estate. After his death his wife sold the land that included the mountainto the United States Forest Service creating the Pisgah National Forest. Cold Mountain was made more famous in a recent novel by Charles Frazier in 1997 and a feature film depicting a wounded deserter from the Confederate army near the end of the American Civil War who walks for months to return to Ada Monroe, the love of his life.

Black Mountain Marathon-Mt. Mitchell Challenge
Black Mountain Marathon-Mt. Mitchell Challenge is a grueling feat in Feburary to the top of Mount Mitchell. The challenge begins at dawn in Black Mountain, the quaint “front porch of Western North Carolina”, and follow trails to the “rooftop” of Western North Carolina, the 6,684′ summit of Mount Mitchell – eastern America’s highest point; then returns to the start/finish area! With a starting altitude of 2,360′, the elevation gain for this 40-mile run will be 4,324′ – in the first 20 miles. The challenge is designed as a race that was attainable physically while offering the opportunity to test oneself against the often-uncooperative forces of nature! Competitors must complete the Marathon and the Challenge by 6:00 PM.

 

Cradle of Forestry
The Cradle of Forestry in America is a 6,500 acre Historic Site within the Pisgah National Forest, set aside by Congress to commemorate the beginning of forestry conservation in the United States. The Forest Discovery Center commemorates conservation history with an 18 minute movie on Vanderbilt, Pinchot, Schenck and the beginning of forestry in America. Also in the Center is an interactive exhibit hall, The Giving Tree Gift Shop and the Forest Bounty Cafe. Outdoor activities include two guided trails which lead you back in time to seven historical buildings, a 1915 Climax logging locomotive and the old sawmill. Thursdays through Sundays you may find a toy maker, a weaver, a quilter, a wood carver and a basket maker.

Located: US Hwy 276 Pisgah Forest, NC 28768

Open: mid-April through October

For More Information Call: (828)884-5713 or (828)877-3130

 

Nantahala River
The word “Nantahala” comes from the Cherokee language and means “Land of the Noonday Sun.” The river runs through a narrow and steep gorge where in some areas the sun only reaches the ground when it is directly overhead during the middle of the day. The Nantahala River is a very popular trout fishing destination. North Carolina Game and Fish has named the Nantahala River one of North Carolina’s ten best trout streams. This river is popular with whitewater rafters, canoeists, and kayakers. Commercial rafting began in 1972 when the Nantahala Outdoor Center opened, leading to thousands of paddlers annually running the river. The Nantahala River was recently announced as the site of the 2013 Freestyle World Championships.

Mount Mitchell
Mount Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi river at 6684′ feet in elevation. Accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the eastern United States. Originally called Black Dome, Mount Mitchell was renamed after Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, who determined its height in 1835, and fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857. At its summit you’ll find a 360° panoramic view of the surrounding Appalachian landscape, filled with mountains and valleys. Experience the gradual change in plant life as you ascend this epic mountain. Mount Mitchell State park offers several different hiking options, a short loop (less than a mile), a ridgeline hike with endless spectacular views and, for the most rugged adventurer, there is a trail that goes all the way to Black Mountain Campground. For visitors looking to take a break there is a restaurant halfway up the road to the peak, view stunning views of the Black Mountain range as you eat a delicious meal.

Lake Tomahawk
Lake Tomahawl located just minutes from downtown Black Mountain ia a man made 4.5 acre lake, with a half mile walking path around it. The lake is often used by locals and travellers to the area to stay fit by walking, running, walking their dog, and bicycling. The lake has a 1700 square foot shelter used for group picnics, parties, and events. A playground is available, as well as benches and individual picnic tables and grills. There are two lighted tennis courts, one horseshoe court, a gazebo, and an outdoor swimming pool. An open area serves an an amphitheater for outdoor music concerts in the summer. Also located at Lake Tomahawk is the Lakeview Center. The center is a 4500 square foot, two-story building used as an activity center for senior citizens. The facility includes a kitchen, meeting area, and restrooms, and is frequently used for community meetings and rented out for private events.

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Craggy Gardens-Blue Ridge Parkway
Craggy Gardens is one of the most dramatic viewpoints on the Blue Ridge Parkway with panoramic vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains that stretch far into Tennessee to the west and toward central North Carolina to the east. These views can be enjoyed from the parking area near the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and along nearby hiking trails. A large picnic area is popular with visitors. In early summer, Craggy Gardens becomes a mountain-sized bouquet when the rhododendron thickets on the upper heights cover the landscape in pink and purple. A favorite hiking trail, Craggy Pinnacle, leads hikers through a “tunnel” of rhododendron to the summit which offers 360-degree view. This 1.5 mile round trip is an easy walk. Books, CDs, souvenirs, and a photographic display can be found in the Visitors Center, and restrooms are on premises. There is no food concession.

Craggy Gardens Visitor Center: Opens Memorial Day through October. This section of the Parkway is closed in the winter months.
Craggy Pinnacle Hiking Trail parking lot Milepost 364.1
Craggy Gardens picnic grounds Milepost 367.5
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center Milepost 364.6

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Montreat College
Nestled in a cove below the 6000’ peaks of the Appalachian Mountains (in the shadow of the highest peak east of the Mississippi), and just outside the city limits of artistic, energetic Asheville, NC, the Montreat campus attracts students and faculty who want both the serenity the mountains offer as well as the history and attractions unique to western North Carolina.Montreat College students are diverse in thought and interest, they’re athletic and musical, they’re scholarly and comical, and, at their best, they’re absorbed in the immediate duty of hard work and classes, but aiming at changing the world through their ideals and gifts.All of our campuses bustle with energy and hope as future preachers and accountants, musicians and psychologists, teachers and biologists concentrate on becoming agents of transformation, renewal, and reconciliation.