SPRUCE PINE, NORTH CAROLINA
The former mining town of 2,000, tucked deep into the Western North Carolina mountains, is most famous for its minerals—as well as its outdoor opportunities. Anglers flock to Spruce Pine’s nearby rivers, while big-time outdoor destinations like the Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, and Linville Gorge are less than 20 minutes away.
“I can fly fish on my lunch break,” says Bryan Freeborn, director of Spruce Pine’s Downtown Initiative. “There’s a great hole less than 200 feet from my office. In downtown. How many people can say that?”
The fact that Spruce Pine (which is only four blocks) has a downtown initiative should tell you a lot about the progressive attitudes in this mountain town. While some cities are desperately trying to lure manufacturing back, Spruce Pine has chosen to put their eggs in the natural resource basket, creating a pedestrian and bicycle plan to connect their neighborhoods, and looking at the surrounding watershed for trail development. The downtown is also home to several culinary hotspots, and a new brewery has recently opened.
Play: You’ll find the high elevation balds of the Roan Highlands 30 minutes north of Spruce Pine off Route 261. Strike out on the A.T. from Carver’s Gap for miles of spectacular 360-degree views. Rhodo blooms in the late spring/early summer, and heavy snows during winter turn the Roans into a cross country ski mecca. Head south on Route 226 to the Blue Ridge Parkway for road biking. For crowd-free adventure, explore the privately-owned trail system on Springmaid Mountain. The 400 acres of loop trails are open to the public and less than ten minutes from town. Consider fishing a stretch of the North Toe, which runs through town, for browns, rainbows, and brook trout.
Stay:Carolina Hemlocks has tent sites along the North Toe at the base of Mountain Mitchell just 20 minutes away. The Richmond Inn offers classic B&B digs near the heart of downtown.
Eat:Kick start your adventure with coffee from Blue Ridge Java. Knife and Fork is a farm to table restaurant that sources everything from extremely local growers.
Culture:The mountains surrounding Spruce Pine have a reputation for producing artists of all kinds. Check out the work of local artists at the Toe River Arts Council Center Gallery on Oak Avenue.
Events:The Roan Moan metric century starts in nearby Bakersville and climbs 7,100 feet, including the beastly push up to Carver’s Gap. The Springmaid Splash is a popular trail 10K with steep climbs and river crossings.
Mingle: The new Dry County Brewing Company offers hand-crafted beers and hand-crafted pies. Try the Scotch Ale. Quizzo night on Thursdays gets packed.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thomas/Davis WV should definitely be part of this list. Lots of outdoor activities, two brew pubs, live music, and cheap accommodations makes this my favorite mountain town.
At the risk of offending some, Sylva has much more to offer than Bryson City. Restaurants, music, art, parks and just a lot of cool people
Now why didn’t I think of buying a pile or rocks and selling buckets full to the Tourists that pass by? Then tell them it came from the Emerald Mine, That the Ledfords destroyed long ago. How about McKinney Mine where there are no Gems whatsoever, Oh maybe some rose quartz or specks of tourmoline or Mica. What a farst. That slurry below the Burnette Cemetary. And what about Gem Mountain. Brilliant.. Sells you a bucket of rocks fer 30$ and turns around and later sells the same bucket to somebody else with some worthless stones from Tennessee or North Georgia or Virginia. Great..Wait there may be some Garnet in there. for you Ruby lovers. I used to pick up emeralds that fell off the dump trucks on the road over Charlie Woody Mountain…Probably still can.
There are a lot of great cabin rentals available in the area that meet all budgets. Prices are very reasonable compared to other regions.
I have been hiking the AT for the last 3 years. Love the mountains and views. Look forward to more hikes in the area and on the AT. Aim to finish the AT in section hikes in 5-7 years.
i dearly love the mountains and also the seasons they provide.fall is probably the most beautiful.
You should also mention Smoky Mountain Jetboat Rides and hikes in Bryson City. The unique thrilling and scenic jetboat ride on Lake Fontana is really special and the combination hike and jetboat ride trips do everything that’s great about the area – hiking, picnicking, swimming and jetboat ride~