The Highlands of North Carolina are laden with town after town that is worthy of a road trip and one of them, the Town of Blowing Rock, is positively perfect for adding to your spring or fall itinerary. Unlike in the summer months, when North Carolina’s mountains are inundated with tourists, during the spring and fall when most school-aged children are, well… in school, this little mountain town still thrives, yet feels less crowded.

You may actually find you even have some elbow room while enjoying the shops, galleries, restaurants, and the park in the historic downtown area.

Google Maps Visitors can easily enjoy the better part of an entire day exploring the shopping district. But as magical as the downtown streets are in Blowing Rock, there are other places to explore here, too….

You can begin over at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park.

TripAdvisor/Lonnie1743 Explore 3,600 acres of gorgeous, rolling landscape. And in the fall season, submerge yourself in the splendiferous sights and smells of the fall foliage, paying particular attention to the gentle rustle of the fallen leaves beneath your feet.

Pop into Flat Top Manor, the restored home on preview at the park.

TripAdvisor/Greg B Inside, you’ll find a gift shop and museum. And that view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the front porch just might make you weak in the knees.

While in Blowing Rock, you’ll want to visit the town’s namesake, known as THE Blowing Rock.

TripAdvisor/TravelingBum52 Towering over the Johns River Gorge, the Blowing Rock is inundated with a near vertical wind that blows through the gorge and straight up the steep mountain beneath the Blowing Rock. It’s definitely worth the price of admission, so add it to your agenda.

A few miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Town of Blowing Rock is the stunning Julian Price Park and Price Lake.

TripAdvisor/hh2019 From the observation deck along the Parkway, visitors can peer right through a gap in the mountain on the other side of the lake to see Grandfather Mountain’s Galloway Peak. Editor’s note: in last August 2021, the valve on Price Dam malfunctioned and the lake consequently drained. Officials are hard at work making the repair and expect it will take two weeks for the lake to fill back up once repairs are complete.

Traveling to Blowing Rock on the tail end of the fall season means you may arrive during an early snowfall for the winter season.

Google/Kevin Lemieux If so, you’re in luck! Head over to Appalachian Ski Resort in Blowing Rock and spend the day playing in the white fluff. Of course, it doesn’t have to actually snow to ski at this resort… but it does have to be cold enough for the resort to make its own snow.

You can’t go wrong with a visit to Blowing Rock at any time of the year. It’s a fantastic place to visit in all four seasons. But if you can plan a visit in spring or summer, you’ll be mesmerized by this wonderful little town with under 2,000 residents. Blowing Rock is magical. Come see for yourself!

Google Maps

Visitors can easily enjoy the better part of an entire day exploring the shopping district. But as magical as the downtown streets are in Blowing Rock, there are other places to explore here, too….

TripAdvisor/Lonnie1743

Explore 3,600 acres of gorgeous, rolling landscape. And in the fall season, submerge yourself in the splendiferous sights and smells of the fall foliage, paying particular attention to the gentle rustle of the fallen leaves beneath your feet.

TripAdvisor/Greg B

Inside, you’ll find a gift shop and museum. And that view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the front porch just might make you weak in the knees.

TripAdvisor/TravelingBum52

Towering over the Johns River Gorge, the Blowing Rock is inundated with a near vertical wind that blows through the gorge and straight up the steep mountain beneath the Blowing Rock. It’s definitely worth the price of admission, so add it to your agenda.

TripAdvisor/hh2019

From the observation deck along the Parkway, visitors can peer right through a gap in the mountain on the other side of the lake to see Grandfather Mountain’s Galloway Peak. Editor’s note: in last August 2021, the valve on Price Dam malfunctioned and the lake consequently drained. Officials are hard at work making the repair and expect it will take two weeks for the lake to fill back up once repairs are complete.

Google/Kevin Lemieux

If so, you’re in luck! Head over to Appalachian Ski Resort in Blowing Rock and spend the day playing in the white fluff. Of course, it doesn’t have to actually snow to ski at this resort… but it does have to be cold enough for the resort to make its own snow.

For more places to visit in Blowing Rock, head over to Tweetsie Railroad and also be sure to stop at the ever-so-quirky Mystery Hill!

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Address: Blowing Rock, North Carolina 28645, USA