Skip to main content
Appalachian Today
News and events at Appalachian State University
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • Accolades
  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Athletics
  • Awards and Honors
  • Community Engagement
  • Diversity
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Health and Wellness
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Safety
  • Scholarships
  • Students
  • Sustainability
☰ Menu
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact
View larger image

Wispy clouds hover above the mountains of Valle Crucis — located fewer than 10 miles from Boone.

View larger image

Just steps from campus, an eclectic selection of restaurants and shops line historic King Street — the heart of downtown Boone. You’ll find yourself ambling between record stores, boutiques, antique shops and places to grab a latte on a fall day.

View larger image

Perhaps the most iconic section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Linn Cove Viaduct at the base of Grandfather Mountain provides sweeping views of the area’s Blue Ridge Mountains — especially as fall colors glow in the early morning and evening light. Tourists come from all over to witness the peak of the brightly colored leaves for what is known as “peak week” in the Appalachian Mountains.

View larger image

A herd of deer in an open field along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

View larger image

A foggy morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Sections of the parkway are lined with traditional split-rail fencing, which is often made from old lumber.

View larger image

Flame azaleas native to the area bloom atop Grandfather Mountain, located approximately 40 miles from Boone. Grandfather’s neighbor and partner in flora and fauna, Grandmother Mountain, is visible in the distance.

View larger image

Both an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a popular camping site, Price Lake is a bustling nature spot in the warmer months. You can observe an Appalachian paddle boarding class or get out on the water yourself in a kayak or canoe — all the while being surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

View larger image

A sunrise makes its way over the horizon to brighten Grandfather Mountain, one of the most famous mountains in North Carolina. Whether you choose to drive Grandfather Mountain’s winding road to the top or hike its famous Profile Trail to the peak, the destination offers astounding views and a Mile High Swinging Bridge.

View larger image

A daring group admires the view from the edge of Rough Ridge, a famous overlook located off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This spot is popular not only for its short hike and rewarding view, but for its Instagram-worthy photo opportunities.

View larger image

Tourists and locals alike can stand atop the highest peak of Grandfather Mountain — Linville Peak, at an elevation of 5,295 feet above sea level — and view the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Grandfather Mountain features a nature museum, wildlife habitats and numerous roadside parks.

View larger image

The morning sun peeks through tree limbs in the Pisgah National Forest, located approximately 8 miles from Boone. With over 500,000 acres of forestland, Pisgah National Forest offers numerous hiking trails, waterfalls and campsites to explore.

View larger image

An open, rolling meadow in Valle Crucis.

View larger image

A tree in MacRae Meadows, located near the entrance of Grandfather Mountain State Park, shows off its bright yellow leaves. Grandfather Mountain offers a vantage point nearly 6,000 feet above sea level from which to watch autumn unfold in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

View larger image

A sunrise on the horizon of the Blue Ridge Mountains illuminates the foggy, fall scenery.

View larger image

Grazing farm animals accentuate one of many barns situated off the High Country’s winding roads.

Prev
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
View larger image
Next

Beyond the heart of Appalachian: The beauty of Appalachia

By Lauren Hempen
Posted Dec. 19, 2019 at 4:35 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Take a 10-minute drive from the heart of Appalachian State University’s campus, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by the beauty and variety the High Country has to offer.

This photo gallery showcases some of the favorite getaways for Appalachian students within 15 miles of campus.

All photos were taken by university photographer Marie Freeman.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Share

Topics

  • Community Engagement
  • Students
  • Sustainability

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

Share

Topics

  • Community Engagement
  • Students
  • Sustainability

Other Recent Posts

  • Appalachian Journal marks 50 years of spotlighting Appalachia
    Appalachian Journal marks 50 years of spotlighting Appalachia
  • Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
    Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
  • Lumbee tribal flag now hangs in App State’s student union, honoring the Lumbee people and their history
    Lumbee tribal flag now hangs in App State’s student union, honoring the Lumbee people and their history
  • Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
    Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
  • <span style="color: #bc8801;">SoundAffect:</span> Daniel E. Dawes, JD on how to overcome deep-rooted challenges in the American health care system
    SoundAffect: Daniel E. Dawes, JD on how to overcome deep-rooted challenges in the American health care system
  • App State Office of Diversity brings monthly read-alouds to lab schools
    App State Office of Diversity brings monthly read-alouds to lab schools
  • 6 award-winning authors to visit App State for spring 2023 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
    6 award-winning authors to visit App State for spring 2023 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
  • Campus emergency siren test to be conducted <span style="white-space: nowrap;">March 1</span>
    Campus emergency siren test to be conducted March 1
  • App State’s Day of Service honors legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
    App State’s Day of Service honors legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Mountain hares are built for snow. That may become a problem. [faculty featured]
    Mountain hares are built for snow. That may become a problem. [faculty featured]
    National Geographic
  • App State honored as a Top Producer of Fulbright scholars, students for 2022–23
    App State honored as a Top Producer of Fulbright scholars, students for 2022–23
  • These Colleges Produce a Lot of Fulbright Scholars. Here’s How.
    These Colleges Produce a Lot of Fulbright Scholars. Here’s How.
    The Chronicle of Higher Education

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

App State

Copyright 2023 Appalachian State University. All rights reserved.

University Communications
ASU Box 32153
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-6156
ucomm@appstate.edu

Abouts

Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Snapchat