Guides

Written by Larry Deane, local expert for 20+ years

The Blue Ridge Mountains  are full of things to do, and places to see. Our comprehensive guides will provide you all of the information you need to know about the various travel destinations in The Blue Ridge Mountains.

The guides include History, photos, videos, directions, closure information, travel tips and more! Even better? We live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC, and we'll share tips with you that only the "locals" know.

Our Guides

The beautiful and majestic Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the larger Appalachian Mountain Range. They run from Northern Georgia to South-central Pennsylvania. Most of the mountain range is in

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Asheville NC is one the coolest cities in the United States, and in particular on the East Coast.    Asheville is literally a city in the mountains and surrounded by

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Biltmore Estate is one of the most popular attractions in Asheville and Western NC, and for good reason.  This 8,000-acre estate will take you on a fairy tale adventure, back

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We have been hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains for over 16 years, and have hiked well over 1,000 miles of trails. These mountains are full of great trails that

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Cades Cove is a historic section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, that is very popular throughout the year for many reasons:There is a very nice 11 mile loop

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Hurricane Helene Update: Cataloochee Valley has reopened as of 4/4/2025. The road into the valley is closed at the bridge by the schoolhouse. To get down to the lower fields

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Over two hundred years ago, in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, one could often hear the haunting sounds of Eastern Bull Elk, as their territorial bugle sounds echoed off

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Tens of thousands of people visit the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and North Georgia each year to see the beautiful Fall Colors and foliage. The Blue

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 Graveyard Fields on the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of our favorite locations to enjoy waterfalls, beautiful (and unique) scenery, and also to hike.  We love the area and trails, and

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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) was chartered in 1934 and runs along the ridges and mountains of the Smoky Mountains on the border between Tennessee and North Carolina.

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Lake Junaluska is a beautiful lake and community, located just outside of Waynesville NC and near Maggie Valley NC.  The Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center has 200 acre lake

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Lake Lure NC is a town that is literally built around a lake, nestled in the steep rocky cliffs of Hickory Nut Gorge area of NC, and south of the

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Maggie Valley NC is a small and friendly mountain town in Western North Carolina.  Maggie Valley has been a popular mountain vacation destination for families for years, and that tradition

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The Oconaluftee visitor center is located on Highway 441 on the east side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Cherokee.  Shortly before the visitor center, is the end

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Pisgah National Forest comprises over 500,000 acres of forest land across Western North Carolina. Pisgah National Forest, established on October 7, 1916, contains beautiful, remote, and rugged terrain that provides

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Facebook X Pinterest LinkedIn There has been a lot of talk recently on various Facebook groups and in the news about the amount of bear activity in The Great Smoky Mountains

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The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The Parkway travels for 469 miles from The Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the

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If you're a Waterfall lover, the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia, and Tennessee contain thousands of waterfalls, with hundreds of them being fairly easy to access

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The Blue Ridge Mountains have a unique way of calling us and drawing us in, and this includes everyone.  The majestic power and beauty of waterfalls in these mountains have

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About the author

Larry Deane is the co-owner and voice behind Blue Ridge Mountain Life, a travel resource built from more than two decades of exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains firsthand. A Western North Carolina local, Larry has spent 20+ years hiking the trails, visiting small towns, chasing waterfalls, and documenting life in the mountains he calls home.

Alongside his wife Jenn, he created Blue Ridge Mountain Life to share their real-world experiences with others who love — or are just discovering — the Blue Ridge. Larry is a seasoned travel writer, photographer, and videographer with a background in journalism, and his work reaches more than 500,000 mountain lovers each month. Whether he's deep in Pisgah National Forest or strolling Main Street in a mountain town, you can count on Larry to give you the inside scoop from someone who’s truly been there.

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