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Located in the Northwestern corner of North Carolina, the High Country has the highest average land elevation in the eastern United States. Home to such recognizable towns as Blowing Rock, Boone and Banner Elk—and lesser-known, well-kept destinations like West Jefferson, North Wilkesboro and Laurel Springs—you’ll enjoy exciting mountain adventures here.
North Carolina’s High Country is a land of extremes. From the highest peak and the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi to the second oldest river in the world, the High Country is not a land of mediocre proportions. While Grandfather Mountain, standing at 5,694 feet, and Beech Mountain, at 5,505 feet, are close runners-up, Mt. Mitchell—part of the billion-years-old Black Mountains and rising to an impressive 6,684 feet—is the highest mountain in the East. Just an hour north is Linville Gorge, the deepest gorge in the East. Formed by Jonas Ridge to the east and Linville Mountain on the west, it is bisected by the Linville River that begins on Grandfather Mountain and extends for some 12 miles through the gorge. Just north of Linville Gorge is the epitome of an oxymoron: New River, which is actually the second-oldest river in the world—second only to the Nile. In 1998, President Clinton designated New River as an American Heritage River on a ceremony on its banks in the High Country.
Here you can do more than merely gaze at these gorgeous works of nature. Remember how much fun it was as a child to root for the cowboys, brave a swinging bridge, and ride a train? It’s about time you relived those adventures with your own children or grandchildren, and the High Country offers the ideal setting. Won’t it be fun to watch their glee as they ride the carousel at Tweetsie, or wonder at the mysteries of science at Mystery Hill? Relish the rush of memories coming back to you as you hold your own son or daughter’s hand while crossing the Mile High Swinging Bridge. Introduce your inner child to your own children and grandchildren, and have a blast in North Carolina’s High Country.
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