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A New Craft Beverage Trail in Virginia!
From the Peaks of Otter to Smith Mountain Lake and places in between, you’ll discover wineries, breweries, a cidery, and meadery along the new Bottled in Bedford Craft Beverage Trail in Bedford, VA!
Five Fall Favorites
in the Foothills of Elkin, NC
Music, mountains and craft beverages come together to make fall a favorite time to visit the foothills town of Elkin, North Carolina.
Punkin Chunkin
Festival & Chili &
Anything Pumpkin Cook Off
Punkin Chunkin weekend kicks off on Friday evening with the “Anything Pumpkin” and Chili Cook-off competition on the Historic Hayesville Square starting at 6 pm.
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Download the Blue Ridge Parkway Information Guide! Your go-to for fishing, camping and more!
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FALL 2023 Issue is here!
fall into fun in the mountains!
Wytheville:
Small Town, Fall Town
Escape the hustle-bustle of the interstates and explore the scenic backroads of the area with unique attractions along the way. Local farms showcase the beauty of harvest time as fields become blanketed with the orange of pumpkins with family friendly events
Fall in Love
with Grayson County, VA
The air is turning crisp and cool after the long, hot days of Summer in the Highlands of Southwest Virginia. The forests come alive with color from the end of September until the first of November in this beautiful, untouched part of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
From the peak of Mount Rogers to the rolling valleys of the New River valley and every winding trail in between, there’s no better place to experience the Autumn Season than Grayson County, Virginia.
LEAF-PEEPING GUIDE
To The NC Smokies
Some of the best fall experiences can often be found in the heart of charming downtown districts. Haywood County’s five towns of Waynesville, Maggie Valley, Lake Junaluska, Canton, and Clyde offer fun fall time activities and scenery for everyone. Entertainment, delicious restaurants, local shopping, and more can be enjoyed amidst a fantastic fall decor display in each town. And don’t forget to look up—the surrounding beauty of the colorful mountains is the icing on the cake.
DAWSONVILLE, GA
Discover Rich Colors of Fall
Nestled amidst the vibrant foliage of North Georgia, Dawsonville emerges as an outdoor lover’s paradise, beckoning visitors with its captivating beauty and enchanting attractions. As the air turns crisp and leaves transform into a kaleidoscope of colors, this town’s landscape becomes the perfect destination to indulge in the delights of fall.
Charit Creek Lodge and Brimstone
Your Weekend Family Adventure
Editorial & Photos by Bonnie East
If you’ve been looking for a disconnect-from-your-phone but connect-to-the-outdoors adventure, one that can accommodate family members of all ages, whether they’re fear junkies or the chicken-n-dumplins type, whether you want off-the-grid adrenaline boosts, or an amenity-filled, sit under the stars by a campfire kinda night, have I got just the thing!
Grandfather Mountain
Fall Insider Tips
The fall season on Grandfather Mountain (September & October) in Linville, N.C., is certainly a favorite for many as the crisp cooler temperatures usher in a leaf color show that lasts for many weeks. Here are some insider tips for getting the most out of your mile-high excursion to Grandfather.
Banner Elk:
Cool Town for Families This Fall
At an elevation of 3,701 feet in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the resort town of Banner Elk offers lots of family outdoor adventures.
Get a rush at speeds up to 27 mph on Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster, the state’s first and only alpine coaster. Right next door, families can compete to see who will be the first to climb to the top and ring the bell at the Wildness Run Adventure Course.
highlights
special section
EXPLORING THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS
Celebrate Fall with Fun, Festivals, and More in
Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Take your leaf-peeping getaway one step further by stopping in Roanoke and the surrounding areas of Virginia’s Blue Ridge for a host of metro mountain experiences.
Destination Doughton:
Explore the Parkway’s largest recreation area
At 6,300 acres, Doughton Park is the largest recreation area along the Blue Ridge Parkway, giving it the feel of a park within a park. Named for late Parkway supporter and Congressman Robert L. Doughton, it boasts nearly 30 miles of trails, two historical cabins, mountain overlooks, a picnic area, camping, The Bluffs Restaurant, a visitor center, gift shop, educational programs, and more.
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Even as the Parkway is closed to the north to undergo much-needed repaving, visitors can still reach this natural wonderland via a detour along NC 18. With less through traffic, Doughton feels even more like a retreat within the busy national park.
Lush Green Forests and
Shimmering Silvery Waterfalls
in Dahlonega, GA
An hour north of Atlanta, the charming town of Dahlonega Georgia, offers visitors a getaway opportunity full of mountain vistas and outdoor adventure. While the town is perfect for all seasons, fall brings the opportunity to view the peak leaf season in all its colorful glory.
Fall weather is perfect for refreshing outdoor activities in Dahlonega. Adventure lovers will find plenty of natural beaty to explore thanks to Dahlonega’s central location inside the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Coming
Spring 2024
More exciting things to do in the mountains!
Mountain Glory Festival • Cranberry Festival / Shady, Valley, TN
Smoky Mountain Winterfest • Punkin Chunkin Weekend
Blue Ridge Potters 24th Annual Show & Sale
46th Annual Woolly Worm Festival • Dillsboro’s Lights & Luminaries
Heritage Days Festival / Talking Rock, GA • Georgia Marble Festival
Covered Bridge Festival • Brushy Mountain Apple Festival
52nd Virginia Fall Foliage Festival • Art & Craft Show / Waynesboro, NC