Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021 - 22
OPENING PAGE:
The rugged upper
reaches of Grandfather
Mountain State Park
make a great pairing
with Blowing Rock
or Banner Elk, North
Carolina. Photo
courtesy VisitNC.com.
VISITNC.COM
JESSICA BOHN BISHOP
I
JOSHUA MOORE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: What's a visit
to Asheville, North Carolina without a stop at
the Biltmore Estate?
Smith Mountain Lake State Park, near
outdoors-minded Roanoke, Virginia, offers a
beach looking onto 20,000 acres of water.
Roan Mountain State Park's great elevations
are a nice match with the lures of Johnson
City, Tennessee.
22 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
n online voting that took place earlier
this year, our readers have selected
a set of great town/park visits in three
categories based first on town or city
size:
* Population of 50,000 and above.
* Population of 10,000-49,999.
* Population of under 10,000.
Paired with each town/city nominee
was a state park within about 25 miles.
The result: Our 2021 Top Town/Park
Pairs!
POPULATION 50,000-PLUS: THE TOP 4
1. Asheville, North Carolina/Mount
Mitchell State Park
The city: Discover the River Arts District
of historic buildings where over 250 artists
express their creativity via a vast array
of media. Take the self-guided Urban
Trail to learn of the city's literary legends.
Then, spend the day at the site of the nation's
first managed forest-Biltmore Estate.
The 8,000 acres of formal and informal
gardens can be explored on 20+ miles
of trails through forests, meadows and
along the French Broad River.
The park: Gaze across one of the planet's
oldest mountain chains at the highest
peak east of the Mississippi (6,684 feet).
From an easily accessed viewing platform
at the summit, witness spruce fir forests
and hike easy to strenuous trails for an upclose
experience with the wilderness. Stop
by the museum and education buildings
to learn of the rich diversity of flora and
fauna in the park.
2. Roanoke, Virginia/Smith Mountain
Lake State Park.
The city: Begin your urban exploration
at the City Market in the historic district
where local farmers, gardeners and crafters
have gathered since 1882. Choose
http://www.VisitNC.com
http://www.VISITNC.COM
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country July/August 2021
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