Hikes
Flat Top Tower, Moses Cone Carriage Trails
MacCrae Peak, Grandfather Mountain
Tanawha Trail, 13.5 miles
Culture/Recreation
Ben Long’s Ashe County Frescoes, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in West Jefferson, the churches are open 24 hours a day for meditation
App State Football
Rock Dimensions, rock climbing in Pisgah National Forest
Tweetsie’s 4th of July Fireworks, watch for free from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Educational
Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, including the Viaduct
Visit the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, enjoy a bottled drink on the back porch
In the know
Identify Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel, taste Sourwood honey, and find out what rime ice and ramps are.
North Carolina has more than 60 species of salamanders, more than any other state. Catch a salamander. Learn what a hellbender is.
Best place to camp
Camp at Julian Price Campground
