Come experience it for yourself by visiting Banner Elk! I can’t wait to show you why Banner Elk is the best-kept secret in the High Country. This hidden treasure has something for everyone, from beautiful vistas to adrenaline thrills.
Enjoy the outdoors and the panoramic beauty. The High Country has outstanding trail networks for biking, hiking, and equestrian riding, so you’ll never be bored. In addition, Banner Elk has some of the top Appalachian Trail festivals in the nation. Whatever your interests are, Banner Elk has something for you.
Visiting other places in North Carolina? Check out our other tasty guides:
- 7 Best Restaurants In Banner Elk, NC
- 13 Must-Try Restaurants in Mooresville, NC
- 11 Must-Try Restaurants in Manteo, North Carolina
- 8 Must-Try Boone NC Restaurants
- 13 Best Restaurants in Lexington, North Carolina
Contents
6 Top Things to Do in Banner Elk, North Carolina
State Park Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain, a Blue Ridge Parkway state park, is located near Banner Elk. A journey to Banner Elk is full of natural beauty, whether you’re hiking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail or the Oconaluftee River Trail, trekking along the Appalachian Trail, or soaking in the breathtaking vistas on Cliffside Trail. Bring your camera since the 2,456-acre backcountry of the mountains offers stunning vistas and wildlife viewing.
Grandfather Mountain State Park is in North Carolina, near Banner Elk. The State Park is noted for some of the most severe weather and difficult terrain in the South, with routes that require hikers to scramble along cliffs and up ladders.
Grandfather Mountain has two hiking paths that go to the top. The Devils Courthouse trek is 3.5 miles round way and includes several viewpoints and rock scrambles. The Virginia Ridge Trail is six miles round trip with a steep rise of 1,590 feet from the parkway’s slope level at mile marker 17 to its top.
Hikers, campers, and families may enjoy a range of outdoor activities on the trails and woodlands that surround the banks of the North Toe River near Banner Elk, North Carolina. The Profile Park Ranger Station is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through late October or early November (depending on snowfall).
Dining and housing are nearby, as are boat rentals on the North Toe River and home-style cuisine at the Smoky Mountain Diner, which is only a few miles down the road.
Banner Elk, North Carolina’s Sugar Mountain Resort
+1 828-898-45211009 Dr. Sugar Mountain
Sugar Mountain is North Carolina’s biggest ski resort and one of the largest in the Eastern United States. With over 33 courses, six snowboarding and tubing parks, four terrain parks, 10 lifts (including a high-speed quad), and ten action-packed resorts strewn across the slopes, there is something for everyone at this Banner Elk locale. One of the best things to do in Banner Elk, North Carolina!
This is a lovely small town with enough to do. Many visitors come during the autumn color season because it is a beautiful time of year to trek on paths in the woods and enjoy vistas from Grandfather Mountain. There are rock shelters to explore, 360-degree vistas, and waterfalls, including Linville Falls at Grandfather Mountain off the Parkway. Enjoy!
Sugar Mountain Resort is North Carolina’s leading skiing and snowboarding destination, with the highest base elevation in the state and a diverse mix of slopes and terrain. Our five mountains’ thousands of acres of skiable terrain cater to skiers and riders of all ages and abilities, from beginners to specialists.
Sugar Mountain Resort is noted for its distinct feel, which celebrates the informal and irreverent attitude of neighboring Boone while simultaneously presenting itself as a great winter retreat for families. In reality, the resort was founded in 1954 as the Banner Elks community leisure facility. It’s now half ski resort, part entertainment complex, with an ice skating rink and snow tubing park outside, a live music theater, and even an arcade and bar.
Falls on the Elk River
+1 828-733-9573 Falls on the Elk River Road. Elk River
Do you want to know what to do in Banner Elk? Shopping, winter and summer sports activities, historic sites, museums, great restaurants, vineyards, entertainment, and more are all available in Banner Elk. Elk River Falls is a popular destination for individuals who like the great outdoors and breathtaking sights. This spectacular waterfall, located in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, is accessible from Interstate 40 at Exit 103 – Highway 105 and may be viewed from Highway 105 around mile marker 156.
The falls are one of the area’s most beautiful and spectacular waterfalls. In truth, this waterfall between the prominent tourist towns of Beech Mountain and Banner Elk was once known as Big Falls and is still labeled as such on many topographic maps of the region.
The Larry Waterfalls is the area’s greatest waterfall and a favorite site for swimming, wading, sunbathing, and resting among the rocks that border its lovely bottom. It’s also a popular cliff jumping location, so be cautious! Don’t forget to spend a few moments to look around; the views from the top of Larry will steal your breath away.
The falls are as beautiful as the town itself. If you want to cool down, the route heading out to the falls is a terrific option. It’s just a five-minute stroll through woodland and meadow to the falls, which are surrounded by large trees and undergrowth and give welcome respite from the sun’s beams throughout the summer.
The Alpine Coaster Wilderness Run
828-898-78663265 Tynecastle Highway
The Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster is the state’s first alpine roller coaster. This exhilarating outdoor experience in Banner Elk is based on iconic European coasters and was developed by Germany’s premier alpine coaster business, Mack Rides. With three circular loops, a sequence of waves, and various twists and turns that will keep you on the tip of your seat, the alpine coaster track features 3,160 feet of pure excitement.
Riders will maneuver the circuit in individual carts that may seat up to two people. Each ride starts with a 770-foot cable-pulled rise to the summit. The alpine coaster now resembles a roller coaster since the rest of the downhill track is gravity-fed, with the rider clutching two brake grips. Riders may use as little or as much brakes as they like, but what happens when speeds surpass 42 miles per hour? There’s just one way to find out… take a seat on this exciting adventure in Banner Elk.
Banner Elk Vineyards
+1 828-898-9090 60 Banner Elk, Deer Run
Welcome to the fascinating world of wine tasting! Avery County’s first commercial winery is the Banner Elk Winery. They provide wine-tasting events and nightly wine tastings where you may buy bottles to enjoy at home, in addition to a fantastic assortment of wines.
Wolfe Creek Vineyard is situated in the town of Banner Elk, North Carolina. The goal is to develop French hybrid types as well as other kinds that meet the demands of both the winemaker and the customer. Dick Wolfe, the winemaker, creates a range of wines from grapes produced on the site as well as fruit purchased from other area vineyards. The Marechal Foch is produced from French-American hybrid grapes, resulting in a red wine with powerful tastes and color.
Banner Elk is located in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where outstanding wines are created. The temperature and soil provide an ideal setting for grape growth, resulting in superb award-winning wines. The view matches that of Napa Valley, but at a fraction of the cost. Take a walk around our charming downtown, explore the art galleries and stores, or go for a trek in the woods or along footpaths. In Banner Elk, there is always something to do.
Banner Elk Vineyards makes two distinct speciality wines. Its blueberry wine pays homage to the property’s old blueberry farm and is made from berries cultivated on remaining bushes. Ice wine is a unique type prepared from high-elevation grapes that have been kept on the vine until the first frost. One of the most delicious things to do in Banner Elk, NC!
Club Beech Mountain
Beech Mountain, NC +1 828-387-4208103 Lakeledge Rd
Beech Mountain Club, located between Banner Elk and Boone, North Carolina, is a great Eastern resort with two summits providing 17 routes on 95 skiable acres. Beech Mountain features terrain for skiers and riders of all abilities, with the highest peak height in the Eastern United States at 5,506 feet.
Depending on the weather, the ski school provides programs for people of all ages, young and elderly. One of the finest ways to make your day on the slopes pleasurable and memorable is to provide lessons from top-rated instructors. The Burton Learn-to-Ride Center welcomes youngsters aged three and up with a specialized section that features a milder terrain park intended exclusively for first-time snowboarders.
Skiers and snowboarders of all levels may find something to their liking at Beech Mountain Resort near Banner Elk. Beginners may enjoy broad groomed routes, gorgeous vistas, and ample places to develop new skills on the lower mountain. When you progress to the top mountain, you may select among chutes and steeps, or continue to the Oz Run for a well-known back-breaking route that overlooks the valley below.
The Beech Mountain Resort offers a variety of enjoyable activities all year. Shopping, meandering through the stores of the alpine town, visiting the craft brewery, ice skating, or snow tubing are all things to do in Banner Elk, NC. Hiking trails may be accessible from any of three major parking lots; a zip line connecting path connects one lot to the next.
Conclusion
Banner Elk is a four-season destination, which means you can visit at any time of year and enjoy a variety of activities all day.
as many videos as you can. Additionally, pack a few extra dollars than your original budget since some of the things in Banner Elk will throw you off your plan, which means that if you planned to visit or travel to a certain spot, you will discover many other attractions that will catch your interest on your trip. At Banner Elk, there is never a shortage of things to do. It is critical to carry a good camera so that you may snap as many images as possible.