Taking its name from the famous 18th-century frontiersman Daniel Boone, this High Country haven in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains is the total package. Its charming downtown is lined with historic country stores, sourdough-slinging bakeries, family-style Southern eateries, and art collectives, while its outskirts boast hiking trails, ski slopes, and riverfront cabin stays.
Whether you’re looking to explore the great outdoors, indulge in delicious local cuisine, or
immerse yourself in the town’s rich history and culture, Boone has something for everyone.
Here’s how to make the most of a weekend in Boone, North Carolina.
Where to Stay in Boone
Located just 15 minutes from downtown Boone, The Mast Farm Inn is a historic, family-run inn and cabins in the peaceful and picturesque mountain valley village of Valle Crucis. Each of its charming, country-style rooms and mix of modern and historic cabins holds some history, from the 1810-built Loom House two-person cabin that served as the original Mast family settlement to the Elizabeth Gray Vining room in the inn whose walls still bear the original pine paneling first put there in 1888. The 17-acre riverfront property features a main garden that sources some of the herbs used in the kitchen at the inn’s Valle Tavern restaurant and bar, a market for cooking meals in your kitchen-clad cabin, a wood-heated Nordic sauna, grazing farm animals, and riverfront and fishing access.
For more of a mountain lodge feel, stay at Graystone Lodge, a 101-room boutique hotel minutes from Boone. It boasts a grand fireplace in the lobby and one-of-a-kind commissioned artwork by local artists throughout. Amenities include a classic High Country breakfast stocked with local specialties like freshly brewed coffee from local roaster Hatchet Coffee, an indoor pool, an outdoor fire pit, a fitness center, and outdoor seating areas for drinking in the fresh mountain air.
Where to Eat in Boone
A staple in Boone for more than 50 years, Dan’l Boone Inn is where you go for a hearty, family-
style Southern meal. Fried chicken, country-style steak, mashed potatoes swimming in gravy,
biscuits, stewed apples, and cut corn are just a few of the things you may find on your dinner
plate at this iconic Boone eatery.
Do as the locals do and stop in Stick Boy Bread Co. for your fix of naturally fermented
sourdough loaves, chocolate torte, cream cheese cinnamon rolls, and delicious frothy
cappuccinos. Located across the street from the entrance to App State, this bustling bakery,
now more than two decades old, is always full of students, tourists, and locals popping in for
something tasty to go.
For craft beers, wood-fired pizza, and a lively atmosphere, head to one of Lost Province Brewing Company’s three locations in Boone. This family-run brewery has a dozen or so craft beers on tap, including their flagship beers like Hipster Juice, a hazy IPA with mango, passion fruit, and pineapple flavors, Kiss My Grits, a crisp, dry lager made with yellow corn grits sourced from Lindley Falls, and What’s Up Bro?, a New England IPA with notes of pineapple and coconut.
What to Do in Boone
Start your tour of downtown Boone with a visit to the Mast General Store, a historic red-brick
building on King St. filled with barrels of vintage candy, old-fashioned toys and games, and
some of the best souvenir stock in Boone from local honey and jams to home goods, apparel,
and outdoor gear.
Other must-visit shops in downtown Boone are Doe Ridge Pottery for
handmade stoneware by Master Potter Bob Meier, Common Good Co for curated goods and
works of art by local and regional artists and craftsmen, and Benchmark Provisions for stocking
up on picnic-ready fare for your hike or outing on Boone’s many trails. If you’re in town on a
Saturday between April and November, visit the Watauga County Farmers’ Market in Boone’s
Town Square, a hodge podge of stands selling everything from freshly baked bread and farm-
grown vegetables to farm-based crafts, fine art, and fresh-cut flowers.
Enjoy the Boone outdoors at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (colloquially known as Cone Park),
a sprawling country estate with hiking and horseback riding trails, two man-made lakes, apple
orchards, and the Parkway Craft Center where handicraft demonstrations are held seasonally.
Or for more of a heart-pumping outdoor adventure, hike up to Grandfather State Park’s highest
peak on the Grandfather Trail, a challenging 2.4-mile trek with rocky cliff sections, chutes,
ladders, and cable crossings. Also don’t miss the park’s Mile High Swinging Bridge, a 228-foot
suspension bridge spanning an 80-foot chasm one mile above the valley floor.
In the wintertime, hit the slopes, go tubing, or ice skate at Beech Mountain Resort, Appalachian
Ski Mountain, or Hawksnest. If downhill adventures aren’t your thing, bundle up and go for a
snow hike or cross-country ski on the Elk Knob Summit Trail, a 4-mile out-and-back trail just a
short drive from Boone known for its snow-coated forest trails and panoramic views, or strap on
some snowshoes for a guided snowshoe tour at Sugar Mountain Resort.
For more ideas on how to spend a long weekend in Boone, North Carolina, check out Explore Boone.
