These beautiful hikes vary from 1 to 10 miles.
- Seats Road loop – Start at the cabin and take a 3 mile loop along the New River, up a hill, and back along the river. A nice beginner’s hike.
- Elk Knob – A 25 minute scenic drive takes you to Elk Knob State Park.
- Mount Jefferson – A 25 min drive takes you to Mt. Jefferson State Natural Area
- Cascades Trail (Blue Ridge Parkway) – A scenic 20 minute drive takes you to the Blue Ridge Parkway and our closest waterfall.
- Profile Trail (Grandfather Mountain) – A 45 minute drive toward Boone will take you to an invigorating 6 mile round trip to some of the best views in the high country.
- Moses Cone Park Carriage Trails – A 35 minute drive takes you to Bass Lake, with several easy trails along the old carriage roads of the Cone estate.
- Grayson Highlands – Head almost due north for 55 minutes and you will be at one of our favorite places. Waterfalls, wild ponies, Mount Rogers, the Appalachian Trail, and more.
- Glen Burnie (Blowing Rock) – A 35 minute drive to downtown Blowing Rock and you are ready to see several waterfalls.
- Linville Falls – In about an hour you can be ready to see one of the largest and most famous waterfalls in the area.
We have some mountain bikes and road bikes for our guest’s use. Or bring your own.
- Todd to Fleetwood – Start at the cabin and ride along the New River in either direction. Downstream six miles to Fleetwood or upstream four miles to Historic Todd. A round trip is a flat and scenic twenty miles.
- Cove Creek School – Drive past Boone to Sugar Grove and the quaint Cove Creek School (about 40 minutes). Start there for a gradual uphill slope 7.5 mile ride to Trade, Tennessee. Coming back the same way you can coast for miles. Beautiful rural scenery.
- Blue Ridge Parkway – If you are a more serious cycler, you can start at the cabin pedal to and along the Blue ridge Parkway for a great 25 mile loop. Ask Tom for details.
- Virginia Creeper Trail – A 50 minute drive through the countryside takes you to Whitetop, NC. This is mile 34 of the famous Virginia Creeper bicycle trail. Not to be missed!
Kayaks for available for a relaxing or invigorating trip down the New River. $60 fee to shuttle two boats for a one to three hour trip.
- New River – There are multitudes of other different float and paddles – from one to 25 miles. Many can start or finish in our back yard.
- Watauga River – A 40 minute drive to lovely Valle Crucis sets you up for an eight mile paddle down the Watauga river to Sugar Grove. We have the boats, but you will have to arrange the transportation for this one.
The New River and nearby streams are very popular with local and visiting fishermen. River Girl in Todd gives fly fishing lessons and is an excellent resource for this activity.
All of these ski resorts are within a hour’s drive of the cabin. It’s not the Rocky Mountains, but it is still a lot of fun.
- Appalachian Ski Mountain
- Beech Mountain
- Sugar Mountain
- Hawk’s Nest (tubing)
Ashe County is one of the largest producers of Christmas trees in the U.S. Many families have a tradition of driving up and cutting their own tree. There are several tree farms within a few miles of us.
- Boone – (15 minutes) is a college town, with King Street being the main drag. There are lots of restaurants and quaint shops — and of course the iconic Mast General Store.
- Blowing Rock – Another 20 minutes past Boone and you are in the town of Blowing Rock. More upscale that Boone, it still has something for everyone. A Tangiers Outlets is nearby.
- Valle Crucis – Home of the original Mast General Store. A beautiful setting. A Very popular high country destination.
- West Jefferson – A 25 minute drive will take you to North Carolina’s only cheese factory. A nice downtown, with lots of non touristy stores.
This list will grow as our guests give us their feedback. We have enjoyed these restaurants:
- Boone – Hob Nob Farm, Vidalia, The Mint (Indian), Proper.
- West Jefferson – Smokey Mountain Barbeque.
- Blowing Rock – The Gamekeeper (wild game for real meat lovers), Gideon Inn.
- Near the Creeper Trail – Harvest Table (owned by author/farmer Barbara Kingsolver).
Just drive up Idlewild Road for 15 minutes. Then get on the Blue Ridge Parkway and drive north or south to your heart’s desire.
Sit on the cabin front porch, or back porch, or a chair right on the river. Need we say more?
