Adventure and Nature Await in Boone, NC!

Inside: Check out our trip to Boone, NC, and plan your own. Find things to do, where to stay, and even where to eat in Boone.

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Thank you to Explore Boone, who hosted us for this amazing trip.

Boone, NC is under three hours from the Upstate but feels a world away. With soaring mountains, old school attractions, and cooler temperatures, Boone is a beautiful spot to enjoy a fun-filled weekend or longer vacation. There are just so many things to do in the High Country and we spent a packed few days here in order to tell you all about it. For reference, the ages of my kids on the trip were 11 and 14.

Where to Play 

There is no shortage of fun things to do in Boone, NC! Here’s what we did and how to plan your own adventures. 

Mystery Hill

You haven’t seen weird until you’ve been to Mystery Hill. It’s weird but also crazy fun and was one the more unique things we’ve ever done. So the place is a museum and entertainment venue that literally has everything from mechanical bull riding to a bubble room to a museum of Native American arrowheads to a bizarre vortex room.

If you ask my kids their favorite part about Mystery Hill, it was for sure the vortex room, where you could literally lean forward and not fall over, and the axe-throwing. Plan to spend at least a couple hours here. You can purchase tickets for individual attractions or just get one pass that covers everything, which we recommend. 

129 Mystery Hill Lane, Blowing Rock, NC

Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost Train

We were able to experience Tweetsie Railroad’s Ghost Train and it exceeded all our expectations! The train is totally decked out to look like a skeleton that breathes smoke and guests get to ride through darkness in the mountains as they search for missing college students. The ride is a little over 20 minutes and includes somewhat scary zombies on the train and lots of action-packed stops to see fireballs and a staged gun fight.

The rest of the park has trick-or-treating, carnival rides, haunted houses, and awesome spooky dance parties. When we went, there were a lot of families and everything is not completely terrifying so most kids will enjoy it. Read our entire review here.

300 Tweetsie Railroad Ln, Blowing Rock, NC

Hawksnest Ziplining

This was one of our favorite adventures in Boone since you get to fly amongst the trees and mountains, over creeks, and walk on swinging bridges. We did the Hawk Tour, which included 11 ziplines and took about 1.5 hours. Our guides, Carson and Sky, were fantastic and made us feel safe and excited to fly on those lines!

The scenery here is unreal and we could not have loved the views and experience any more. In the winter, they have snow tubing runs – four of them in fact. We haven’t done snow tubing there but after this experience, it’s something we are going to try to get up there to cover over the winter because it looks super fun!

2058 Skyland Dr, Seven Devils, NC

Get Outside

Boone is the perfect basecamp for all your outdoor adventures! Here are a few of our favorite trails nearby:

Crab Orchard Falls

This beautiful waterfall has a small swimming hole and lots of rocks to hang out on and enjoy a picnic. Plus, the drive there is incredibly beautiful. You can hike the new trail (1.3 mile lollipop loop) or the old trail (1 mile out and back). Both are of moderate difficulty as they involve some inclines. 

146 Skiles Way, Banner Elk, NC

Rough Ridge

This short hike, under a mile roundtrip, is probably in our top three hikes in Western NC and the Upstate of South Carolina. It is that beautiful. But you need to go early during leaf season (like before 8 am) because it gets very crowded. 

 3218 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Linville, NC

Grandfather Mountain 

The Grandfather Mountain Trail is my favorite hike of all time yet I question my life’s decisions every time I go. It’s not for beginners or the faint of heart since you’ll be scaling the side of a mountain on a ladder. My kids love it but they are experienced hikers. Grandfather Mountain is also home to an incredible nature center and the Mile High Bridge so certainly worth it to visit even if you don’t hike the tough trails. 

Read our Grandfather Mountain review here.

Flat Top Trail 

This trail at Moses Cone Manor takes you through the woods and up a beautiful open field to a firetower with 360-degree views of the mountains. It’s about 4 miles roundtrip and easy to moderate. 

Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 294, Blowing Rock, NC

Bass Lake

For an easy one mile loop, take the walk around Bass Lake. It’s very pretty and an easy walk. 

1 Bass Lake Dr, Blowing Rock, NC

Explore Boone has a great list of other trails in the area so be sure to check that out if you want to enjoy local hikes.

Where to Shop & Stroll

Downtown Boone

There are so many fun shops and restaurants in downtown Boone that it’s hard to just go once (we went a few times during our visit!). We found some super cute clothes at Anna Banana’s thrift store and loved a festival that we happened to stumble upon while there that featured tons of local artists. The art scene is strong in Boone. There are paid public parking lots in downtown Boone plus street parking with meters.

Original Mast General Store

Did you know you can visit the original Mast General store in Valle Crucis, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Boone? It’s a super cute shop with its trademark creaking floors and candy barrels. The annex down the street has clothing and an ice cream shop. 

565 Hwy 194 S, 3565 Broadstone Road, Sugar Grove, NC

Where to Eat in Boone, NC

I wish we could have tried more places to eat because literally everywhere we went was fantastic. The variety of food and the creativity of the menus are suited to match any taste and preference. Here’s where we went:

Fizz Ed 

We loved Fizz Ed with its eclectic decor and amazing food. They try to make your dining experience fun – think a little sparkle magic with your kid’s fizzy drink – welcoming, and delicious. Amy, the owner who has lived in the area since she was a teenager, is so kind and thoughtful. It was easy to see how much she loves running the restaurant and creating a meal that people will not only truly enjoy but also come back for.

We had hand-breaded chicken tenders, beet hummus, a falafel and cucumber naan wrap, mac and cheese, and my favorite – homemade potato chips. I could have eaten the potato chips alone for the entire meal because they were that good. 

260 Howard Street, Boone, NC 

Troy’s 105 Diner

When my daughters and I talked about our favorite meals in Boone, Troy’s took the top pick. I’m still thinking about my Patty Melt days later, and my daughter’s French Toast was huge and delicious. The 1950s-style diner has literally something for everyone, so be sure to make this a stop on your trip. 

1286 NC-105, Boone, NC

Stick Boy Kitchen

With coffee, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and bagels, Stick Boy Kitchen is a great stop for breakfast, especially if you need items on the go so you can get started on your adventures for the day. My girls loved their bagel sandwiches!

211 Boone Heights Dr, Boone

Wild Craft Eatery

Located right in downtown Boone, Wild Craft Eatery focuses on local, organic ingredients. We had their Havana Plate with chicken, rice, plantains and a delicious sauce that I still don’t know what it was and their Cuban Beans & Rice dish. Both were so flavorful. I also got one of their speciality mocktails with pineapple juice, ginger, and green tea. It was refreshing and a delightful combination of flavors that I had never had before but that worked out perfectly!

506 W King St, Boone, NC

Dan’l Boone Inn 

An old school tavern complete with servers dressed in Daniel Boone-era outfits, the restaurant is a family-style spot that serves up fried chicken, hamburger steak, stewed apples, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, biscuits, salad, and dessert. You pay one price per person ($24.95/adults and less for kids depending on their ages). We loved the family style service since you don’t need to order anything and the food is great!

130 Hardin Street, Boone, NC 

Appalachian Cookie Company

They make their cookies to order and have a big selection of both classic and creative cookies. Think Chocolate Chip cookies plus Cookie Butter or Nutella. The cookies are huge and you’ll walk out of there thinking about when you can go back. If you don’t have an extra 20 minutes to wait for them to bake it, they may have some cookies already in the warmer you can get immediately so just ask. 

1087 W King St, Boone, NC

Melanie’s Food Fantasy

We went here for brunch and everything was delicious and filling. Their cappuccino earned the spot on my list for the best coffee I had in Boone. One of my daughters got their Bacon Avocado Eggs Benedict, which looked like art on a plate and was amazingly good. 

173 Howard St, Boone, NC

Where to Stay in Boone

We stayed at Rhodes Motor Lodge just a couple miles from downtown Boone. It is so adorable and comfortable and we could park right outside our room, which made the trek with our stuff super easy. The decor is like a 1970s adventure lodge, minimal furniture with concrete, shiny flooring, extra blankets, and earth tones with soft lighting. I loved it. 

We had a balcony that overlooked the courtyard and had mountain views. It was beautiful! And the location is ideal – it’s close to shopping, restaurants, and grocery stores. Rhodes Motor Lodge also has free coffee and cider, which I made use of in the morning and sat outside with my daughter by the fire. It was relaxing and oh-so-enjoyable. 

1377 Blowing Rock Road, Boone, NC

For even more things to do and see in Boone, NC, visit Explore Boone’s website. They have a great blog and wonderful ideas of even more fun to be had there!

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