The Blue Ridge runs from northern Virginia through the Carolinas into north Georgia. Pick a region below to see what is there, then find a rental close by.
Walkable main streets with shops, restaurants and galleries make a good rest-day option. Each town has its own character.
Roanoke, VA · Roanoke and Southwest Virginia
A large lighted star on Mill Mountain above Roanoke that can be seen from much of the valley. The park around it has an overlook with views of the city. The star is lit every night.
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Floyd, VA · Roanoke and Southwest Virginia
A small-town store in Floyd that hosts old-time and bluegrass music, with dancing at the Friday Night Jamboree. Part of Virginia's Crooked Road heritage music trail.
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Abingdon, VA · Roanoke and Southwest Virginia
A historic town with a walkable Main Street, shops and restaurants, and the Barter Theatre. It is also where the Virginia Creeper Trail begins. Contact details here are for the visitor center.
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Blowing Rock, NC · NC High Country
A rock outcrop high above the Johns River gorge, known for a local legend and wide valley views. It sits just outside the town of Blowing Rock, which has shops and restaurants on its main street.
Boone, NC · NC High Country
A college town with a walkable downtown of shops, restaurants and breweries. It is a handy base for the rest of the High Country. Contact details here are for the visitor center.
Valle Crucis, NC · NC High Country
A quiet valley community known for the original Mast General Store, which has operated for more than a century. Nearby are farms, galleries and a creek-side setting.
Banner Elk, NC · NC High Country
A small mountain town with restaurants, shops and a college, close to several ski areas. It hosts the Woolly Worm Festival every October, where racing caterpillars supposedly predict winter weather.
Asheville, NC · Asheville and Southern NC Mountains
A walkable downtown of galleries, shops, breweries and restaurants, with live music most nights. The River Arts District has working artist studios. Contact details here are for the Asheville Visitor Center.
No rentals here yet.
Highlands, NC · Asheville and Southern NC Mountains
Two plateau towns in the southern mountains known for waterfalls, upscale shops and cool summers. Whitewater Falls, one of the taller waterfalls in the East, is reached by a short paved path from a parking area.
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Brevard, NC · Asheville and Southern NC Mountains
Brevard is a small town at the edge of Pisgah National Forest, known for its many waterfalls, including Looking Glass Falls beside the road. The downtown has shops and restaurants, and the visitor center can point you to the falls.
No rentals here yet.
Gatlinburg, TN · Great Smoky Mountains
A busy tourist town at the main entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with shops, restaurants and attractions along its main street. It is a short drive from many trailheads. Contact details here are for the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
No rentals here yet.
Townsend, TN · Great Smoky Mountains
A quiet town on the Tennessee side of the Smokies, near the Little River and an entrance to the national park. It is a good starting point for Cades Cove. Contact details here are for the visitor center.
No rentals here yet.
Cherokee, NC · Great Smoky Mountains
The town at the heart of the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, at the North Carolina entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center and a pioneer farmstead are just north of town. Address shown is the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.
No rentals here yet.
Ellijay, GA · North Georgia Mountains
A small town in Gilmer County that calls itself the apple capital of Georgia, with orchards and apple houses along the roads outside town. The Georgia Apple Festival is held here each fall. The county chamber runs a welcome center downtown.
No rentals here yet.
Helen, GA · North Georgia Mountains
A village styled after a Bavarian town, with shops, restaurants and tubing on the Chattahoochee River in summer. It holds an Oktoberfest each fall. Contact details here are for the Helen Welcome Center.
No rentals here yet.
Dahlonega, GA · North Georgia Mountains
A town built around a historic square, site of the nation's first major gold rush in the 1820s. Nearby vineyards have tasting rooms, and the town has shops and restaurants. Contact details here are for the visitor center.
No rentals here yet.