14 Prettiest Towns In the Appalachians
Are you hiking the Appalachian Trail or taking the Blue Ridge Parkway on a scenic drive of a lifetime? These Appalachian gems within the creases are the prettiest towns around. Spread across 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, it is time to stop, shop, swoon, and kick back at the views of the Appalachians in local hospitality!
The time for skiing is around the corner, so why not head to one of these charming towns for some seriously pretty views? You can return for summertime recreation at Fontana Lake in Bryson City or Lake Hartwell in Clemson.
Abingdon, Virginia
A mecca for arts and culture, Abingdon is undeniably a pretty town with decorated streets, festivities, and a historic downtown area. The brick sidewalks along its 20-block historic district take you through two centuries of architectural marvels, while the professional Barter Theatre is one of the US's oldest from 1933! It now welcomes over 160,000 annual visitors for unique and outstanding comedy, drama, musicals, and new Appalachian plays, with a share of world-class museums, galleries, and various working artist studios. There is also the Arts Depot for visual arts, and more eye candy at the William King Museum of Art and Holston Mountain Artisans.
Without a doubt, Abingdon's most popular natural attraction is the Virginia Creeper Trail, named after a former steam engine train. You can wander along the route established in 1987 of an old railroad bed for 34 miles that begins here at Mile 0. The town excels in farm-fresh dining and unique shopping scenes like Siegner's LTD, Market on Main, and The Gallery at Barr Photographics. One of the oldest, The Tavern, stands out among classic small-town American storefronts, art galleries, and a thriving farmer's market, while the favorite Wolf Hills Coffee is just off Main!
Banner Elk, North Carolina
Just 20 miles away from Boone and Blowing Rock, this quaint town of about 1,000 residents is a hub for shopping, impressive buildings, and independent restaurants centered around the clock tower. Banner Elk is also home to the beautiful, historic, and highest on the east coast Lees-McRae College campus at 4,000 feet. The town is also close to the popular Mile High Swinging Bridge. One of Banner Elk's most famous attractions is a natural one—fun for the whole family! The Greenway begins just across the street from the Flat Top Brewing Company, splices Tate-Evans Park, and winds along the Mill Pond for an easy-going stroll around some really pretty features. There are more excellent hiking trails like Otter Falls and fishing ops at Grandfather Mountain State Park, with great skiing at Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain.
Home to the celebrated Banner Elk Winery, the rugged mountain landscape, climate, and soil are just right for producing its new French-American varieties of grapes. The ready-made wines have nationwide followers and surprise new visitors with delicate nuance and subtle flavors over year-round tastings! Just in time for harvest, the fall foliage is fantastic to experience here at the picturesque Grandfather Vineyard & Winery on a mountainside, over dry white and red wines. There is no better craft than at Kettell Beerworks and Beech Mountain Brewing Company, while the former home of an original settler, Samuel Henry Banner, is now the Banner House Museum, depicting 19th-century NC life!
Berea, Kentucky
This scenic town, anchored by the college square and Berea College from 1855, hosts a lively student life that fills the streets with arts and crafts. From the welcoming Kentucky Guild of Artists to the Craftsmen Galleries, the Artisan Village is a one-stop shop for all, with alluring studios, handmade jewelry, fabric stores, galleries, unique boutiques, and gift shops. With places like Berea College Student Crafts and fair trade handmade products at Berea College Farm Store, you can stock up on beautiful pieces or give them a go at the annual Make It, Take It, Give It! The Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky, the "old town," Berea graces the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains within deep-forested surroundings!
The popular Pinnacles hike through the Berea College Forest, the state's biggest privately managed forest, is recognized by Outside magazine for its beautiful views and proximity to local attractions. Daniel Boone National Forest, John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest, and Anglin Falls are nearby and come in close second with a beautiful cascade. The Kentucky Artisan Center hosts exhibits, displays, events, and demonstrations in a really special atmosphere that captures both the state's creativity and hospitality. From fudge to boutique shops at the White Stitch, Chestnut Street features a sculpture park, Chestnut St. Mini Mall, and Something Old Antique Shop.
Black Mountain, North Carolina
This charming town, voted "America's prettiest," graces the front porch of the Blue Ridge Mountains, some 25 minutes from Asheville. Its lively downtown is rave-worthy, with cozy bistros and pretty galleries to prowl through arts, crafts, and delicious food at an elevation of 2,405 feet! Named after the mountain range at the doorstep, there are sweeping vistas, with adventures for every taste! From awe-inspiring hiking to thrilling mountain bike trails, the towering Black Mountain views follow you downtown, with brick buildings and rustic charm.
The classic small mountain town is perfect for a quaint and relaxed getaway, with popular outdoor spots like Lake Tomahawk and Catawba Falls to enjoy recreation over the Blue Ridge views. Once home to Black Mountain College, the most respected and innovative experimental art college in the US during the mid-20th century, the town attracted pioneers from the world of art, painting, music, poetry, and architectural design. The town square remains a playground for the cultured, with multiple galleries featuring the region’s best southern Appalachian works.
Boone, North Carolina
This western North Carolina college gem rests against the Blue Ridge Parkway, with Grandfather Mountain views downtown and the most popular Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park just outside town. A real hub for the outdoorsy, there the historic Daniel Boone Park for hiking, while the Hickory Ridge Living History Museum will get you acquainted with Boone's illustrious past. Despite its large university fame, Boone preserves a wholesome atmosphere catering to tourists and its student culture with an array of delicious restaurants and local shops.
Families adore the Tweetsie Railroad, ziplining, and Linville Caverns, while wildflowers adorn Boone along the slopes during the serene summer days! Alongside modern attractions downtown, tucked right up to the historic Appalachian State University, athletic buildings and older churches induce a bout of nostalgia. South Fork New River is great for whitewater rafting, while the mountainous region is not without skiing nor a good dose of wineries either, and you can always explore outwards along the Parkway on a scenic drive!
Bryson City, North Carolina
Bryson City nestles peacefully against the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with a dose of lively shopping, dining, and viewing! An hour west of Asheville, the historic city keeps you browsing through fantastic antique collections in bookstores, specialty shops, and cafes like the most popular Pasqualino's Italian Restaurant. Just a hop to the outdoors, there's the beautiful Cherokee Indian Reservation and summers along the Nantahala River for rafting and kayaking. With creeks for tubing and the unreplicable Fontana Lake for boating and angling, there's also mountain biking on the famous Tsali trails.
Just three hours north of Atlanta, Bryson City lays out the best Smoky Mountains experiences, like the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad as well as Clingmans Dome. The liveliness never dies down, with skiing and a real celebratory atmosphere in town amid the powder-covered mountain tops. From the ample springtime streams for world-class trout to horseback-riding trails and chasing full-fledged waterfalls, the scenic railroad excursions are spectacular in every season!
Clemson, South Carolina
Life undeniably revolves around the red, stately college in this pretty South Carolina town, first called Calhoun after John Ewing Calhoun, whose first cousin, John C. Calhoun, was the vice president of the United States. Dating back to the late 18th century, the agricultural college eventually became the nation-famous Clemson University, the state's second-largest university! Clemson is popular among historians and architecture fans, with sites like Fort Hill Plantation and John Calhoun's historic home on the Clemson Campus. Primed in the northwest corner of South Carolina, the town between Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell is pretty year-round in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The picture-perfect town with southern hospitality and historical charm is serene in the summer. From waterfalls to hikes and waterside recreation, you can enjoy leisurely strolls and mountain views over relaxing picnics along the lake's shores. Couples adore the iconic South Carolina Botanical Garden for strolls among families and solitude-seekers. From golf with water views to museums and a number of stadiums for sports and college games, the lively campus is a must-see with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains!
Ellijay, Georgia
Just imagine the prettiness of the apple blossoms in town, nationally recognized as the apple capital of Georgia! The fresh fruit and sweet baked apple pies make Ellijay the sweetest place to visit, and the phantom scent will follow you long after. Families adore Ellijay for epic apple picking during late summer and fall harvests, with other trees turning colors and apple orchards opening doors for celebration over cider. The small Blue Ridge town with a cute name in Northern Georgia is a nature lover playground, like Ellijay River, perfect for waterside recreation like strolls, picnics, and tubing.
Among year-round entertainment and outdoor festivals, the annual Georgia Apple Festival since 1971 is full of family fun amid live music, crafts fairs, and a parade, just in time for foliage hikes and casting a line into some of the best trout waters in the Southeast! With trails into the Appalachian Mountains for hiking and biking, Amicalola waterfall is the tallest cascade in the southeast, while farms and wineries are not far behind the apple orchards in their own generous products and views to unwind in your favorite way.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Nicknamed "the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains," Gatlinburg is an illustrious mountainous resort town in eastern Tennessee. In 1856, Radford Gatlin chose a great spot for his store right up against what would become the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the first post office, which established this town on the map. The town between the disparate ranges of Cove Mountain, Grapeyard Ridge, Sugarland Mountain, and Big Ridge Mountain continues to grow as a major tourist destination for hikes, backpacking, and camping through the park to the famous Gatlinburg Trail.
No wonder it is the favorite place to get away from the city or get lost in nature, while families enjoy bonding along nature trails to panoramic views and overlooks throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg is home to the unmissable Pedestrian SkyBridge, the longest in North America, for breath-taking strolls and photoshoots. You can book a tour of the Space Needle observation tower with breathtaking vistas or the Sky Lift, an aerial cable car with sweeping mountains in their hazy glory.
Harper's Ferry, West Virginia
This town on the Potomac River, where the end of slavery dramatically occurred, is an illustrious piece of history! Attracting millions with scenic bridges and spectacular sunsets, Harper's Ferry's self-proclaimed moniker of "Almost Heaven" could not be more subtle! The quaint 19th-century town, with under 300 residents and designated a National Historic District, is an architectural paradise. Its European feel along the winding streets with vintage buildings and colorful rooftops rewinds two centuries as a former transportation hub, strategic during the Civil War, and thriving in the water power industry.
The Harpers Ferry National Historic Park depicts the town's prosperous past through many tourist attractions like museums, events, and tours, each offering a diverse perspective. Nature is a given here at the park, with vintage architecture blending into the rustic outdoors amid modern attractions, while the Appalachian Trail courses through town, with its midpoint right here, in between Georgia and Maine. You can learn how John Brown's raid—the man "willing to die to end slavery"—on Harpers Ferry raised public awareness about slavery, triggering the Civil War just a few months later!
Hendersonville, North Carolina
This Blue Ridge town on the major highways converging here in the Appalachians is hard to miss! Just a little sleepier than its northern neighbor, Asheville, Hendersonville is a tiny pulsating star—a little bit warmer and sweeter with family-friendly vibes. Offering the best of both worlds, the pretty downtown hosts local bakeries and shops just as sought-after as its world-class restaurants! With regular events and year-round outdoor activities, you can enjoy the vibrant atmosphere against the spectacular slopes, whether foliage-covered or in a spectacular blanket.
Hendersonville welcomes flocks of visitors to unwind with breweries, restaurants, wineries, and apple orchards in every season. The historic downtown has a magnetic pull that will keep you coming back, with many unique places like The Book & Bee Café and Tea, Black Bear Coffee Co., and Wine Sage & Gourmet. You can always hop to Asheville, a star in its own right, once called the best town in the US, or other epic day trips like Flat Rock, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Mills River, as well as Brevard and Chimney Rock.
Mentone, Alabama
Nestled in the mountains, this small adorable town, big on charm, southern hospitality, and nature, is a favorite escape in the state, no matter the taste! The hub for local artists, Mentone Arts and Cultural Center is like a window for the whole region's creative spirit, with rotating exhibits and hands-on workshops! With the nearby DeSoto Falls and plentiful cabin stays, Mentone is the loveliest to visit in the shoulder season for fresh buds stark against rhododendrons in spring and glorious leaf-peeping along the slopes in the fall! The rugged wilderness of Mentone is your go-to for kayaking and rock climbing.
Perched quintessentially atop Lookout Mountain, Mentone's unique tapestry of attractions offers insightful, fun ways for families to discover the pretty town in the mountain's breath. The unmissable heritage monument of the Old Union Crossing Covered Bridge captures the essence of Mentone's past, while the Shady Grove Dude Ranch is an equestrian favorite for scenic horseback rides. From Wildflower Café to Mentone Log Cabin Village and Mentone Arts and Cultural Center, the Mentone Fall Festival brings all the local crafts, seasonal treats, and family attractions to the streets!
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a cute town in the Smokies with beautiful scenery in every season and a mix of modern and historic attractions dating back to the pre-Revolutionary War. Established in the early 1800s as a farming community, the small town with new businesses became a long-time favorite escape. From hotels and luxury resorts to campgrounds, there is a fit for every style and budget on a getaway, like cabins—the most popular among vacationers for cozy lodging in nature. The Smoky Mountains offer sweeping views while completing your itinerary of wineries and breweries. Meanwhile, comedy and musical shows around town will keep you entertained from day to night.
Just between Gatlinburg and Sevierville, the town with the motto “memories are made in the mountains” is home to the famous Dollywood theme park with family attractions and events, country music performances, rides, and food. Over 10 million globe-wide annual visitors flock to water parks, museums, and open spaces for recreation in this all-American town with old-fashioned Southern hospitality.
Tellico Plains, Tennessee
At the "gateway to the Cherokee National Forest," Tellico Plains is a must-visit on your travels in the south of the state. Charming like its name, the antiquated town within quaint mountainous scenery offers a simpler way of life with local bakeries and local artisanal crafts. With art galleries and street-crafts for fine arts to view and purchase, the "Cookie Caper" is a favorite annual fundraiser and Christmas event. The vintage charms extend to the streets, complementing the rustic feel of nature at Cherohala Skyway and the Cherokee National Forest.
From the rolling countryside to serene farmlands against breathtaking views, the nearly 650,000-acre Cherokee National Forest is a one-stop shop for all, with biking, boating, fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, and kayaking. You can chase after views of the magnificent Bald River Falls on a hike or a drive to see the nearly 100-foot cascade onto the rocks below or hike above it through the Bald River Gorge. With different characteristics in every season, Bald River Falls also has Baby Falls, perfect for a family picnic with outdoor seating and access to the river.
The Appalachians span from Georgia through Maine with wave-like valleys, rugged peaks, cascading waterfalls, and lush forests. Whether you are looking for a summer escape by an alpine lake or wintertime skiing at Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain in Banner Elk, this range offers views and, hands-down, among the most jaw-dropping terrains in the Western Hemisphere!
Insanely vast and varied, with whimsical towns throughout, there is no other like Berea in Kentucky or Harper's Ferry in West Virginia to rival in beauty and charm. Immersed in nature, the halo of the peaks is both eerie and attractive for your base to begin journeying through the town attractions and deep nature ventures.
