9 Undisturbed Towns To Visit In North Carolina

With a varied assortment of sandy beaches, coastal wetlands, vibrant cities, and mighty mountains, the Tar Heel State of North Carolina has a lot to offer travelers and residents. While many may best know North Carolina for bustling cities like Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and Greensboro, there’s far more to explore beyond the big cities. In fact, North Carolina has plenty of small towns that provide respite from “concrete jungle” life and ample opportunities for exciting adventures.

From gorgeous villages high in the Blue Ridge Mountains to laid-back beach towns in the Outer Banks, North Carolina overflows in natural scenery and thrills. At the same time, you can also wander through towns that offer rich history and fascinating backstories in music, car racing, aviation, indigenous culture, and much more. On this note, let’s check out these nine undisturbed towns to visit in North Carolina.

Sparta

Sparta is a town near the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 100 miles northwest of Greensboro and 103 miles north of Charlotte. Back in town, you can feast your eyes on different realms of beauty and artistry at the Alleghany Arts & Crafts shop, where you can peruse paintings, photography, and other works of visual art from dozens of local artists. For some drinkable works of art, visit Laconia Ale Works and try craft beers (from light lagers to dark porters) made at Alleghany County’s first hometown brewery. After a long day of exploring outside, settle down for a cozy stay at the Alleghany Inn in town.

Nearby, you’ll find Cumberland Knob, where construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway began in 1935. Today, Cumberland Knob remains a great place to stop, stretch your legs, and hit the hiking trails to catch amazing views of the mountains and the waterfalls at Gully Creek.

Tryon

About 90 miles west of Charlotte and near the South Carolina state line, the village of Tryon has long inspired artistic greatness. Early in the 20th century, luminaries like F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Gillette made Tryon their home. Plus, great singer-songwriter and civil rights activist Nina Simone was born in Tryon, and you can visit Nina Simone Plaza in town to get a better sense of her life and legacy. While in town, you can also admire the contemporary art scene and discover works from local artists at galleries like Mirrorball, Tryon Painters and Sculptors, The Nest, and Upstairs Artspace.

To discover more of your own inspiration, Melrose Falls is one of the area’s most beautiful waterfalls, and keep your eyes out for updates on future reopenings of parks and open spaces like Little Bradley Falls and Norman Wilder Forest as the region recovers from Hurricane Helene. And for some much-needed rest and relaxation, try the nearby Orchard Inn or Barking Fox Farm for elegant countryside accommodations.

Buxton

From the mountains, let’s head down to the sea, and more specifically, to the coastal hamlet of Buxton, which is about 240 miles east of Raleigh and 150 miles south of Virginia Beach (Virginia). Sitting at “the elbow” of Hatteras Island, Buxton is best known for the iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse that has lit up this corner of the Outer Banks since 1870. The lighthouse was built to guide ships away from the Diamond Shoals sandbars that gave this area its reputation as “The Graveyard of the Atlantic,” and you can learn more about the many infamous shipwrecks of the Outer Banks at the nearby Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

Back on the beach, Buxton provides easy access to some of the best beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore for swimming, beachcombing, kite flying, and even off-road vehicle rides (at designated areas). If you want even more time by the beach, reserve a hotel room or a cottage at the Outer Banks Motel.

Bath

About 123 miles east of Raleigh and 135 miles northeast of Wilmington, you will find North Carolina’s oldest incorporated town of Bath. Founded in 1705, Bath also became North Carolina’s first port, thanks to its location by the Pamlico River, and you can dive right into Bath’s rich history at the official historic site at the corner of Harding and Carteret Streets. For more interesting history, head to Bonner House to get a better sense of local agriculture in the 19th century, and across the street to Bonner’s Point for lovely waterfront views and the historical marker dedicated to the local resident Edward Teach, who was better known as the pirate Blackbeard.

While Bath has an abundance of interesting history to dig into, it’s also a lovely town to enjoy a relaxing weekend in. Check into the Bath Harbor Marina and Motel for scenic waterfront accommodations, as well as on-site boat rentals if you’re in the mood for some smooth sails along the Pamlico.

Emerald Isle

Emerald Isle offers 12 miles of prime Atlantic Coast beaches around 79 miles northeast of Wilmington and 125 miles east of Fayetteville. Go to Bogue Inlet Pier for prime ocean fishing, which includes chances to catch king mackerel, sea bass, sheepshead, bluefish, and more fish. Meanwhile at the beach, the area’s gently sloping ocean floor makes it a welcoming stretch of shore for ocean swimmers and bodyboarders. For even more incredible scenery, head to The Point (accessible from the corner of Channel and Inlet Drives) for a beautiful swimming and fishing beach where Banks Channel meets the ocean.

If you crave even more quality time by the beach, you’ll find plenty of hotels, motels, and vacation rental units in and around Emerald Isle. In particular, Lighthouse Inn & Suites offers a convenient location in town near the Emerald Isle Causeway, and the Islander Hotel & Resort provides comfortable digs that are mere steps away from the beach.

Danbury

About 27 miles north of Winston-Salem and 50 miles northwest of Greensboro, Danbury offers a surprisingly easy escape to a different world of Appalachian beauty. Right by Danbury is Hanging Rocks State Park, a natural oasis that abounds in astounding Sauratown Mountain landscapes, forests full of trees like hemlocks and mountain laurels that are rarely found (growing naturally) beyond the Blue Ridge, and (summer seasonal) swimming and boating at the lake. For even more scenery, try the trail to reach the Lower Cascades waterfalls and hit the trail to reach Tory’s Den cave.

If you’re in the mood for something more exhilarating, check out Carolina Ziplines west of Hanging Rock State Park for some amazing rides above the forest floor. And once you’re ready to calm down and chill, check in for a cozy stay at The George Farmhouse near Hanging Rock, or try The Whippoorwill Inn in town for a charming private home by the Dan River.

Boone

While North Carolina has many beautiful mountain towns, there’s no town anywhere that’s quite like Boone. About 87 miles west of Winston-Salem and 102 miles northwest of Charlotte, Boone combines a sense of college town cool (thanks to the presence of Appalachian State University, or App State) with a prime location in the Blue Ridge Mountains. For mountain-top fun and games, head to Grandfather Mountain to walk across the nation’s highest suspension footbridge, see the biodiversity of this UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve (including black bears, bald eagles, river otters, and elk), and hike a series of wilderness trails, including one to the summit of Calloway Peak at 5,946 feet above sea level. And if you’re hoping to hit the slopes during winter, Beech Mountain Resort, Appalachian Mountain Resort, and Sugar Mountain Resort are great for skiing and snowboarding.

Back in town, visit the Mast General Store to visit one of the South’s last country-style general stores, check out the App State Turchin Center for the Visual Arts to discover incredible works from artists near and far, and try Lost Province’s downtown brewpub for truly local craft beers paired with seriously good grub. After a busy day exploring the area, go out for a great night at the historic yet hip and trendy Horton Hotel downtown.

Hillsborough

Hillsborough may be one of the best towns to discover many fascinating stories from North Carolina’s history, about 38 miles northwest of Raleigh and 42 miles east of Greensboro. Start at Occaneechi Village to tour a thoughtfully designed replica of the Occaneechi indigenous community that stood by the Eno River in 1701, then walk over to the Orange County Historical Museum to walk through the region’s development from indigenous times to the 20th century. And for a more fast-paced historical throwback, hit the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail to find the only surviving dirt racetrack from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season.

When you feel like experiencing how Hillsborough keeps its heritage and traditions alive, visit local farms like Broken Spoke for fresh produce and hand-crafted ice cream, Botanist and Barrel for locally crafted dry ciders and wines, and Spring Hill Farm for year-round (safe and respectful) interactions with the farm animals (including cows, horses, pigs, and sheep) along with gem mining, tractor train rides, and a working general store. After spending the day wandering around town, a lovely stay at the Colonial Inn boutique hotel would be most relaxing.

Kitty Hawk

No matter the season, Kitty Hawk is always ready to take flight. About 208 miles east of Raleigh and 86 miles south of Virginia Beach, Kitty Hawk is where Orville and Wilbur Wright made the world’s first controlled powered airplane flights in December 1903. At the Wright Brothers National Memorial, you can roam the land that the Wright brothers flew above, see where they camped during their flight experiments, and learn more about the early days of aviation at the visitor center and museum on site.

For a different kind of Kitty Hawk experience, head to the Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve to discover a unique coastal ecosystem that includes several rare plants and a prime spot for bird watching during migration season. And down at the beach, you will find some wildly gnarly waves for surfing year-round, and lifeguard stations for safe swimming during the summer season. Complete your trip with a relaxing stay at the Cypress Moon Inn by the sound, or try the Outer Banks Beach Club Resort for a gorgeous oceanfront location near the Wright Brothers Memorial.

These Undisturbed North Carolina Towns Inspire Great Vacations

When you’re looking for undisturbed towns to visit in North Carolina, you will find a plethora of fantastic options for getaways that will not only let you feel unbothered but can also help you relax and recharge. From the high-flying beaches of Kitty Hawk to the down-to-earth historic charm of Bath, the Tar Heel State has a wide variety of coastal villages to choose from. And whenever you’re aiming for higher ground, you can hit the exciting ski slopes of Boone and uncover the rich artistic legacy of Tryon. Whatever you need to feel undisturbed and fully at peace, you have all sorts of wonderful options throughout North Carolina.