The area
Mountains. Rivers.
Quaint little towns.
New River Ridge puts you close to the best of the Blue Ridge, known around here as "the Coolest Corner". Mountain trails, winding rivers, scenic drives and the small-town charm of West Jefferson and Lansing are all within easy reach. Spend the morning in town, the afternoon on the river, or the whole day exploring the mountains. It’s all close enough to decide as you go.
WEST JEFFERSON, NC
They call it the Coolest Corner. You’ll see why.
Adventure
Water, trails and plenty of ways to get outside. Most close enough to make a day of it and still be back in the hot tub before sundown.
Fly fishing · paddling the New River · Grayson Highlands · the Virginia Creeper
Explore
West Jefferson is a genuine hidden gem! A small mountain town with a mural trail, working galleries, a cheese plant and more good beer, wine and cider than a town that size has any right to.
Galleries · breweries · the mural walk · Ashe County Cheese · the Parkway
Escape
The reason most people came in the first place. Nothing on the calendar, nothing within earshot, and a fire when it gets dark.
The meadow · the creek · the deck · not moving
Adventure
On the water and up the mountain
Helton Creek
Delayed-harvest trout water, stocked October to June and almost never crowded. Catch and release, single hook, and the creek likely to yourself.
Paddle the New River
One of the oldest rivers on earth, and one of the gentlest. Zaloo's has run canoes, kayaks and tubes off this stretch since 1976.
Unseen Pass
Street-legal side-by-sides out of West Jefferson, on GPS-guided routes you drive yourselves. Take the river route, or climb Pond Mountain for sunset.
Mount Jefferson
Hike the whole things, or drive most of the way up. Then walk the rhododendron trail out to Luther Rock where you can see the whole town at the end of it.
The wild ponies
Grayson Highlands, where the ponies roam loose above the tree line. Worth the drive, the hike and then some.
Virginia Creeper Trail
Seventeen miles of old rail bed and timber trestles, all of it downhill. Rent bikes, get shuttled to the top, and coast your way back to the town of Damascus.
Explore
Into town, and the back roads
Downtown West Jefferson
A small mountain town that has more to offer than you could imagine. Murals down every street, galleries, proper coffee shops, ice cream and more. Two blocks you can lose a whole afternoon in.
Ashe County Cheese
North Carolina's oldest cheese plant, making cheddar here since 1930. Watch through the viewing window, then cross the street for curds.
Molley Chomper Cider
Heirloom-apple cider poured in an old Lansing schoolhouse. Order a flight, and grab a pie from Pie on the Mountain down the road.
New River Brewing
Started in a shack in Lansing in 2017. Pair it with dinner at the downtown Ale House; Or visit the taproom up the road to pick from 24 beers on tap.
Friday night at Phipps Store
A general store that stopped selling in 1953 and still opens every Friday at seven, so the pickers can play. Free.
Saturday farmers market
Fifty-odd local growers on Backstreet, Saturday mornings April through early November. Bring the cooler: steaks, eggs and bread for the grill.
Escape
Slow evenings, long views
The River House
An 1870 farmhouse on the North Fork, just down the road from New RIver Ridge. Dinner on the porch over the river is rated the best night out within an hour.
Old Barn Winery
One of the most scenic wineries you will ever see, just outside town. Walk the vines, grab a glass or bottle, listen to live music all with the mountains surrounding you.
Craft Bistro
Dinner in the old Artists' Theater, with a whiskey bar upstairs. The best fine dining to book for a special occasion.
The fresco churches
Ben Long's Last Supper fills the wall of a tiny country church in Glendale Springs. Open every day, free, and very quiet.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
The northern stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Known for its easy drive and overlooks you can have to yourself on a weekday.
The Cascades
A one-mile loop off the Parkway at E.B. Jeffress Park, ending at a waterfall pouring off the ridge. Pair it with an afternoon on the Parkway.
YOUR FREE LOCAL GUIDE
The New River Ridge Guide to Getting Away
Are you looking for the best way to experience the mountains? A little advice from someone who knows them.
We've put together our favorite places to eat, trails worth exploring, hidden gems, and local experiences that make this corner of the mountains so special. Think of it as everything we'd share with a friend coming to visit, all in one guide.
Yours to explore, whether you stay with us or not.