mountain

Apples mean big business in Henderson County. And for third-generation orchardists like the Creasmans, they’re a way of life.

Internationally known for the quality of the mica in its soil, Spruce Pine is also ground zero for one of the most highly regarded craft communities in the nation. Potters and other artisan wizards work in the hills and hollers that surround Mineral City, making Spruce Pine a prime base for hiking, touring, and studio-hopping.

A new release tracks Appalachia’s Scots-Irish tunes and traditions

Florence Young Thomas laid the foundation for visual artists in Ashe County

A local singer-songwriter and bluegrass group release new albums, just in time for summer

Meet 11 leaders in the quest to conserve WNC’s natural areas

Discover seasonal beers and the peaks that inspired them

French Broad Boatworks reinvents the art of the rivercraft

Celebrate 50 years of wilderness conservation

Difficulty: Strenuous Round-Trip: 8-miles

An alliance of outdoor product manufacturers takes root in WNC

S.B. Penick & Co. dominated the crude drug business

Overlook, aka Seely’s Castle, has towered over Asheville for almost a century

You can never foresee how the life you choose—or the one that chooses you—can ultimately impact someone in extraordinary ways. Meet seven inspirational locals whose personal journeys are making a big difference in the lives of others.

Difficulty: Difficult, Round-Trip: 3.5 miles

Photographer Rob Amberg chronicles the raw beauty and complexities of everyday life in Madison County

Carrying sound and story is the only way to live for a musical storyteller, rock-and-roll rambler, and two gifted brothers who all call the foothills of Western North Carolina home

Three local bands bring new albums to your ears