Our Blue Ridge Towns

CURRENT Our Blue Ridge Towns

TVA-created Lake Chatuge wraps around three-quarters of Hiawassee, offering unparalleled views and recreation for residents and visitors.

Hiawassee, Georgia: Trail Town on the Rise

Home to both the highest lake and the highest mountain peak in Georgia, Hiawassee draws thousands of visitors annually with a well-developed plan.
Ashtabula Plantation houses Pendleton history.

A Synergy of What Was and What Can Be: ‘All Roads Lead to Pendleton’

Two hundred years ago, the upstate South Carolina town of Pendleton was the place to live. Today, it’s thriving in new and history-rich ways.
TVA’s Douglas Lake meets downtown Dandridge, with the Great Smoky Mountains a distant blue border.

Dandridge, Tennessee: ‘We Saved a Place for You’

Tennessee’s second oldest town has a story you won’t forget—and they tell it really well.
Downtown Waynesville’s Main Street is a blend of shoppers, diners, sightseers and welcoming shopkeepers.

Mountain Town With a Keen Sense of Self: Smokies’ ‘Eastern Entrance’

Cradled in the Great Balsam Mountains, Waynesville, North Carolina, claims its tourism heritage proudly.
WSS’s reviving Main Street is a beautiful walk.

‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet!’ – White Sulphur Springs: A Resurrection Story

In the wake of a deadly 1,000-year flood, this West Virginia town is rewriting its story with compassion and skill—and a little help from its friends.

Departments

At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

Synchronous Fireflies
Creature Feature

The Light Fantastic

Fireflies are struggling with the effects of artificial light.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS