What is it that pulls us to the calm expanse of a mountain lake? Our contributing photographers offer some wonderful visual hints.Price Lake, at Milepost 297 of the North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway, reflects perfectly the profile of Grandfather. Photographer Brent McGuirt had waited several fall mornings for the mountain and the fog to coalesce for this shot, as the golden light struck the face of Grandfather Mountain and a cool morning mist hovered over the lake.This moonrise shot was taken in the Lake Keowee community of Keowee Key, South Carolina, home of photographer Russ Carlson The clear waters of the lake are fed from the streams and creeks running down from the Blue Ridge Mountains. The lake offers swimming, boating and bass fishing.Sherando Lake, near Stuarts Draft, Virginia, has beautiful hiking trails and sunrises as the sun crests over the Blue Ridge. The morning that photographer Brent McGuirt was there, he waded in, waited a few minutes and got this shot of the mackerel clouds reflecting in the lake.Dewey Lake is located near Prestonsburg in eastern Kentucky’s Jenny Wiley State Park. The lake stretches for 18 miles and covers 1,100 acres of the park’s 2,800 acres. Jenny Wiley State Park was named after Virginia (Jenny) Wiley, a pioneer woman who was captured by American Indians in the late 1700s, escaped and made her way home.The easy 0.9-mile loop walk around Bass Lake at Cone Manor (North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 294) is a treat any time of year. On a summer day when the clouds and the manor house reflect in the water, it is simply spectacular.The photo is taken at Lake Burton in Moccasin Creek State Park, Clayton, Georgia. The canoes, sunset and reflection called out for the tripod.Superb water quality and sheer sandstone cliffs make Summersville Lake in Nicholas County, West Virginia, a unique place to visit. This intimate piece of the lake is called Pirate’s Cove, and attracts kayakers and photographers alike.This drone’s-eye view of Watauga Lake in Carter County, Tennessee was taken near the Butler Bridge looking east into Johnson County. Nestled in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee, Watauga is the highest-elevation lake on the TVA system, at 1,959 feet above sea level. Photographer Ryan Rice has been visiting it and admiring its beauty since he was a young child.
Ten years after this poll’s inaugural launch, we once again turned to our knowledgeable readers for their picks. The results? A brand-new collection of 71 exceptional Blue Ridge communities that excel at bringing big smiles to the faces of both residents and visitors.
Our longtime contributing editor knows Great Smoky Mountains National Park like the back of her hand. Drawing inspiration from countless visits over the years, she shares some of her favorite spots to explore during the warm months, plus insider tips for spotting wildlife, discovering waterfalls, finding the best family-friendly experiences in the park—and more!
More than a century after the 1921 West Virginia Miners’ March that ended with
the Battle of Blair Mountain, the story is being told in new and unforgettable ways.
On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
