Our contributing photographers capture the drama and splendor of mountain excursions.Two of West Virginia’s Cass Scenic Railroad State Park’s Shay steam locomotives sit by the water tower at sunset. The recently restored Norfolk & Western #611 rolls through Blue Ridge, Virginia, pulling an excursion sponsored by the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Great Smoky Mountain Railroad’s 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive leads the westbound Nantahala Gorge excursion along the banks of the Nantahala River near Wesser, North Carolina. The Cheat Mountain Salamander arrives at Spruce, West Virginia, from Elkins, amid some of the state’s most beautiful fall colors. Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is headquartered in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and makes its way along the Toccoa River. Locomotive 106 of The Big South Fork Scenic Railway in Stearns takes visitors on a picturesque 14-mile trip through the Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. The ride makes a stop at Blue Heron Coal Mining Camp, a National Park Service outdoor interpretive site, which houses the largest interpretive collection of historic coal mining in America. The family-owned Locust Heights & Western Railroad’s Mason Climax locomotive operates on a short stretch of track on Wednesdays, June through October, in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
More than 70 years after she first took to the rails, the legendary Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 continues to inspire both passengers and the volunteers who keep her running.
More than outposts for gearing up, these seven mountain communities are destinations in their own right, pairing easy access to some of the region’s best outdoor adventures with walkable downtowns, local flavor, and much more.
Long before modern healthcare reached many Appalachian communities, Granny Women became trusted healers and caregivers, delivering babies, treating illness and injury, and preserving generations of healing knowledge.
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.
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