Welcome to Blue Ridge National Heritage Area,
a place unlike any other on earth, where ancient landscapes enchant the eye and age-old traditions warm the heart.
Congress designated the mountains of North Carolina the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in recognition of their natural abundance and richly varied cultural history.
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area nonprofit organization works to preserve, interpret and celebrate this heritage for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area includes the Cherokee Qualla Boundary and 25 Western North Carolina counties.
Traditional Artists
- Janet Calhoun Potter, Caldwell County
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- Janet Calhoun, daughter of Glenn and Lula Bolick, was born in the Seagrove area while her parents were working for her grandfather, M.L. Owens, a well-known potter and a recipient of the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award. Janet has always been interested in the family pottery business.
- Visit the Traditional Artist Directory
Featured Destination
- Bat Cave Preserve
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- Bat Cave is the largest known granite fissure cave in North America and is home to the endangered Indiana bat. Located near Lake Lure, North Carolina, the cave and its surroundings are protected by The Nature Conservancy as the Bat Cave Preserve.
- Attractions Directory
Sights & Sounds of the Blue Ridge
The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, NC features an award-winning film about the Parkway and exhibits on natural and cultural heritage.
