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
- Backstep Oldtime band, Surry County
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- Backstep performs old-time stringband music in the "Round Peak Style" native to Mount Airy, North Carolina. Known for its driving rhythms and prominent melodies, Round Peak music is just the thing to make you kick up your heels and dance.
- Visit the Traditional Artist Directory
Featured Destination
- Linville Gorge and Falls
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- Linville Gorge, near the town of Linville Falls, NC, is the deepest and one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the eastern United States. Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East, it is protected by the 12,000-acre Linville Gorge Wilderness Area.
- 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.
