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Boone is in Watauga County, in the North Carolina Mountains. It is the home of Appalachian State University [1] and the county seat.

Get in

Access is primarily by private vehicle. Fly to Charlotte (CLT), Raleigh (RDU), Asheville (AVL), or Greensboro (GSO). From Charlotte, take I-77 north to US-421 and go west or I-85 South to US 321 North at Gastonia. From Raleigh or Greensboro, take I-40 west to US 421 west at Winston-Salem. From Asheville, take I-40 east to US 321 at Hickory and head north to Blowing Rock.

Twice-daily, the Mountaineer Express ([PART bus #421 [2]) makes connections between Boone, Winston-Salem, and the Amtrak/Greyhound station in downtown Greensboro.

Seven times a day, the Hickory Hop [3] shuttle goes from Charlotte to Hickory (1 hour from Boone). Continuing taxi service is available, and shuttle service is planned.

See also Craigslist Ridesharing Board [4]

Get around

AppalCART currently has eight bus routes running in Boone. The buses are free to use within city limits.

The downtown area is very compact and easily walkable. The remainder of town is well provided with sidewalks and some bike lanes, making non-automotive transportation a reasonable idea.

  • Boone Taxi +1 828-266-3860

Boone Taxi provides all daytime transportation guided by the client. Rides anywhere in town average about five dollars per person. Boone Taxi also provides nightlife guidance and nighttime transport as well. Airport transport also available anytime. All information pertaining to Boone Taxi provided by the owner.

See

  • Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway crosses hwy 421 east of Boone and hwy 321 to the south of Boone. If you head south on 321toward Blowing Rock you'll soon come upon it. 
  • Howard's Knob. This is a short drive up the mountain and a great experience as it affords the most commanding view of all of downtown Boone. As you are riding in on either hwy 421 or hwy 321 you will not be able to miss the huge mountain sticking up out of the surrounding landscape. Howard's Knob park is up at the very top and it's easy to get to, you just have to know which road to turn onto off of King St. Heading west on 421, you will turn right onto Cherry St. Keep heading uphill and when you come to an intersection go in the direction that looks like it's leading uphill and before you know it you will come upon the park. 
  • Appalachian State Mountaineers, Kidd Brewer Stadium, 425 Jack Branch Dr., ☏ +1 828 262-2079, toll-free: +1-800-919-2777. Fields teams in 10 men's sports and 10 women's sports, but best known for being one of the winningest programs in college football in recent decades. A perennial contender in football's second-level Division I FCS, the Mountaineers (or Apps) won consecutive national titles in that division in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The athletic program took a step up in class in 2014, moving to the FBS Sun Belt Conference. 

Do

  • Moses Cone Memorial Park and Flat Top Manor. Located off the Blue Ridge Parkway between mile posts 292 and 295 the park offers 25 miles of hiking and horse trails. The grounds preserve the country estate of Moses Cone, a prosperous textile entrepreneur, conservationist, and philanthropist of the Gilded Age. Its centerpiece is Flat Top Manor, a 20-room, 13,000 square foot mansion built in 1901 which is now home to the Parkway Craft Center 

Ski

In skiing season, there are several nearby mountains that offer skiing.

  • Beech Mountain Resort (Ski Beech), 1007 Beech Mtn Pkwy, Beech Mountain, NC, toll-free: +1-800-438-2093. Su-Th 9AM-9PM F-Sa 9AM-10PM (partial days 9AM-1PM, 1PM-5PM, 5PM-close), seasonal. Generally less appealing than nearby Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain's infrastructure shows its age; for example, lift tickets do not use barcodes and are checked by eye. Lifts are very slow (not helped by needing to leave empty seats for weight balance) and difficult to get on and off of due to their low load height. The trails have a fair assortment of difficulties, although beginners will feel fairly limited. However there are a number of crisscrossing intermediate trails to choose from, as well as multiple terrain parks. You can also buy a ticket for any third or two-thirds of the day (morning, afternoon, or night). Adult lift ticket $25-77. (updated Mar 2015)
  • Appalachian Ski Mountain (Between Boone and Blowing Rock), toll-free: +1-800-322-2373. 
  • Sugar Mountain Resort (Ski Sugar), 1009 Sugar Mtn Dr, Sugar Mountain, NC, toll-free: +1-800-784-2768. 9AM-10PM (half-day 12:30PM-4:30PM, 6PM-10PM), seasonal. Although you can't tell from the map, Sugar Mountain feels like a much larger resort than nearby Beech Mountain. Trails are longer with much higher vertical drop, and an excellent mix of terrain for everyone from beginners to experts. A 6-person express lift (installed in 2015) runs straight up the mountain, so there's plenty of capacity and lines are usually short. The single terrain park has a tow handle lift so you can practice tricks repeatedly. Adult lift tickets $24-70. (updated Jan 2016)
  • Hawksnest, 1778 Skyland Dr, Seven Devils, NC, ☏ +1 828 963-6561, fax: +1 828-963-6564. There hasn't been skiing there for the past couple of seasons, but they have upgraded their lodge and now exclusively offer tubing. 

Buy

  • Footsloggers, 139 South Depot Street (At the corner of Depot Street and Howard Street), ☏ +1 828-262-5111. For all kinds of weather and through every season, Footsloggers offers the finest in apparel, equipment and footwear for every outdoor setting; be it backpacking, camping, climbing, water sports or winter activities. From natural fiber and organic cotton to the latest in technical fabrics, Footsloggers can help you travel and arrive in comfort and style….whatever or wherever your destination. 
  • Mast General Store, 630 W King St., ☏ +1 828 262-0000. M-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 1PM-5PM. Mercantile goods, groceries, candy, and outfitters with atmosphere. 

Eat

  • Los Arcoiris, 168 Boone Heights Drive, ☏ +1 828 264-7770. Collectively owned mostly authentic Mexican food in the mountains of NC - you've got to love this place, and you've got to try the Chile Verde! $. 
  • Black Cat Burrito, 127 S Depot St (Downtown). Since the year 2000, Black Cat has been serving some of North Carolina's finest food: Legendary burritos the size of a football, or an abnormally small child. For the majority of those eight years, Black Cat has also been home to some of Boone, North Carolina's finest live music, drawing both from the fantastic local music scene as well as artists from around the country and around the world. $. 
  • 1 Boone Bagelry, 516 W. King St, ☏ +1 828 262-5585. Up early and need a tasty and bagel-filled breakfast? On King Street and need a quick lunch? Boone Bagelry serves the best of both! $. 
  • Macado's, 539 W King St, ☏ +1 828 264-1375. Known for sandwiches. $$. 
  • Makoto's Japanese Steak House and Sushi Bar, 2124 Blowing Rock Road (On the right as you head toward Blowing Rock, just after the entrance to the Fairfield), ☏ +1 828 264-7976. Communal dining with up to eight people per table seated around a hibachi grill. A separate sushi bar may provide quicker seating when there's a line waiting to get in the steakhouse section. $$. 
  • Mellow Mushroom, 957 Rivers St, ☏ +1 828 262-9801. College town pizza restaurant $$. 
  • Mountain Bagels, 211 Boone Heights Dr., ☏ +1 828 268-2362. 
  • Game Keeper in Foscoe has excellent wild game.

Drink

Sleep

Trying to find lodging in Boone or nearby Banner Elk or Blowing Rock is a disaster. There are thousands of cabins around, and no consolidated way to search them. Websites are awful, ranging from out of date and poorly maintained, to unhelpful or even nonfunctional. One website proudly proclaims "New for the 2008-2009 season" (in 2015!). Several others have no online search capability, expecting you to call, or manually read as many as 100 individual cabin listings each on a separate page. Of sites that do have search capability, it's generally inadequate; searching for "lodging near ski slopes" might show places as far as 30 minutes away, with its location just described as "Boone".

  • Country Inn and Suites, 818 E King St., toll-free: +1-800-456-4000, fax: +1 828-264-4104, . High speed internet access, fitness center. 
  • Fairfield Inn and Suites, 2060 Blowing Rock Road, ☏ +1 828 268-0677, fax: +1 828 268-0723. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: Noon. Three-story building with interior corridors, elevator and easily accessible stairwells, small lobby. Wifi. Complimentary continental breakfast with heatable breakfast sandwiches available. Adjacent to Chick-fil-A, Applebee's, and a gas station/convenience store that sells snacks, sodas, ice cream, and the Winston-Salem and Charlotte newspapers. Ruby Tuesday walkable. Convenient to Watauga Medical Center. $70-$170. 
  • Holiday Inn Express, 1943 Blowing Rock Road, toll-free: +1-888-465-4329. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Five-story property with interior corridors, elevators, large lobby with fireplace. Suites available with gas fireplace, wet bar, microwave and separate bedroom. Wifi in all rooms. Convenient to Watauga Medical Center. Complimentary breakfast with hot and cold items served in lobby each morning. Burger King, Los Arcoiris, Long John Silver's walkable; one block from Greenway Trail. $80-$250. 
  • Lovill House Inn, 404 Old Bristol Rd., ☏ +1 828 264-4204. Built in 1875 by Captain E.F. Lovill, a Civil War hero and State senator, offers private baths, TV and VCR, and wireless internet access. $130-210. 
  • Stone Pillar Bed and Breakfast, 144 Pine St., ☏ +1 828 295-4141. 

Watauga Lake Cabins, +1 803-524-5185, [5].offers a range of cabins from simplistic to high-end, this cabin rental company has been offering vacation homes to visitors of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Appalachia for nearly ten years. Cabins that are perfectly centric to the great Watauga Lake, Cherokee National Forest and the town destinations of Boone and Blowing Rock. Call +1 803 524-5185 for details.

Resorts

Most locations that offer skiing also have resorts. They tend to be more expensive than lodging in town, but will keep you closer to the activity.

Mill Ridge Resort in Banner Elk on NC 105. offers 1-5 bedroom homes available for rent which include tennis, Swimming Pool, Hiking and much more. They have very reasonable year around rates. millridgeresort.com

Go next

Routes through Boone
Newport ← Johnson City ←  N  S  → Blowing Rock → Hickory
Bristol ← Mountain City ←  W  E  → Winston-Salem → Greensboro


This city travel guide to Boone is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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