Lake Lure & the Blue Ridge Foothills in Western North Carolina

Lake Lure & the Blue Ridge Foothills

The Rhythm of life and the Blues of the mountains. Simple abundance.

Explore your options!

One of many beautiful areas in the Blue Ridge Foothills, Lake Lure is often the first stop in a discovery tour of this area where remembered pleasures still thrive in abundance. Water. Whether in the form of lakes or streams, it’s refreshing and rejuvenating and you’ll find water everywhere in these foothills.

Lake Lure & the Blue Ridge Foothills have welcomed political leaders and celebrities, artists and explorers, outdoors enthusiasts and those in need of pampering at its spas and inns. For more than 200 years, families have come to this area for relaxation and refreshment. Many have found its attraction too powerful to resist and have chosen to retire or relocate here to start a business, or nourish a family.

Here, people can live simply, awash in nature’s bounty, but residents have also brought a love of arts and entertainment, as evidenced by performing arts centers, community theatres, museums, and the Rutherford County Arts Council.

Outdoor living is year round with seemingly endless summers and delicious autumns. A number of excellent golf courses, equestrian facilities, hiking and biking trails, tennis courts, and Chimney Rock State Park provide residents and visitors with much to enjoy.

Foothills folks love a party. With dozens of events and gatherings throughout the small towns that dot the Blue Ridge Foothills visitors and residents will find year-round fun and games.

Small towns dot the landscape, each with its own charm and unique character. Rutherfordton offers walking tours that showcase its rich history. B&Bs offer relaxing accommodations that are attractions as well.

Gold and gem mining offer entertainment and the KidSenses Children’s InterACTIVE Museum will keep young ones happy and amused.

Nearby Forest City has its own attractions, including the Bennett Classics Antique Auto Museum and the Rutherford County Farm Museum (don’t miss the moonshine still).

Sports enthusiasts will want to catch a baseball game by the Forest City Owls, and if your timing is good, you’ll visit during the annual Hot Nights, Cool Rides auto show August 14-15.

Spindale, another small town in Rutherford County, is becoming known for its restaurants and music. The Rutherford County Farmer’s Market is here, and there are festivals and lots of hometown holidays.

Art galleries and crafts studios showcase the creative results of spending time in these beautiful surroundings. Restaurants feature continental cuisine as well as southern-style cooking. Mountain trout is a favorite.

And there’s water – lots of water. Streams cascade down hills and through valleys and fly-fishing guides help folks find the perfect stream in which to cast their line. Lake Lure has dinner cruises and pontoon boat rentals and its small town has restaurants and shops that delight.

Flying high! Although Chimney Rock is the most famous site in Chimney Rock State Park, there’s so much to enjoy here that multiple visits are required. Plan to put Hickory Nut Falls, and the Opera Box on your hiking to-do list. Of course, the view from this rock reaches out a spectacular 75 miles.

There’s so much to do in Rutherford County that many families return year after year, renting the same mountain cabin, or reserving the same rooms in a local B&B. Others have purchased vacation or retirement getaways, and spend as much time as possible enjoying the springtime flowers, summer pursuits and fall foliage. Christmas is just as memorable with special events, cozy fires, and hot chocolate on the deck. (The climate is unusually temperate as this area lies in the “thermal belt” of the western North Carolina mountains and foothills.)

The big city of Asheville is just 23 miles away. In fact, the area’s accessibility to Asheville, Charlotte and Greenville, SC airports via I-26, I-40 and I-85 makes it a safe and affordable alternative to big-city bustle. Come see for yourself why no big city allure can compete with Lake Lure & the Blue Ridge Foothills.

Five ways to explore your options!

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