Blue Ridge - Smoky Mountains Travel Guide

Quick links to our
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP     and our EVENT CALENDAR   

If you are planning a trip to the mountains and need more information use this link to let us know what you need...

One of the special wonders in these mountains is the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Parkway begins or ends on the edge of the Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia the Blue Ridge Parkway travels 469-miles southwestern along the high ridges and over the tall mountain peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains ending or beginning at the southern gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

To get the most out of your scenic road trip the Highlander suggest starting out early and begin your journey from the town of Cherokee where the Blue Ridge Parkway officially ends at the southern entrance gateway into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Read more...A day trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway...from Cherokee to Asheville

Take a trip on the Cherohala Skyway Scenic Byway and it is mobile ready. The Cherohala Skyway's 36-miles of scenic mountain views rival any scenic byway in the eastern United States.  Mountaintops, waterfalls and waterways joined together with wildlife and giant trees, adorn this high country of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.  I was very impressed with Spirit Ridge Overlook with an elevation of 4,950-feet. This is by far the best handicap access location along the Cherohala Skyway.

The average trip over the Skyway takes 2 1/2-hours, if you just want to drive and view scenery.  I would recommend setting aside the best part of the day to enjoy some of the bigger than life features the Cherohala Skyway and Unicoi Mountain Wilderness have to offer.

Read more.. A day trip on the Cherohala Skyway Scenic Byway

The Highlander is celebrating 25 years on-line this year

Moving to these mountains in 1995, and seeing the wealth of healthy resources available to everyone led us to wanting to explore more That exploration led us to wanting to share that information. Having a history in marketing and publishing and the desire to publish a magazine about these mountains led us to research the Internet and its potential in 1995.

We started developing BlueRidgeHighlander.com in 1996. Our next biggest challenge was to go around the mountains and explain to many what the Internet was and the value it had as a communication medium. Things have changed since that date.

The Highlander has been redesigned and re-programmed many times over the years. We are always looking into new ways to benefit our readers and sponsors, and are working on new benefits to add this coming season. We know you are going love the new additions and changes as we continue to grow out of the box.

We would love your input as to what you would like to have in the Highlander, after all, we are doing this for you, our readers, as a way to enjoy and plan your trips to the mountains.

Use this link to share your ideas of what you would like to see added to the Highlander. Continue to check out the progress, each week you will see something new...enjoy..