Valle Crucis is located high in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. North Carolina’s first Rural Historic District, the community of Valle Crucis is easily accessible to its neighboring towns of Boone, Blowing Rock and Banner Elk, and to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The High Country Host operates the area Welcome Center in Boone and is a source of information on the larger area.

The major airports servicing this area, Greensboro and Charlotte, NC, are about 2 hours driving time (the smaller Tri-Cities in TN is a little over an hour away). We have provided the following maps of the area to assist you in finding us: Valle Crucis, North Carolina’s High Country, Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and West Jefferson.

There is a lot to fill your day while visiting Valle Crucis. You can start with a bike ride on Watauga River Road or, for a quieter pursuit, bird watching at the Valle Crucis Community Park, do some shopping at the Mast General Store (in operation since 1883), lunch at Creekside Deli in Valle Landing, or hike to the Lower Crab Orchard waterfall at the Valle Crucis Conference Center (the old Episcopal Mission).

Alta Vista Gallery is Valle Crucis’ own fine art gallery, featuring over 100 artists and showing one of the area’s largest selections of mountain landscapes – originals in oil and watercolor, as well as prints. The gallery represents local artists, as well as folk artist Will Moses, great-grandson of Grandma Moses.

As you might expect, a wide range of lodging choices are available in Valle Crucis. The Mast Farm Inn is a full-service country inn, with a choice of farmhouse rooms or private getaway cottages, as well as an on-site restuarant and wine bar.

The Taylor House Inn, a wonderful spot for a mountain destination wedding, is around the corner on Scenic Byway 194 toward Banner Elk. And in a pastoral setting by the Watauga River is the Baird House, a small family-run B&B, which is open year round and is the oldest house in Watauga County.

Three more small family-run bed and breakfasts provide hospitable homes away from home in Valle Crucis. Valle Crucis Bed and Breakfast and Mountainside Lodge Bed and Breakfast are on Broadstone Road, and Lazy Bear Lodge is a short drive down Dewitt Barnett Road, across the low-water bridge, from Broadstone.

Or seclude yourself in the hills with a cabin rental from Valle Crucis Log Cabin Rentals.

To continue on your outing, put on your new hiking boots from the General Store and head for Grandfather Mountain, NC’s most famous tourist attraction. Then maybe you can cool off in the white-water rapids of the area with a fully guided rafting trip with River and Earth Adventures , or go horseback riding with Dutch Creek Trails. And if the sky is the limit, then tie into a rope and head for the rocks, rock climbing that is. You can find all these activities within a short drive from your destination of Valle Crucis.

You can use these links for further information to plan your trip: