North Carolina's #1 gem mining attraction, with fun for the entire family! Enjoy spectacular mountain setting in authentic historic mines near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Little Switzerland. Tour a real underground mine at the NC Mining Museum. Search for genuine gems and keep what you find! Have your stones cut and mounted in jewelry. See our splashing waterfall, tour the music museum, marvel at the model railroad display, the Old Company Store, and more!


If you are looking to satisfy your craving for adventure, look no further than Gem Mountain Gemstone Mine. Gem Mountain shares the rich history and tradition of mining at every visit. All the action takes place under the covered gemstone flumes, where your mission is to discover and identify beautiful and valued gemstones. There are a variety of gemstones just waiting to be discovered! After your discoveries are made, your stones will be inspected free of charge. You also have the option of having your treasured gemstones cut and made into jewelry by qualified gem cutters! If weather permits, ...


Towering above Northwest North Carolina, Grandfather Mountain is the region’s premier and most ecologically diverse nature preserve; a vast wild place, where knowledgeable guides and modern conveniences make a personal mountain adventure accessible to all. US 221 and the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 305, 25 miles north of Spruce Pine. Open all year, weather permitting.


Experience nature at work inside Linville Caverns. Guided tours of North Carolina's only show caverns feature amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations, an underground stream with blind trout and the famous Bottomless Pool. Most visitors get to see our cave dwellers (bats, crickets and salamanders) as well as experiencing a few moments in total darkness. Check our Website for more information.


Enjoy hayrides and storytelling about our part of the mountains. An Appalachian cultural & historical center celebrating the people, music, art & natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A century old, the Orchard sits astride the Parkway, preserving some of the most amazing scenery in NC. The Orchard serves products from its own apples, authentic local music, mountain arts, jams, jellies, sauces, fudge, gifts and more. Visitors pick their own mountain apples, or choose from bags of fruit hand-picked by Orchard staff. Bus tours and small groups are invited to take a hayride and ...


Parkway Playhouse is North Carolina's oldest continually-producing summer stock theater. We are now expanding to an extended season. Plays, musical, concerts and special events are featured in this historic theatre on the hill. Office Hours Tues-Thurs 10 am-4 pm. Box Hours Thursday-Saturday 1pm-5pm May-September.


202 Green Mountain Drive

Located just a mile and a half off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Springmaid Mountain is a beautiful mountain resort that offers a variety of recreational activities. There are fourteen cabins ranging in size and a twenty-five site campground with electricity, water and a bathhouse with hot showers and laundry facilities. Springmaid Mountain has 400 acres with a river, streams, ponds, waterfalls and over ten miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Open year round.


At the Emerald Mine we invite you to enjoy the experience of finding genuine rough gemstones, either by washing them out of buckets in our flume or by digging them from the ground. We can turn them into beautiful jewelry and you can also pan for real gold. We will provide information about mining in our country since 1861.


2120 McKinney Mine Road