Blue Ridge

https://www.nps.gov/blrn/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_National_Heritage_Area The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area encompasses the twenty-five westernmost counties of North Carolina, which are associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains. The National Heritage Area includes the North Carolina portions of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Other attractions include Mount Mitchell in Pisgah National Forest, Nantahala National Forest and the North Carolina portion of the Appalachian Trail. The Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is also within the National Heritage Area. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is a place unlike any other on Earth, where ancient landscapes enchant the eye and age-old traditions warm the heart. The distinctive landscape of the North Carolina mountains and foothills combined with the region’s living traditions of craft, music, agriculture and Cherokee heritage create a wealth of natural and cultural treasures unmatched in our country. The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center is located at Parkway milepost 384, which is about a mile south of the US 70 intersection (or one mile north of the US 74-A intersection) and about 8 miles east of downtown Asheville. The Folk Art Center is located nearby, two miles to the north along the Parkway. Southeast Region NHA Southeast Region NHA Southeast Region NHA Blue Ridge Craft Trails Support Local Artisans and Boost Heritage Tourism in Western North Carolina In 2019, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is celebrating its 15th anniversary and expanding its impactful Blue Ridge Craft Trails project. This program promotes heritage tourism and the unique handmade craft traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. Carmen Haynes of Pine Needles and Things weaves a pine needle basket in the Blue Ridge NHA Tourism and Community Character National Heritage Areas directly use tourism as a tool to restore and preserve the historic and cultural features across nationally important landscapes. historic homes, buildings, and trees reflecting in the river Series: Tourism Stories The National Park Service (NPS) has a long history of working in collaboration with the travel and tourism sector to manage responsible tourism that supports conservation and facilitates enjoyment of public lands. These stories are one of a series profiling success stories and case studies of NPS-tourism sector collaboration stacked logs, revealing ring circles