Amazing 3 Day Weekend Getaway to Beech Mountain, North Carolina!

Back in 2021, Jess found this adorable little mountain town called Beech Mountain, North Carolina. We have frequented Tennessee and The Smoky Mountains so much that she decided we should try somewhere new… and this adorable area did not disappoint! We took a 3 day weekend getaway to explore the area and absolutely fell in love!

This was a quick trip for us in our otherwise super busy schedules. Beech Mountain is part of the Appalachia Mountain chain and more specifically, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area is known for their large ski resort, the Beech Mountain Resort, and an amusement park that began in the 1970’s, called the Land of Oz. The top ridges of Beech Mountain are also the coldest areas in the state of North Carolina due to its higher elevations, it’s peak elevation rising to a staggering 5,506 feet. The town atop is also the highest elevation town east of the Rocky Mountains. The drive up the mountain to the top is both very winding and scenic under its tree canopies. But the views atop the mountain itself are unsurpassed.

On a clear, sunny day, you can easily see for hundreds of miles. There is an epitaph we came across that showed us which direction to look to see different areas. These include: The Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia Border; The Bald, TN/NC standing at 4,659 feet; and Mt. Rogers standing at 5,722 feet and over 38 MILES AWAY. Pretty impressive!

On our way to our cabin, we saw the absolute sweetest little mercantile store you have ever seen! It looks like an old Mom and Pop store we all use to know and love (well, at least in rural Kentucky anyway). It is the main store on top of the mountain in the town and it absolutely fits in with the aesthetic of area. We had to stop in and check it out. And it did not disappoint!

It was perfectly decorated on the outside, adding to its charm. It almost felt like a campground store with everything it had. Pumpkins ready to be bought and carved for fall. An old antique gas pump that was not being used but fit perfectly into the rest of the primitiveness of the store. An ice box and bananas hanging on the porch of the store, discounted items and fruits and veggies lining the wall, ready to be placed in perfectly woven baskets to hold your items. Charm is an understatement to this establishment. A bell that jingles when you open the door, with smiling faces ready to welcome you to their store and the area.

Inside was much bigger than it appeared. Clothing, fishing gear, bait and tackle, small tools for everyday needs, cleaning supplies, toiletries, large ice boxes with cold drinks and ice cream, and of course, groceries. We spotted homemade pies and cookies, local honey and arts and crafts from local artists. Of course, we had to grab some North Carolina made Cheerwine while we were there… and dare I spot that they actually sell Kentucky made Ale-8 as well!? Represent!

We got what we needed and headed to the cabin. There was also an adorable coffee shop we visited the next morning for our coffee fix as well 🙂 We had been researching the area a bit and, of course, found some waterfalls to hike to and enjoy. We have since made a few trips to Beech Mtn and have frequented several waterfalls in the area, you will see these covered in later posts 🙂

We decided this time to take the short hike to Elk River Falls. It’s not on Beech Mtn but a few miles down the road from it. It is a short 0.5 mile out and back hike that’s fairly easy. It is through the woods alongside the river/creek. You can hear the falls from a little ways away. We didn’t even use out Alltrails app for this hike. It is a popular area, luckily for us on this day it was not as it was rather hot outside, but you can see the parking lot is frequently used.

The falls is larger than expected and beautiful! There is a large pool at the bottom that would be perfect for swimming as well. The water is crystal clear and there’s easy access to the top of the falls as well. It is a rather large falls, so I don’t recommend getting directly under the falls… probably would be dangerous. The water that day was running rather well, so the falls itself may not be a big in the heat of the summer as it was here, unless after a good rain.

We also went to a NASCAR race this weekend at Bristol Speedway. Highly recommend going to this speedway once in your life, whether it be for a race or a concert. The short track speedway arena is absolutely MASSIVE. It is so large that they have shuttles that transport people to and from because so many have to park for far away. People camp out all weekend for the NASCAR races and we, of course, wanted to see the night race from the NASCAR Cup Series.

The view from inside the arena is amazing as well! There is a beautiful mountain backdrop where you can watch the sunset while the race and its events are happening. This was our first NASCAR race together and we quite enjoyed it! Of course, we rented headsets because the short track speedway is EXTREMELY loud inside the arena as it echoes off the mountains and bowl of the arena. It is also the shortest round track in the series, so you have constant noise from the racing cars. There is no way to not have some sort of ear protection for this race. It was a great experience, and we had fun!

The next morning, we headed home. But not without stopping one more time for some scenic views atop of Beech Mtn. It was a beautiful weekend and an area we have returned to several times. If you want a quieter mountain experience with your family, we highly recommend visiting Beech Mountain, North Carolina! Stay tuned for future posts and we visit during peak fall time and visit other waterfalls in the area!

Until next time, friends! Remember… Do good, Bee well, Bee happy! Ciao!