Hickory Ridge History Museum
Under $25A living-history museum of historic log cabins in Daniel Boone Park, run by the Southern Appalachian Historical Association in Boone.

Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Hike to the 5,520-foot summit of Elk Knob for wide views of North Carolina's high country, 11 miles north of Boone.
5564 Meat Camp Road, Todd, NC 28684 · Todd, NC
Elk Knob State Park was set up in 2003 to protect the mountain and the headwaters of the North Fork of the New River. A summit overlook at 5,520 feet looks out over the high country, and the park has 5.5 miles of hiking trails plus backcountry campsites a mile or two into the forest. In winter about a mile of ungroomed trail is open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Day use is free. The summit can be several degrees colder than the valley, so bring a layer.
The closest stops to Elk Knob State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
A living-history museum of historic log cabins in Daniel Boone Park, run by the Southern Appalachian Historical Association in Boone.
8.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Ride a three-mile loop behind a historic narrow-gauge steam locomotive at a Wild West theme park in the Blue Ridge.
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Former summer estate of textile magnate Moses Cone and his wife, now a National Park Service site on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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A state park on a rugged mountain with cliffs, cables, and ladders on challenging trails.
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A 4,200-acre recreation area on the Blue Ridge Parkway built around 47-acre Price Lake in Watauga County.
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Cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge between two rocky peaks, see bears, otters and elk, and hike high mountain trails.
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