Friends of the Blue Ridge High Country Chapter

06/21/2026

Do you know what today and the Boone Greenway have in common? The common thread is extraordinary length, bringing together the longest day of the year, the longest paved trail in Watauga County, and a beautiful way to celebrate Father's Day! And did you know about the the Middle Fork Greenway? Once this Greenway segment is completed, connecting Boone to Blowing Rock, the total combined trail length will extend to 15 miles making it one of the longest contigious greenways in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Expected to be completed in 2027, some sections for this 6.5 mile Middle Fork addition are open today for you to enjoy. These trails offer a spectacular backdrop to get outside and celebrate dads across the globe. Happy Father's Day!
About the Boone Greenway: [https://www.traillink.com/trail/boone-greenway-trail]
About the Middle Fork Greenway: [https://www.middleforkgreenway.org] https://www.middleforkgreenway.org

Building a greenway from Blowing Rock to Boone. Learn More

06/18/2026

It was so nice to see Our State Magazine post an article today featuring Boone and nearby towns, which coincides with the free annual Boonerang Music and Arts Festival, happeninng Friday through Sunday in downtown Boone. Looking at the amazing culturally-rich diversity of performers in the lineup, it's delightful to see that this event just keeps getting better!
The article: [https://tinyurl.com/HighCountryTowns]
About Boonerang: [https://www.boonerangfest.com]

06/15/2026

Walking and Journaling Among Sculptures
Saturday, June 27, 9:30-11:30am
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

Friends of the Blue Ridge is inviting community members to embark on a guided walk to view the 10 newly installed, winning works of the 40th anniversary of the annual ⁠Martin and Doris Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. Following the tour, attendees will select a sculpture to reflect upon and document their personal experience through nature journaling.

Although art and writing supplies are provided, participants are welcome to bring any journaling tools they prefer. To enhance the experience, a local artist will be on-site to provide instructions and examples of haiku, as well as offer personalized, one-on-one guidance throughout the session. This free and guided experience is limited to 12 people. Register in advance to save your spot: [https://blueridgefriends.org/hcregistration]

More about the Exhibition: [https://appsummer.appstate.edu/event/40th-rosen-sculpture-walk]

06/10/2026

Deep Nature Immersion Walk
Sunday, June 14, 9:30am
Art of Living Retreat Center, Boone, NC
Elevate your spirit while hiking along a serene 3-mile loop near the top of Heavenly Mountain (elev 4,000 ft). Breathe in the crisp mountain air as we pause for brief Hatha and Pranayama poses along the way before concluding with a full yoga practice at the Art of Living Retreat Center. This is a free event with yoga class, mats, blocks, and blankets included. Advance registration is required to keep the group experience on the trail mindfully quiet (12 people). If interested, please complete the Event Registration Form [https://blueridgefriends.org/hcregistration/]

05/31/2026

Trees are on the move! Join NCWF and Spruce Fir Restoration Initiative partners on Tue morning (June 2) to help transplant fraser fir trees at Mt Mitchell State Park. You are welcome to be a part of this restorative work that can help save the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel and other wildlife. [https://ncwf.org/event/fraser-fir-transplanting-workday-burnsville]

05/28/2026

We are happy to share that Roots in the Garden series starts this evening 5:30 pm brought to you by the Daniel Boone Native Gardens in Boone. Although the concerts are offered for free, donations are accepted to help support the Gardens’ mission to promote the benefits of native plants and healthy ecosystems, and provide a community green space in the heart of the High Country. They have a wonderful lineup this summer. We hope to see you there! [https://www.danielboonenativegardens.org/music]

05/27/2026

If you're planning a trip to the Grandfather Mountain nature park with youngsters, be sure to include a stop at Yonni's Clubhouse, opened in April. [https://grandfather.com/yonnis-clubhouse]

05/26/2026

"All Weather is Local" is what to keep in mind when checking forecasts before heading out. If you live more than 20 miles from one of the 2500 U.S. airports equipped with a weather station where data is collected, your local forecast can be the result of an algorithm. Those algorithms can be challenged when trying to predict weather in the mountains which have a variety of altiitudes and other topographical nuances to consider. To help those algorighms, networks of localized weather stations called mesonets provide more geographically precise data. Luckiy, we have a few mesonets in the NC High Country; two at Grandfather Mountain (top and base), two at Beech Mountain (top and base), one on Poga Mountain, and one on Mt. Mitchell. Still, as most people living and playing in the mountains know, pepare for anything! Here's more about weather forecasting and mesonets: [https://tinyurl.com/mesonets] https://tinyurl.com/mesonets

Don’t blame the weatherman. A meteorologist explains where your local weather forecasts really come from, and what storm scientists are doing to bring them closer to home.

05/24/2026

We have a few spots left for our Elk K**b hike on Friday, guided by state park ranger Marissa Mabe. More info and to register: [https://tinyurl.com/ElkK**bTrails] https://tinyurl.com/ElkK**bTrails

RESCHEDULED - This event has been rescheduled from May 7th to May 29th, 10 am-1 pm due to rainy weather. Please re-register using the same link to reserve your spot. Friends of the Blue Ridge invites outdoor enthusiasts to a unique hiking adventure, “Elk K**b Trails Past and Future,” at Elk K**b...

05/20/2026

The Watauga Couny Public Library has an extensive collection of free seeds available to grow food and wildflowers. The circulation desk will point you in the right direction. Seed pack donations to keep the library stocked are also always welcome.

seed share