photograph by Justin Potter
An early morning hike into the clouds reveals a view that few North Carolinians see: a sunrise at more than 6,000 feet. Roan Mountain is not one peak but a long, towering ridge that rises along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. Known for its late spring rhododendron bloom, spruce-fir forests, and treeless, high-elevation meadows, or grassy balds, Roan takes on new beauty under a blanket of snow.
photograph by Neil Jernigan
Snows come and go, but some images of life in the Old North State are indelible. “Red” Lyon’s country store, outside the eastern North Carolina town of Ormondsville, may be long-shuttered, but it still proudly advertises the simple pleasure of a Pepsi, just as it has for decades. Today, the building’s owners are seeing to it that the property will remain a reflection of the past for many winters to come.
photographs by Scott Hotaling
When dawn arrives in the mountains, it stretches out its rosy fingers to touch the highest points of the Linville Gorge Wilderness, a federally protected area that some call “the Grand Canyon of the East.” From the craggy beak of Hawksbill Mountain, elevation 4,009 feet, hikers get a panoramic view of Pisgah National Forest — and the otherworldly grandeur of Linville Gorge in winter.
photograph by Dianne Sherrill
Nearly every vista along the Blue Ridge Parkway has something special to offer. First thing in the morning, it’s the east-facing overlooks that shine. At two popular sunrise-watching spots along the scenic byway — Thunder Hill Overlook in Blowing Rock and Tanbark Ridge Overlook in Asheville — visitors wait, coffee in hand, for day to break over the Blue Ridge.
photograph by @EPICDRONEIMAGES
In the Reedy Fork community in northern Greensboro, a winter morning softened by snow is still and quiet — but surely not for long. Soon, the joyful shouts and laughter of neighborhood kids will ring out from yards and parks across Guilford County. In the Piedmont, where snow is never a certainty, even a dusting is good reason to pull out the sled.
photograph by Mike O'Shell Photography
Jennette’s Pier is a place for all seasons: Open year-round, the 1,000-foot pier is a beloved backdrop for summer beachgoers, anglers in the spring and fall, and winter wanderers who stroll the quiet shores of Nags Head. And when a rare snow falls on the Outer Banks, Jennette’s Pier watches the dunes turn into mini snow-capped mountains that sparkle as the sun comes up over the horizon.
photograph by SKIP SICKLER/GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN STEWARDSHIP FOUNDATION
On Linville Peak, the rising sun brings warmth and color to a frosty, windblown landscape. Along with the famed Mile High Swinging Bridge, Linville — one of four named peaks on Grandfather Mountain — offers some of the best views in the High Country. On a clear day, you can see the Charlotte skyline, some 80 miles in the distance.
photograph by Wes Snyder Photography
Never does the beacon atop Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse shine brighter than when it channels the splendor of a coastal sunrise. The red-roofed cottage — a replica of an 1877 lighthouse — stands 40 yards out into Shallowbag Bay, a familiar sight in downtown Manteo and a reminder of local maritime history. What it lacks in height, it more than makes up for in charm — especially when a light snow falls on Roanoke Island.
photograph by Scott Hotaling
One of the most iconic views along the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina is a mountaintop meadow called Max Patch. “Bald” but never barren, Max Patch is best known for wildflowers in the spring, grassy slopes in the summer, and views of bright foliage in the fall. Winter offers yet another perspective: In the soft glow of an Appalachian sunrise, even the coldest slopes radiate a warm welcome.
This story was published on Dec 21, 2021
North Carolina is known for many things, but nothing more important this week than the qualities of endurance, resilience, and hope.
By day, this adventure park in the Triad is a fall festival to die for. By night, the undead come alive for Halloween tricks. Welcome to one man’s vision of year-round merrymaking.
North Carolina’s border dances across the mountains as it traces four different states. Life here can be more remote, but good neighbors are never far away.
The Blue Ridge Parkway stands out among America’s national parks: Unfurling across six Appalachian mountain chains, it connects dozens of rural communities and binds together generations of families through shared memories.
