About 10 years ago, Amy Helton had a conversation that made her realize people were starting to view Yadkin County in a different light. No longer a stop-through, her home in the Blue Ridge foothills had become a destination. “For years after my husband, Michael, and I opened Hanover Park Vineyard, a lot of people would stop from Ohio on their way to Myrtle Beach,” she says.
One day, Amy asked her guest if she was heading to the beach. “And she said, ‘Oh no, this is our vacation.’”
At the time, Hanover Park Vineyard was Yadkin County’s only vineyard; today, the Heltons are now among good company. “Yadkin County has a higher elevation and a moderate temperature, so a lot of us grow French vinifera grapes — the European-style cabernets and the chardonnays.”
The Heltons age their wine; “we don’t rush to bottle,” Amy says. This relaxed, take-your-time vibe could be applied more broadly, not just across Yadkin County’s vineyards but throughout the North Carolina foothills and into the mountains. That’s especially the case when fall rolls around: Autumn leaves and cool mountain breezes beg visitors to take time to relax and explore at their own pace. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite ways to step into fall, one county at a time.
Dive into a field full of fall fun at Alpha & Omega’s corn maze. Photography courtesy of Yadkin County TDA
Gather your family and friends on a sunny Saturday and spend a day at Alpha & Omega in Hamptonville. This is not your ordinary corn maze. Even if you’ve tackled its twists and turns in the past, each year brings a new labyrinth. Plan to spend about 30 minutes working your way from the start line to end. In addition to mastering the five-acre field of corn, you can throw an axe, ride a pony, blast a pumpkin, or head to the paintball range. The maze’s 2024 season runs from September 7 through November 9.
Cruise along the backroads as you explore the colorful quilt blocks that adorn homes and barns throughout Yadkin County. Photography courtesy of Yadkin County TDA
The Yadkin County Quilt Trail offers just the excuse you need to take a breezy drive through the foothills and as you admire the fall foliage. It doesn’t hurt that, along the way, you’re treated to a splendid array of barn quilts — a style of folk art representative of this county’s heritage. Traditionally, the people of Yadkin County have displayed hand-painted wooden quilt squares filled with colorful geometric shapes on their barns, homes, and stores to honor the quilting tradition. By driving the Yadkin Barn Quilt Trail, you’ll become a part of that fabric. This map directs you to all 48 stops.
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, downtown Brevard is surrounded by beautiful views that make the in-between part of store-hopping feel like its own adventure. Around the charming Main Street area, plenty of locally owned art galleries, restaurants, and shops entice you to while away the better part of a day. Shop for exquisite clothing made from local craftspeople at Newfound Artisan or find more bohemian crafts at Local Color, your quintessential hippy mountain boutique. If you want the perfect postcard to commemorate your trip, stop by Starfangled Press, a printmaking studio and gallery that puts a modern spin on the old-fashioned printmaking process.
If Main Street’s breezy fresh air inspires you to get out in nature, work D.D. Bullwinkel’s Outdoors into your shopping itinerary. You’ll find hiking and camping gear, high-quality apparel, and expertise from staff well-versed in Transylvania County’s great outdoors.
Sit and enjoy the tranquility of Hooker Falls. Photography courtesy of Transylvania County TDA
Catalina Noreña leads Club de Exploradores, a free, bilingual outreach program that recruits Transylvania County middle schoolers for monthly, all-day adventures in the surrounding forests. One of her favorite places to go is Hooker Falls in Dupont State Forest.
“It’s an absolutely beautiful place to pack a picnic and spend an entire day,” Noreña says. From the Hooker Falls Access Area parking lot, take an easy 0.4-mile walk down a wide trail to a beautiful view of the falls. “There’s also a giant pool to swim in — kind of like the feeling of a small-town public pool, packed with families.”
Noreña also likes Triple Falls and High Falls, both within walking distance of Hooker Falls. You can tackle them all on a 4.5-mile hike. “There’s no swimming at Triple Falls and High Falls, but they are very scenic, gorgeous to look at,” she explains. Noreña doesn’t mind sharing the trail with other visitors, but if you prefer a quieter experience, she suggests arriving before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m.
Make plans to visit the 1800-seat Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium for a concert by Lake Miner. Photography courtesy of Transylvania County TDA
Since Madeline Magin and her fiancé, Cody Noble, bought Noblebräu Brewing in Downtown Brevard’s Lumberyard District, Magin has focused on booking musicians. “We’re located in the heart of Appalachia, and Grammy Award-winning bluegrass musicians are eager to play here when they aren’t on tour,” she says. With Asheville only 40 minutes in one direction and Greenville, South Carolina, an hour in another, she’s found a host of regional talent. “We love hosting funk, rock, Americana, soul, blues — heck, tonight, we have a local metal band, Shun, celebrating their new album release.”
Close to Pisgah National Forest, Oskar Blues Brewery hosts musicians on their spacious patio in the late afternoon, early evening. “It’s the perfect spot to go after a hike to grab a burger and a beer while listening to music,” Magin says.
The DFR Lounge is your place to go for jazz. Magin likes the basement vibe. “You walk down into a gunshot-style lounge with plenty of room, whether you come to dance or kick back at a table,” she says.
Between their open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and Parker Concert Hall, Brevard Music Center is well equipped to host year-round classical performances, rain or shine. “Their campus is stunning,” Magin says. Her recommendation: “Arrive early to take it in before the show.”
Immerse yourself in nature as you wind and climb along Jackson County’s hiking trails. Photography courtesy of JACKSON COUNTY TDA
Our state’s only Certified Forest Therapy Trail, the Pinnacle Park Trail in Sylva “emphasizes sensory connection and mindfulness” as it follows an old logging road, cuts through streams, a grassy ridge, and meanders past waterfalls. Your reward after a 3.4-mile trek: the Pinnacle, with 360-degree panoramic views of Scotts Creek Valley and the town of Sylva. Set aside a day and pack a lunch to make the most of this seven-mile hike.
Sip a craft brew on the outdoor patio at Innovation Brewing. photograph by Sara Leek, Courtesy of Jackson County TDA
Satisfy hiker hunger with some of the best curry you’ve ever tasted at this charming red hut on the banks of Scott Creek between Dillsboro and Sylva. Dalaya Thai’s rotating selection of classic Thai curries includes items like the kaeng kua, organic duck and pineapple simmered in a spicy kua curry.
For more than a decade, Innovation Brewing has garnered a devoted local following and added locations in Dillsboro and Cullowhee since opening its original taproom and production facility on Sylva’s Main Street. With more than 25 beers on tap, devotees have plenty to pick from, but the drink menu is robust for wine, cider, and nonalcoholic drinkers, too.
Everything in the Library Kitchen + Bar feels bright and colorful: the vibrant art on the walls, the entrees carefully prepared from seasonal vegetables (and edible flowers!), artfully prepared cocktails you’ll want to sip forever. Dining in this restored 1864 house, its roots on a working farm, is a true culinary experience.
With Chef Santiago Guzzetti’s Sicilian grandmother, Ilda, as the restaurant’s inspiration and namesake, Guzzetti and his partner — sommelier Crystal Pace — combine their shared southern Italian and Appalachian heritage to present a menu that highlights ingredients from local farmers and fishermen in inspired preparations.
All three Haywood Smokehouse locations serve dependably delicious smoked brisket and butts, plus juicy ribs, burgers, and chicken — and that’s just the meat. The sides could fill a plate on their own. Choose from the regulars, like creamy coleslaw, collard greens, and burnt-end baked beans, alongside mac ’n’ cheese, French fries, and potato salad.
Fall is prime time to cast your line in the Tuckasegee’s trout-filled waters. photograph by River Wizard Company, Courtesy of Jackson County TDA
Two separate dams control the east and west forks of the Tuckasegee river, Nicolay Bell explains, fly fishing guide and manager of Tuckaseegee Fly Shop’s Sylva location. From where the forks meet, a delayed harvest section starts a little farther downstream. “This gives you plenty of opportunity for trout,” Bell says.
Fly fishers are especially likely to reel in a trout during the delayed harvest season of October through early June. Between South River Road and North River Road, plenty of pull-offs offer an easy way to park your car and walk down to the river.
“If you’re looking at a map, a good landmark is the big bridge on Highway 107, and it spans about six miles down to Dillsboro,” Bell says. “There’s a nice buffer between the river and the backroads, so it’s peaceful for fishing.” His favorite part? “You can definitely find some solitude.”
Where will you choose to find solitude in the North Carolina mountains? Whether you scale towering peaks, soak in the misty views at waterfalls, explore a charming mountain town, or bathe in the rich, rolling foothills of wine country, there are plenty of ways to embrace autumn as the leaves change and the temperatures dip in western North Carolina.
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