BREVARD, N.C. — October is supposed to be the biggest month for the North Carolina mountains. Instead, some of these mountain towns are still picking up the pieces after Hurricane Helene.
While some mountain towns and cities aren't taking in visitors during what is normally the peak season (for the changing leaves and the tourism), there are many towns still welcoming folks looking to get away. Blowing Rock, for example, is normally bustling during this time of year. Instead, it's struggling to see business, even though the damage from Helene was minimal.
Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide put together a list of mountain towns that are accepting visitors at this time and the ones that aren't. The founders of the site and social media page, Bret Love and Mary Gabbett, connected directly to the towns' public relations officials as well as the town websites to create this list.
As of Wednesday, here are the mountain towns/cities welcoming visitors:
As of Wednesday, here are the mountain towns/cities that are NOT welcoming visitors right now:
- Swannanoa
- Asheville
- Black Mountain
- Old Fort
- Chimney Rock
- Lake Lure
- Bat Cave
- Marshall
- Hot Springs
- Burnsville
- Spruce Pine
Love and Gabbett encourage their followers to always check the official town websites before visiting, and use DriveNC.gov as a guide on road closures and alternate routes.
You can see Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide's list here and follow along with their updates.