Blowing Rock

With its expansive, scenic views off the Parkway, discover why the mountain village of Blowing Rock is known as the Crown of the Blue Ridge.

The beautiful and mountainous area of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, has a rich history dating back to the days when the Native Americans passed through on the Nickajack Trail, which led into Tennessee.

Blowing Rock derives its unique name from a rock outcropping near the town, where the winds defy gravity and have the ability to blow light objects thrown from the rock back to the rock. During the 1790s, several families settled the area, and by the mid-1850s, inhabitants of Blowing Rock along with summer visitors from Lenoir enjoyed the beauty and comfort of the mountainous area. The construction of the Lenoir-Blowing Rock Turnpikeafter 1845 provided easier access to America's Switzerland, and visitors or cottagers, as they were called, soon began building second homes in the area.

The images contained within Blowing Rockprovide readers with a glimpse into the small-town charm, friendly faces, and inspiring scenery that ensure the town's future as a destination for those who yearn for the comfort of mountain life.