The Banner Elk Area

Banner Elk and surrounding areas offer a quality of life that is sought by many folks today . . .  a beautiful mountain retreat away from the busy crowds where one can still have access to the finer conveniences found in larger metropolitan areas. We invite you to come and Discover the Spirit of Mountain Living in The Headwaters of Banner Elk, situated right in the heart of the North Carolina High Country, just ten minutes from downtown.

Drive time from Charlotte, NC is just over 2 hours. We’re also only 2 hours from Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC and just under 4 hours from Raleigh, NC.

Banner Elk itself, is a quaint mountain town located 30 minutes from Boone, home to Appalachian State University. This beautiful Avery County setting is surrounded by some of the highest mountains east of the Rockies including Grandfather Mountain and Beech Mountain. The Blue Ridge Parkway traverses the county just six miles from town.

Banner Elk is home to Lees McRae College and features a lively arts and crafts cultural scene, complete with an intimate pedestrian shopping district of upscale boutiques and outstanding restaurants, several of which are regularly featured in national travel and food magazines.

With four distinct seasons, Banner Elk offers a wonderful year-round climate. Spring blossoms beautifully with rhododendron and mountain laurel. Summer features sunny days for outdoor activities and cool evenings for relaxation. Fall bursts forth in a palette of brilliant colors while Winter provides skiing and cozy nights by the fireside.

The higher elevations of this region make for cooler summer temperatures. In fact, Avery County’s seat, the town of Newland, and neighboring Beech Mountain are the highest county seat and incorporated town, respectively, in the eastern United States. Don’t be fooled by other mountain towns that claim cool summers but have lower elevations. If you are looking for cooler summer temperatures, you can’t do any better than the High Country, home to The Headwaters. That’s why its called “The High Country.”