Avery County, North Carolina
What makes you happy? Maybe it’s wandering along a mountain path, breathing in clean, fresh air, and letting warm sunshine and cool breezes comfort your body and soul. Maybe it’s reveling in magnificent long-range views, across mountain ranges far below your mile-high perch, or savoring the tranquility of a wooded walk along a crystal-clear trout stream. Maybe it’s taking your dog with you on vacation to a pet-friendly town where lodging, dining, and outdoor activities for pet-loving families abound.
Over twenty-seven miles of hiking and mountain biking trails await you in the Town of Beech Mountain. Ranging from 5,500 feet to 3,500 feet in elevation, the trails are strategically placed around town to take advantage of the various micro-climates found on the mountain. Around the lower end of town, the Buckeye Recreation Area is part of the North Carolina Birding Trail. Walks in this area are particularly abundant in bird sightings, with more than 127 species found around the lake and the streams running into it. Deer are also abundant, and bear sightings are not uncommon.
Mid-way up the mountain, a second, smaller lake acts as a hub for more trails, which follow Pond Creek. Home to native brook trout, excellent fishing is found in this area. Pond Creek is designated catch-and-release, single-hook artificial lure only, and is sure to provide a great day’s fishing for the most discerning angler. For other fishing options or to learn more about the art of angling in the mountains, contact the Buckeye Recreation Center at 828-387-3003 for information on scheduling a guide.
Still not sure that the Town of Beech Mountain offers something that will make you smile? How about great restaurants, mini-golf, a downhill mountain bike park, a disc golf course, a brewery, numerous live outdoor concerts (most of which are free), canoes and kayaks for use on Buckeye Lake (available at no charge) or a large hilltop Bark Park where your furry friends can roam off-leash? Our dog park has one of the best views on the mountain and is open from dawn to dark. There’s no charge to use it.
If all that isn’t enough, how about low humidity, summer temperatures that rarely exceed 79 degrees, and few, if any, mosquitoes? Surely that is the happiest of circumstances…
So, what makes you happy? Maybe you don’t even know… yet. Give the Town of Beech Mountain a try. We think you will find a lot to smile about here.
– Kate Gavenus
