Put these top 5 spots on your Western North Carolina itinerary asap! 📝 🏔️ Follow @smoky.mountain.soul for more travel ideas in the Blue Ridge Mountains 🥾 Linville Gorge: rugged hiking, views 💦 Scenic Highway 64: roadside waterfalls 🦌 Great Smoky Mountains National Park: views, swimming, and wildlife 🌲 Gorges State Park: waterfalls, hiking ⛰️ Grandfather Mountain: hiking, children’s activities 🙏🏻 Be respectful when visiting! | Smoky Mountain Soul Adventures

Rising 5,946 feet above sea level, Grandfather Mountain stands tall as a living legend of North Carolina. ⛰️ Named for its peaks shaped like an old man’s profile, this iconic mountain has inspired Native American tribes, early settlers, and generations of visitors. Preserved in the late 1800s by Hugh Morton and his family, it escaped logging and modern development. Opened to the public in 1952 and home to the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge, Grandfather Mountain is where breathtaking views, ric