Banner Elk, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Attractions
During summer time there is hiking, whitewater rafting, fishing, and other activities. The largest lake in the area, Watauga LakeWatauga Lake
Watauga Lake, located southeast of Elizabethton, Tennessee, was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority with the completion of the TVA Watauga Dam and Reservoir....
, is a favorite spot just 30 minutes away for boating, fishing and wake boarding. In the winter the main event is skiing and snowboarding. There are two slopes in the area: Beech Mountain (Beech, as in the Beech tree) and Sugar Mountain. There used to be a third, but in the winter of 2008-2009, Hawks' Nest became an all tubing park, the largest on the East Coast.
There are several restaurants in Banner Elk in addition to a post office, bank, and many lodging choices. Generally, Banner Elk is known as a quiet and peaceful town. Every year the town hosts the annual Woolly Worm festival.
In the 1970s, Beech Mountain was home to a theme park based on the Land of Oz
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
, but it closed after only a few years. The attraction was never fully removed, and there have been various attempts to revive it.
Education
Lees-McRae CollegeLees-McRae College
Lees-McRae College is a private four-year college in Banner Elk, North Carolina affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . Lees-McRae College has the highest elevation of any college or university in the United States east of the Mississippi River at above sea level. It is one of the few colleges...
is a private four-year college in Banner Elk, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Banner Elk has a K-5th school, run by the Avery County School system.
See also
- Beech MountainBeech Mountain (North Carolina)For the incorporated town, see Beech MountainBeech Mountain is a mountain in the North Carolina High Country and wholly in the Pisgah National Forest. Its elevation reaches 5,506 feet and generates feeder streams for the Elk River. Nestled on the top is the Town of Beech...
- Elizabethton, TennesseeElizabethton, TennesseeElizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...
- Elk RiverElk River (North Carolina)The Elk River is a large stream in the North Carolina High Country and East Tennessee. The headwaters begin from the Northwestern slopes of Peak Mountain in Avery County, North Carolina and end at the Watauga River in Carter County, Tennessee.-Hydrography:...
- Roan Mountain, TennesseeRoan Mountain, TennesseeRoan Mountain is a census-designated place in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...
- Shawneehaw CreekShawneehaw CreekThe Shawneehaw Creek is a stream in the North Carolina High Country and is located in the town of Banner Elk. The headwaters begin from the Southeastern slopes of Beech Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina and end at the Elk River in Avery County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:With the...
- Sugar MountainSugar Mountain (North Carolina)Sugar Mountain is a mountain in the North Carolina High Country and wholly in the Pisgah National Forest. Its elevation reaches 5,236 feet and is split along the Eastern Continental Divide, generating feeder streams for the Linville, Elk, and North Toe rivers...
- Watauga RiverWatauga RiverThe Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain and Peak Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:...