The Go Blue Ridge Card is a great way to enhance the value of your visit to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. For a single low price, you can have access to over 30 of the area's top attractions and activities. Have the freedom to see what you want while saving up to 35% compared to the cost of individual tickets.

The Go Blue Ridge Card includes admission to more than 35 of the North Carolina mountains' most popular attractions at one low price. Adult cards are $79 for a 2-day pass, $109 for a 3-day pass (on-line purchase, $99 if purchased in person), and $159 for a 5-day pass; rates for children ages 3-12 are $49, $79 (on-line purchase, $69 if purchased in person), and $119 respectively.

For further details or to purchase the card online, visit the Go Blue Ridge Card website.  The card can also be purchased at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (Asheville, NC), the Asheville Visitor Center, Smoky Mountain Host Visitor Center (Franklin, NC), and any of the Mast General Stores in North Carolina. Vouchers from on-line purchases can be exchanged for the card at these places, as well as at the High County Host Visitor Center in Boone.

Sample Go Blue Ridge Card Itineraries

Here are some ideas for making the most of your Blue Ridge National Heritage Area vacation using the Go Blue Ridge Card. Mix in the many free things to see and do, and you have a wealth of quality experiences for the whole family!

Central Mountain Region

Experience downtown Asheville on the Gray Line Trolley Tours or LaZoom Comedy Tours (Both on card) or walk the Asheville Urban Trail (Free).  Also located downtown are the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, Colburn Earth Science and Smith-McDowell House museums, The Health Adventure, and Mast General Store (All on card). America's largest home and previous residence of George Vanderbilt, the 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate is a "must see" and one of the top values included on the Go Card.

From Asheville travel fifteen minutes east to the quaint town of Black Mountain for some eclectic shopping and visit the Swannanoa Valley Museum (Free) en route to Chimney Rock Park, Lake Lure Tours and Rockhouse Vineyards (All on card.)

Or going north from Asheville, visit the Vance Birthplace (Free) then follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Mitchell State Park (highest peak in the east) (Free), then on to Emerald Village in Spruce Pine, (On card). In Spruce Pine, visit the "Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree" and shop for handcrafted holiday items in their retail store (Free).

High Country Region

From Spruce Pine, follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to milepost 328.3 to the historic Orchard at Altapass, then visit nearby Linville Caverns (Both on card). Have lunch at Spear's BBQ and Grill at Linville Lodge (On card), then visit the nearby Linville Gorge, one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern U.S. (Free). The Linville River spills into the Gorge, and there are 39 miles of hiking trails in the surrounding wilderness area. The journey can continue to Grandfather Mountain (home of the Swinging Bridge-On card) and on north to the attractions in and around Boone (N.C.'s ski area).

Or go from Spruce Pine to Bakersville for a water adventure, tubing the Toe River at Loafer's Glory (On card). Afterward, travel the scenic road to the top of Roan Mountain for some of the most spectacular views in the Blue Ridge, especially during June when the rhododendrons are in full bloom (Free). From Roan Mountain, travel to Newland and visit the Avery County Historical Museum, (Free) located in the old jailhouse, then on to Grandfather Mountain (On card).

Smoky Mountain Region

This westernmost region offers rugged outdoor adventures and many scenic overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway. From Asheville travel south on the Parkway, stopping for a scenic view or a hike at Mt. Pisgah, Shining Rock Wilderness Area, the Pink Beds and/or Graveyard Fields (Free). The Parkway ends in Cherokee, where the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Village, and the outdoor drama Unto These Hills (All on card) give visitors an insight into the rich history and culture of the Cherokee Indians. While in Cherokee, picnic in the park along the banks of the river and listen to the "Talking Trees" tell their story in both English and Cherokee (Free.)

The Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and Creamery (On card) is a great lunch or ice cream stop. The Balsam Mountain Inn (On card) is on the National Register of Historic Places and makes a good "home base" for exploring all the attractions in the Smoky Mountain Region. It's a short drive to historic Dillsboro and the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and Dillsboro Rafting (On card). In nearby Franklin, the Scottish Tartans Museum displays and explains the many varied clan tartans and other artifacts depicting the rich Scottish heritage of many mountain families (Free).

In the far west is a playground of outdoor adventure including, the Nantahala Outdoor Center (rafting, kayaking...), Smoky Mountain Jet Boats, Wildwater Rafting, Great Smokey Mountains Fish Camp & Tubing, Rose Creek Mine (All on card) and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest - the site of the largest stand of virgin trees in Western North Carolina (Free). And a journey through this region wouldn't be complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are many options for fly fishing in this region as well.