Welcome to Blue Ridge National Heritage Area,
a place unlike any other on earth, where ancient landscapes enchant the eye and age-old traditions warm the heart.
Congress designated the mountains of North Carolina the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in recognition of their natural abundance and richly varied cultural history.
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area nonprofit organization works to preserve, interpret and celebrate this heritage for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area includes the Cherokee Qualla Boundary and 25 Western North Carolina counties.
Traditional Artists
- Herman Coffey Mandolin player, Avery County
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- Herman Coffey was born and raised in Avery County where he has played bluegrass music since he was a young boy. His two other brothers were also interested in music, and the three of them took up music on their own when they were young.
- Visit the Traditional Artist Directory
Featured Destination
- Pisgah National Forest
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- The half-million+ acres of Pisgah National Forest drape like a cloak around the Asheville, North Carolina area and provide easy access to some of the most dramatic scenery and outstanding recreational opportunities in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Attractions Directory
Sights & Sounds of the Blue Ridge
The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, NC features an award-winning film about the Parkway and exhibits on natural and cultural heritage.
