The 25-county region of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area includes the Cherokee Qualla Boundary and the following counties:
- Alleghany
- Ashe
- Avery
- Buncombe
- Burke
- Caldwell
- Cherokee
- Clay
- Graham
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Jackson
- Macon
- Madison
- McDowell
- Mitchell
- Polk
- Rutherford
- Surry
- Swain
- Transylvania
- Watauga
- Wilkes
- Yadkin
- Yancey
