Roaring Gap is a famous summer colony and an unincorporated community in Alleghany County, North Carolina.
It is tucked into the foothills of the 600-foot Stone Mountain, North Carolina’s gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Industrialist Alexander Chatham, the founder of the Chatham Manufacturing Company, established Roaring Gap as a summer resort in 1890.
The community takes its name from the noise the wind makes while rushing through the mountains.
Roaring Gap is home to three golf and country clubs: Roaring Gap Club, Old Beau Golf Club, and High Meadows Country Club.
Many vacation homes and bed-and-breakfasts nestle in the woody pine forests near Roaring Gap.
At Stone Mountain State Park, you can picnic, hike trails, view wildlife, and go fishing in the wilderness.
There are also miles of excellent trout streams nearby and game lands that provide hunting opportunities.
The mountains around Roaring Gap provide a wealth of cultural, entertainment, and art experiences.
Here are the best things to do in Roaring Gap, NC:
Mary Terriberry / Shutterstock.com
Stone Mountain State Park is a spectacular 600-foot granite dome estimated to be 300 million years old.
Established in 1969 and designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975, this 13,500-acre park features tumbling waterfalls and refreshing mountain streams.
Discover its beautiful hiking trails, forests alive with wildlife, and a historic homestead.
The magnificent Stone Mountain is part of a 25-square-mile pluton, an igneous rock formed by molten lava beneath the Earth’s surface.
Mary Terriberry / Shutterstock.com
Hike over 16 miles of trails and test your fly-fishing skills on 17 miles of trout waters.
Then, go rock climbing in designated cliff areas.
The park also has 90 tents, RV campsites, and backcountry camping sites along Widow’s Creek.
The Mountain Culture Exhibit tells the story of independent mountain settlers who provided food, shelter, and clothing for their families.
Mary Terriberry / Shutterstock.com
The owners planted the first seedlings of Maines Choose and Cut Tree Farm upon its establishment in 1989.
It is a family operation where only the best Fraser fir trees grow in the perfect environment of Alleghany County’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
The farm spans approximately 60 acres and is a dedicated choose and cut farm.
Families and individuals are the prioritized customers.
Bobby and Judy Maines, the owners, will help you pick the right tree and accessories.
With tree sizes varying from tabletop to ten feet, you will create unique Christmas memories.
They have 60,000 trees growing in a scenic and easily accessible environment.
More items available are roping, mixed and Fraser firs, wreaths, bows, crafts, and tree stands.
Perched high in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Olde Beau Resort and Golf Club is a semi-private resort community.
Old Beau Resort and Golf Club have one of the premier tee time experiences in the South.
The resort has full-service amenities designed with whole families in mind and many lodging opportunities.
Billy Satterfield developed the resort in 1992.
He also named both resort and club after his beloved bulldog.
Satterfield dreamed of a premier, family-oriented vacation spot in the heart of North Carolina’s gorgeous and unspoiled mountains.
You will surely remember a round of golf at Olde Beau, highlighted by sweeping views, panoramic mountain vistas, and spectacular foliage.
Here you can find a par-72 course measuring 6710 yards from the tips, 5652 from the front tees, and 6237 from the middle.
The fairways and roughs are a rich mix of bluegrass, and the greens are regulation bent grass.
Likewise, check out the clubhouse with culinary delights, a fitness facility and swimming pool, and an active tennis and pickleball program.
High Meadows Inn in Roaring Gap is comfortably between three tranquil golf courses.
Zdenko and Doreen Peros renovated an old house in Morehead and turned it into an Italian restaurant named Nikola’s, later moving to Alleghany County after 23 years.
After seeing the deer, turkeys, and abundance of streams in the county, they settled here and bought the restaurant and inn at High Meadows.
Today, the High Meadows Inn has 33 wide and comfortable rooms, including two luxury suites with a hot tub and a large whirlpool.
You can book a Double Room, a King Room, a Mountain Suite, or a Classic King.
Their onsite restaurant, Nikola’s Restaurant, serves lunch, dinner, and a continental breakfast, featuring veal, chicken, steaks, and seafood.
Willthacheerleader18, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
High Meadows Golf and Country Club is a residential golf club and a private neighborhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In 1963, Robert Glenn Davis scoped out the land to build a course and summer resort, incorporating the golf club on July 1, 1964.
George Cobb designed the course in 1964, creating one of the most unique courses in the Carolinas.
Members have praised the High Meadows course as a beautiful gem in a natural setting that speaks to the golfer’s soul.
The High Meadows course has rolling hills, strategically placed bunkers, winding streams, and ponds that all come into play when golfing.
All 18 holes are player-friendly with six sets of tees, breathtaking views, and elevation changes.
Facilities include a putting green, driving range, chipping area, and practice sand bunker.
Additional High Meadows offerings are tennis, basketball, hiking, canoeing, and fishing.
Stone Mountain State Park is filled with gorgeous streams and breathtaking trails that will take lots of energy from any adventurer.
After a day of exploration and taking in the beautiful views, any visitor to the park will surely get hungry!
You will find the lovely Stone Mountain Country Store only two miles up the road and three minutes from the park.
Like the mountain, the store is full of awe-inspiring charm and old-fashioned fixings.
From its well-built tongue-and-groove ceiling to its well-loved wooden floors, you will feel at home in this cozy haven.
Revitalize yourself with victuals, take refreshments for the road home, and have a drink at the old-time authentic Coca-Cola cooler.
You can dine together inside the store.
Eating on the porch while admiring the beautiful views is a fantastic way to soak in your surroundings.
Camp Cheerio is perched atop the Blue Ridge Mountains, close to Roaring Gap.
It is an excellent place for everyone to enjoy the ultimate camp experience.
Camp Cheerio gives great adventure, traditional summer camps, and year-round retreats for everyone in the family.
During six weeks of Coed Camp and four weeks of Girls Camp, Camp Cheerio offers campers activities to help them develop and explore their lives as young Christians.
The camp has 35 activities, including Field Games, Creative Arts, Target Sports, Challenge Sports, and Aquatics.
As evening descends, various Evening Programs allow them to show off their creativity, athleticism, and performance skills.
Then campers can climb Stone Mountain, canoe on the New River, or go down the mountain to Carowinds.
More Camp Cheerio offerings are Family Camp weekends, Senior Adult camps, and Private Group weekends.
You can find Blue Ridge Woodcrafters in the heart of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
It uses native and recycled wood to create some beautiful and valuable wooden pieces, whether it’s a spoon, table, or lazy Susan.
John Brady spent a career as a schoolteacher and principal, taking to the woods upon retirement.
Blue Ridge Woodcrafters makes smartly designed custom furniture, household items, and functional gadgets for the home and office.
Blue Ridge Woodcrafters sources its walnut, cherry, pine, and other woods, mainly from Alleghany County.
Brady makes colorful cutting boards designed from local hardwoods and lazy Susans composed of colorful local wood species.
He also creates tables selected from slabs from the finest local hardwoods and steps stools from beautifully patterned local wood.
More items for sale include cutting boards, boxes, coasters, racks, spoons, clipboards, business card holders, and toys.
Jones von Drehle Vineyards and Winery is a 65-acre winery on the south-facing slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In-laws Diana and Chuck Jones and Raymond and Ronnie von Drehle started a family-owned fine wine winery and vineyard in their state.
They started their venture in 2007 upon finding suitable land beneath the Blue Ridge Mountain heavens.
The place produces wines from the 30 acres of vines grown on the premises as an estate winery.
They have carefully selected and grown varieties in select areas that produce the most quality fruit.
Their classic wine grapes include Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Petit Manseng, and Malbec.
Their vineyard dog, Chloe, a cancer survivor, is the official greeter at the tasting room.
She enjoys traveling with Chuck and Diana when they roam the state to market their brand.
Badagnani at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Old Fiddlers’ Convention is a southwestern Virginia tradition and an ideal destination for bluegrass and old-time musicians and fans.
It also happens in Galax, Virginia, 33 minutes from Roaring Gap.
Every year, mountain and country music fans head to Galax, Virginia, for this annual convention.
Most of these people don’t even wield instruments; instead, they want the pleasure of listening to music and reforging acquaintances.
Eli Christman from Richmond, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Those who come with their musical instruments are here to show off their skills.
They want to see, hear, be heard, and win cash prizes worth thousands of dollars.
These instruments range from bull fiddles strapped on vehicles to mouth harps that fit in the pocket.
The Old Fiddlers’ Convention started in the spring of 1935, keeping alive memories of days past and making it possible to hear the tunes of yesterday.
Eli Christman from Richmond, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chestnut Creek School for the Arts is a unique hybrid organization formed in the city of Galax, Virginia.
Its mission is to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of southwest Virginia by offering classes and events in heritage crafts, traditional music, and contemporary arts.
It offers events, classes, and exhibits year-round in one of three studios in downtown Galax.
The school has fully equipped studios in stained glass, metalsmithing, pottery, woodworking, painting, sewing, and printmaking.
It also offers classes in several other disciplines.
It has a multitude of workshops, including but not limited to veterans, seniors, homeschoolers, and folks with special needs.
Chestnut Creek School for the Arts believes that art is for everybody and that every individual has an innate ability to create.
Mary Terriberry / Shutterstock.com
One of Stone Mountain State Park’s historical sites is the Hutchinson Homestead, a mid-19th-century homestead restored in 1998.
It’s a representative of early settlers’ lives.
Likewise, it’s at Traphill, North Carolina, 16 minutes from Roaring Gap.
The Stone Mountain Loop Trail, 4.5 miles long, features many original buildings complete with furnishings, including the Hutchinson family homestead.
J K Laws / Shutterstock.com
The Homestead features a mid-19th-century log cabin, blacksmith shop, barn, meathouse, corncrib, and other original furnishings.
Take a step back to simpler times and a sparser lifestyle as you tour these buildings.
You will have a front-row seat from this location for unmatched views of this part of North Carolina.
Beyond the buildings is a small trail leading to a field where you will see a large stone face holding Stone Mountain’s name.
In 2013, Robin Mangum joined forces with fellow potters Robin and Daniel Carter to form Mangum-Cater on Main.
Mangum-Cater on Main is a working studio and gallery in pretty downtown Sparta, 14 minutes from Roaring Gap.
The gallery space contains decorative and functional clay works intermixed with metal sculptures.
They also have a professional studio with wheels, a glazing area, slab roller, and kilns.
A look around the gallery shows an incredible range of function and form.
Robin Mangum is a master of the potter’s wheel and creates one-of-a-kind whimsical forms with underglazes and slips.
Daniel Cater ranges from clay to metal, creating hand-built forms with a contemporary influence.
Robin Cater finds her niche throwing mugs, bowls, and vases along with tile and wood wall hangings, totes, and lamps.
Guests are always welcome to roam the gallery, visit the upstairs play studio, and relax on the mural-covered back porch with a view of the mountain.
Robert H Ellis / Shutterstock.com
The 7,000-acre Doughton Park is the largest recreation area on the Blue Ridge Parkway, home to hiking trails, picnic areas, and a campground.
It’s also in Traphill, 32 minutes from Roaring Gap.
Appalachian history is alive and well among the ridgetop meadows and inclined mountainsides of Doughton Park.
The park is one of the best places on Blue Ridge Parkway to see raccoons, grey and red foxes, bobcats, and white-tailed deer.
In the late spring, vivid flowers create a beautiful spectacle of flame azalea and rhododendron.
Beach Creatives / Shutterstock.com
In Basin Cove, there are over 30 miles of hiking trails leading to the backcountry, streams, and wooded slopes.
Find the Caudill Family Homestead, a dramatic demonstration of isolated mountain life.
Brinegar Cabin is a well-preserved section of early mountain life where you can watch craft demonstrations.
You can also visit the nearby Northwest Trading Post, which features an array of craft items and souvenirs.
EWY Media / Shutterstock.com
The Blue Ridge Music Center is a state-of-the-art performing arts facility, museum, venue, and visitor center.
It’s in Galax, Virginia, 29 minutes from Roaring Gap.
It celebrates the musicians and sounds of the Blue Ridge Mountains through programs, exhibits, and concerts.
These highlight the region’s thriving musical heritage and interpret its role within the larger landscape of American music and culture.
The center welcomes thousands of visitors each spring, summer, and fall to enjoy some of the finest traditional tunes.
These include bluegrass, folk, old-time, Americana, blues, country, and gospel.
They host a summer concert series each year against the magical backdrop of the outdoor amphitheater at Fisher Peak.
Every day, they present live music on the covered breezeway, featuring local musicians who play, sing, and tell stories.
Their museum features Roots of American Music, which traces how traditional music still influences folk, rock, and popular music today.
Don’t go home from your Roaring Gap trip without a souvenir.
Fortunately, The Posh Fox of Roaring Gap has your back.
This shopping destination is famous among residents and vacationers for its wide collection of apparel and memorabilia.
Opened in 1996, the building where it currently sits once served as the residence of a woman named Sheila Freeman.
Several years later, after changing management two times, the shop remains an iconic tourist attraction for those visiting or passing by the community.
From hand-painted wine glasses and fancy baubles to home goods and gift baskets, there’s always something special waiting for you at this retail shop.
The Posh Fox of Roaring Gap is on Highway 21, nestled among the charming Blue Ridge Mountains landscapes.
Camping in Roaring Gap is always memorable and exciting.
Take Olde Beau Luxury Motorcoach Resort for example.
First opened in 2007, this resort sits on magnificent grasslands spanning 850 acres.
The resort comes with a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, an outdoor and indoor pool, and a multifaceted exercise room.
But perhaps what makes this resort a hit among many is its 18-hole championship golf course.
With its breathtaking views and moderately challenging fairways, learning golf is never as fun as this.
Discover the joys of simple motorcoach living when you come by.
Olde Beau Luxury Motorcoach Resort resides within the Olde Beau Resort & Golf Club.
Despite its small size, Roaring Gap has a few historic buildings you can still see today.
One of these is The Rock House.
This historic home also goes by the name Bowman Gray House.
Built in 1929, this home offers a good example of the Rustic Revival architectural design.
This design came from Northup and O’Brien, who was a renowned North Carolina firm during that time.
Now, the house stands with its striking rambling chestnut exterior.
If you’ve got the time, drive by Chestnut Lane to get a glimpse of The Rock House—one of Roaring Gap’s historic treasures.
During the early 90s, Roaring Gap welcomed its fair share of fancy houses and established homes.
William T. Vogler Cottage is only one among many.
But unlike the rest, this home became a part of the National Register of Historic Places.
William T. Vogler Cottage’s alluring architecture takes inspiration from the Queen Anne style and features a yard and a garage.
Unfortunately, the home—which also went by the name Locust Grove Cottage—didn’t sit for long.
In 1995, it was sadly demolished.
Though you can’t see the house in its entirety anymore today, you can still drive by Roaring Gap Drive and see the foliage of where the home once stood.
When it comes to antiquities, Roaring Gap’s Blue Ridge Antiques is your best choice.
This tucked-away treasure shop has anything you might need to expand your vintage collection.
From rugs and lamps to pottery and other art pieces, you’ve got many items to choose from.
Its range of Continental, Americana, and British accessories has brought many visitors to its store.
Get a souvenir or gift for someone special from this store.
You can get to Blue Ridge Antiques via US Highway 21.
Roaring Gap is a refreshing spot in the mountains where you can spend time outdoors breathing fresh air and returning to nature.
Its unique location also contributes to popular destinations where you can enjoy culture, live music, artistry, and entertainment.
Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the North Carolina Mountains.
Book your Roaring Gap trip today!
Discover the world.
© All rights reserved.
