Hidden Between Asheville And Boone Is A Blue Ridge Village With Trails, Local Cafes, And Shops

Tucked away neatly between Asheville – one of America's top three towns to visit in 2025 – and Boone is the quaint Blue Ridge town of Barnardsville. Home to fewer than 500 residents, the rural charm and beauty of Barnardsville is further cemented among those living there, given its epic mountain views and local streams. Barnardsville also presents both locals and visitors with ample opportunities for exploring the area's trails, visiting local shops, and trying excellent coffee.

The closest airport to Barnardsville is Asheville Regional Airport, located about 35 miles away, near which is Bailey Mountain Preserve, a quietly pristine nature preserve hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountains with miles of well-maintained trails. It takes a little more than half an hour to get from Asheville Regional Airport to Barnardsville. It takes even less time — give or take 20 minutes – if you're driving in from downtown Asheville. If you're staying in Asheville itself, make sure you stay in the Flat Iron Hotel, a historic Asheville hotel that offers unmatched Blue Ridge Mountain views. It costs roughly $188 a night, at the time of writing, to stay at the Flat Iron Hotel. If you want to be even closer to Barnardsville, though, you can opt to stay in the nearby town of Mars Hill at the Comfort Inn North of Asheville, which is priced at $89 per night at the time of writing. From Mars Hill, it only takes approximately 15 minutes to get to Barnardsville.

Once you're ready to explore Barnardsville, start off by grabbing yourself the perfect cup of coffee at Quinn Wren Coffee. Quinn Wren Coffee focuses on being the first-of-its-kind coffee shop in Barnardsville that specializes in handcrafted espresso drinks. Although they don't have a sit-down space and only entertain pickup orders and deliveries, the quality of their coffee is never in doubt. One javaphile on Facebook noted, "[Quinn Wren has] great prices, and coffee that puts Starbucks to shame!"

Once you've had that perfect cup of coffee, it's time to hit the trails to catch the best views in and around Barnardsville. A must-not-miss hike in the area is the Craggy Pinnacle Trail in the Blue Ridge Parkway, located an hour's drive from Barnardsville. Although it's a moderately challenging trail that includes steep inclines and can get crowded given its popularity, the views of Craggy Pinnacle peak are simply phenomenal. The trailhead is located in the parking lot, and the short one-mile hike can be completed in under an hour. If you're hiking around June, you may even see Rhododendrons on your hike.

The aforementioned Bailey Mountain Preserve — located a short 20-minute drive away from Barnardsville — is home to another great hike, which is the Bailey Mountain Summit via Richard L. Hoffman Trail. A similarly challenging trail in terms of difficulty, this is a much longer hike than Craggy Pinnacle. It is a four-mile hike that can be completed in anywhere between two-and-a-half and three hours, depending on your walking pace. Although this may seem like a long time, the stunning views of Bailey Mountain peak more than make up for the hard work you put in. The trail is well-maintained, and it's a peaceful hike, with one hiker on AllTrails reviewing, "Well maintained, well-marked trail with some elevation and great fall and winter views. Flush toilets available at the trailhead. Peaceful forest area with no road sounds."

The longest hike of the three is the Bullhead Mountain and Locust Knob via the MST trail. It's a little under 5 miles in length and can take anywhere between two-and-a-half and three hours to complete. From the viewpoints, you get views of not one but two peaks, Bullhead Mountain and Locust Knob Mountain. However, just be prepared to tackle some steep inclines and some rocky terrain on your walk.

After you're exhausted from a day well-spent exploring trails and catching some of the best views that North Carolina has to offer, head back to Barnardsville proper to visit some of the local shops in the area. Good Fibrations on Ivan Bridge Drive is a specialty store that produces the finest quality Mohair fiber in the area. Mohair is a luxurious fabric like cashmere that is not only durable but also elastic, albeit not inexpensive. The entire operation is led by Marcia Kummerle, who oversees the welfare of her animals, the processing of fabric to yarn, and the dyeing of the final product. 

Customers at her store will be able to browse through and purchase various types of yarn, both bulky and smooth. The store is open every day from nine in the morning to nine in the evening. They even offer classes like coil basketmaking. Good Fibrations is a must-stop shop during your visit to Barnardsville, with one customer on Facebook even saying, "What an amazing place and an amazing lady. Her goats are the most beautiful I've ever seen, and they make gorgeous fibers. Her hand dyed and painted yarn is luxurious and colorful. As much as I love yarn and fibers, the best part of my visit today was getting to talk to and learn from Marcia."

Located just a short way away from Barnardsville in Mars Hill is another interesting store, Fabulous Finds and Collectables. Opened in 2007, Fabulous Finds and Collectables specializes in stocking the finest antiques and vintage home decor items. Artwork, china, and furniture, among other items, are all available, and it's a store wherein you can spend hours upon hours exploring.