Banner Elk
Banner Elk is the largest town in Avery County and sits perched near some of the highest points in the Appalachians. For that reason, the area is known by locals as the High Country. Once part of the vast hunting and fishing grounds of the Cherokee, the landscape continues to be largely rugged and untamed, even if several cafes, restaurants, breweries, and wineries sit just a few minutes’ drive away from Banner Elk’s sole stoplight.
Avery County is the most recently created county in North Carolina—having been formed out of parts of Caldwell, Mitchell, and Watauga counties in 1911—but the history of European settlement in the area dates as far back as 1825, when Delilah Baird and John Holtsclaw settled on 480 acres of land on the Big Bottoms of the Elk River, approximately a mile outside of what is today Banner Elk. The history of the area that would become known as Banner Elk dates back to 1840, when Martin L. Banner first made his way through the valley on his way to Nashville. Amazed by the beauty of the North Carolina mountains, Banner eventually returned to the area with his family in 1845, built a cabin, and established a permanent settlement of Banner’s Elk that was soon home to 55 people with the Banner name. When it was incorporated in 1911, the name was shortened to Banner Elk.
Banner Elk continues to draw in visitors from around the world for many reasons, chief among them being its breathtaking views of the mountains. Grassy Ridge Bald, with a peak 6,165 feet above sea level, is the highest point in Avery County, but there are a dozen mountains in Avery that top out at over a mile above sea level. At 3,510 feet, Avery has the second highest mean elevation for any county east of the Mississippi River (nearby Haywood County has the highest (3597 feet)). It turns out the elevation and crisp mountain air provide ideal growing conditions for Fraser firs, which are commonly used as Christmas trees. In fact, Avery is one of the largest producers of these trees in the country.
The mountains also offer visitors and residents a wealth of outdoor activities. Grandfather Mountain State Park, Linville Gorge Wilderness, numerous waterfalls, the Pisgah National Forest, and the Blue Ridge Parkway are all just a few miles from town, while ski resorts at Sugar Mountain and Beach Mountain are easily accessible even during the dead of winter. Both are open throughout the season and welcome snowboarders and skiers from throughout North Carolina and beyond. Meanwhile, in the summer, thousands flock to the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, which is held annually the first full weekend after July 4 and is one of the largest Scottish festivals outside of Scotland.
Though the mountainsides just outside of town are dotted with lodges, cabins, and retreats, Banner Elk also has also recently attracted artists, families, and retirees who were drawn in because of the ease of High County life and Banner Elk’s thriving culinary and arts scene.
(37)
(46)
(40)
Virtual Tour (29)
Virtual Tour (47)
(29)
(7)
Virtual Tour (36)
(47)
Virtual Tour (48) (37)
(42)- 53 Green Ridge Lane Banner Elk, NC 28604
- $1,875,000
- Beds 4Baths 4 | 1SqFt 3,700Property Type House
(37)
Listing No. 4025227Listing No. 4013829Listing No. 4030061Listing No. 4004823Listing No. 4017393Listing No. 4026635Listing No. 4031192Listing No. 4004145Listing No. 3930008- 378 Ruby Lane Banner Elk, NC 28604
- $689,900
- Beds 2Baths 2SqFt 1,727Property Type House
Virtual Tour- (48)
Listing No. 4020072Listing No. 4027925 (37)$1,875,000
4 4 Beds
4 | 1 4 | 1 Baths
3,700 SqFt 3,700 SqFt
4025227Listing No. 4025227
HouseProperty Type: House
(37)
(46)$1,750,000
4 4 Beds
4 4 Baths
2,416 SqFt 2,416 SqFt
4013829Listing No. 4013829
HouseProperty Type: House
(46)
(40)$1,650,000
4 4 Beds
4 4 Baths
2,946 SqFt 2,946 SqFt
4030061Listing No. 4030061
HouseProperty Type: House
(40)
VIRTUAL TOUR (29)$1,500,000
4 4 Beds
4 4 Baths
4,136 SqFt 4,136 SqFt
4004823Listing No. 4004823
HouseProperty Type: House
VIRTUAL TOUR
(29)
VIRTUAL TOUR (47)$1,500,000
3 3 Beds
3 3 Baths
2,021 SqFt 2,021 SqFt
4017393Listing No. 4017393
HouseProperty Type: House
VIRTUAL TOUR
(47)
(29)$1,350,000
2 2 Beds
2 2 Baths
1,824 SqFt 1,824 SqFt
4026635Listing No. 4026635
HouseProperty Type: House
(29)
(7)$1,350,000
3 3 Beds
3 | 2 3 | 2 Baths
2,328 SqFt 2,328 SqFt
4031192Listing No. 4031192
HouseProperty Type: House
(7)
VIRTUAL TOUR (36)$754,900
3 3 Beds
3 3 Baths
2,243 SqFt 2,243 SqFt
4004145Listing No. 4004145
CondoProperty Type: Condo
VIRTUAL TOUR
(36)
(47)$749,900
3 3 Beds
4 4 Baths
2,508 SqFt 2,508 SqFt
3930008Listing No. 3930008
HouseProperty Type: House
(47)
VIRTUAL TOUR (48)$689,900
2 2 Beds
2 2 Baths
1,727 SqFt 1,727 SqFt
4020072Listing No. 4020072
HouseProperty Type: House
VIRTUAL TOUR
(48)
(37)$450,000
2 2 Beds
2 2 Baths
1,080 SqFt 1,080 SqFt
4027925Listing No. 4027925
CondoProperty Type: Condo
(37)
(42)$399,900
2 2 Beds
2 2 Baths
1,404 SqFt 1,404 SqFt
4034091Listing No. 4034091
HouseProperty Type: House
(42)
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, 17 U.S.C. § 512 (the ?DMCA?) provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you believe in good faith that any content or material made available in connection with our website or services infringes your copyright, you (or your agent) may send us a notice requesting that the content or material be removed, or access to it blocked. Notices must be sent in writing by email to [email protected]. ?The DMCA requires that your notice of alleged copyright infringement include the following information: (1) description of the copyrighted work that is the subject of claimed infringement; (2) description of the alleged infringing content and information sufficient to permit us to locate the content; (3) contact information for you, including your address, telephone number and email address; (4) a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the content in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, or its agent, or by the operation of any law; (5) a statement by you, signed under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that you have the authority to enforce the copyrights that are claimed to be infringed; and (6) a physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or a person authorized to act on the copyright owner?s behalf. Failure to include all of the above information may result in the delay of the processing of your complaint.