Dirt on Boone

local attractions and features

Boone took its name from the famous pioneer and explorer Daniel Boone.  It is the home of Appalachian State University, 3 time NCAA titlist in the National Football Championship Subdivision, the first university in history to win 3 in a row.   " Horn in the West ", a dramatization of the life and times of Daniel Boone, has been performed in an outdoor amphitheatre above the town every summer since 1952. Its original "Daniel Boone" was Ned Austin. His "Hollywood Star" stands on a pedestal on King Street in historic downtown Boone. The Grammy Award-winning guitar player Doc Watson also comes from the Boone area, as do many bluegrass musicians and Appalachian storytellers.

Boone offers a large variety of shops and restaurants in a peaceful small town setting.  The university influence on the area creates numerous things to do including live music, theater, and events.   Of course  Boone is best known for its outdoor activities which are available year round .  The summer offers rafting, climbing, hiking, and biking on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the local winter ski slopes offer skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.

Boone is located at 36°12′N 81°40′W  /  36.211°N 81.668°W and has an elevation of 3,266 feet (995.5 m) above sea level, the highest elevation of any town of its size  east of the Mississippi River. As such, the climate of Boone is closer to that of Northern New England or the upper Midwest than the South. During summer, high temperatures in Boone are typically 78 °F (25 °C) or below, noticeably cooler than the lowland areas to the east and south, and summers are also considerably less humid than in other parts of the Carolinas. However, snow conditions are not unusual during most winters. Boone typically averages 40 inches of snowfall annually, making excellent skiing conditions.