South is Jeffries Park where the beautiful Cascades are an easy walk, and you can stop at overlooks with spectacular panaoramas of Ashe County and the Piedmont. In the center of Ashe County is Mt. Jefferson State Park. All have hiking trails and picnicking. There are also picnic grounds at New River State Park. Biking is popular on the back roads.
Maps are available at the Inn.
Grayson Highlands, Mt. Rogers Recreation Area,Whitetop Mountain, the Virginia Creeper Trail and the New River trail are all within easy reach - just over the Virginia border. If you are interested in crafts, art, or genealogy there are many opportunities. The other is fifteen minutes away in West Jefferson. There are also shops and galleries in Glendale Springs and West Jefferson, where the Ashe County Public Library has extensive genealogy archives. For golfers there are two golf courses in Ashe County, as well as the courses in Boone and Blowing Rock.