g Black Mountain

Buncombe County

BLACK MOUNTAIN

The town of Black Mountain claims a history of art, education, and fellowship, while looking to the future as a vibrant and energetic community in the eastern part of Buncombe County.

Located under the gaze of some of the oldest peaks in the country, Black Mountain enjoys proximity to rivers, trails, mountain vistas, Interstate 40, and some of the region’s most notable worship communities.

Town residents can jump on the interstate for jaunts to Asheville or Charlotte.

Black Mountain features a hearty selection of 40-plus independent restaurants, breweries, shops, art galleries, and numerous antique dealers. Venues include White Horse Black Mountain, Black Mountain Alehouse, Pisgah Brewing, Bad Craft, Foothills Butcher Bar, Seven Sisters Tap Room, Black Mountain

Natural Foods, and Lookout Brewing.

With a population of more than 8,000, Black Mountain has a vibrant but quaint commercial center. It breathes with a particular kind of mountain energy, embracing both its natural surroundings and a tastefully configured, small-town urban core, centered around the old rail depot that gave the town its name.

Part of Black Mountain’s vitality can be attributed to its draw as a place to gather, consult, and worship. Popular retreats and conference centers include the Blue Ridge Assembly, Christmount, and Ridgecrest. Nearby is Montreat, a small community that was home to renowned evangelist Billy Graham. The community also includes the Montreat Conference Center and Montreat College, the site of a major speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965.

The valley’s historic feel is enhanced as home of the avantgarde Black Mountain College, located next to Lake Eden from 1933-57, where titans of 20th Century art — Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Buckminster Fuller, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, and Josef and Anni Albers, among others — taught a generation of artists and thinkers.

Outdoor recreation is one of Black Mountain’s hallmarks. Hiking trails abound, including the comfortable bank-side trail at the 10acre Lake Tomahawk.

The Black Mountain Golf Course, run by the town, features a whopping 747-yard par 6, one of the longest holes in America.

Black Mountain hosts the 40-mile Mt. Mitchell Challenge in February, one of the toughest foot races in the country.

Montreat College and nearby Warren Wilson College offer concerts, theater productions, and dances. The valley is also home to Givens Highland Farms Retirement Communities, the N.C. State Veterans Nursing Home, and the Black Mountain Veterans Park.

Every August, The Sourwood Festival fills downtown Black Mountain with entertainment for both adults and children. More than 30,000 people turn out for the festival.

The town is also home to the LEAF Festival, an intergenerational celebration of world culture that takes place on the site of the old Black Mountain College, with a stunning array of rolling hills, lakes, streams, and mountain beauty on hundreds of acres of comfortable camping grounds. n

AGENT’S CHOICE: “The Progressive Education Program is run through Buncombe County Schools for children up to 21 years of age that have special needs including speech, OT, PT, and a therapy pool. The resource center is named after our daughter, Meryl Snyder Memorial Library!”

— Vivien Snyder, Biltmore Park office