Five Reasons North Carolina is the Underrated State of America

North Carolina isn’t the loudest US state.  It doesn’t have New York’s hype, California’s swagger, or Texas’s brash volume.  But spend a little time here - as I have done repeatedly for the last decade - and you’ll discover a state that quietly consistently delights and overdelivers.  Whether you’re seeking views, brews, sports or culture, you’re in luck. 

It has everything I love in a state - mountain hikes and evening bars are separated by a short drive, and every small-town stop feels like its own well-kept secret. Ever since my buddy Bryan moved back home to North Carolina in 2014, I've been coming several times a year and love everything about this state (apart from some of the politics but let's not open that can of worms).

My hill to die on is that NC is the US' most underrated state. Here are five reasons why North Carolina travel is the best-kept US travel secret.

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1. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Hiking Near Boone

Where To Stay: Holiday Inn University (rooms from $120 p/n) - Literally at the crossroads of Boone for all the great hikes and just over the road from AMB, my favourite brewery in North Carolina (see below!)

Western North Carolina is where the Appalachian Mountains go from scenic to spectacular. The Blue Ridge Parkway, often (and fairly) called one of America’s greatest drives, carves through the landscape. It's a 469-mile ribbon of forest, overlooks, and trails that are a hiker or photographer's fever dream.  Pull-off points can be found at almost every mile. After the devastation of Hurricane Helene (read more about its impact in a guest post I wrote for Not Your Average American here), large sections remain closed but it is gradually re-opening mile by mile.

Along the stretch near Boone, pull off at Price Lake for a gentle loop around the water or stop at Linn Cove Viaduct, a marvel of engineering that swoops out into thin air with the kind of cinematic flair most highways lack.

When the Parkway gets busy – the fall leafs attract out of state visitors who constantly forget basic driving etiquette – find off-the beaten path beauty on foot.  Everyone does Rough Ridge and Grandfather Mountain (including me - see right). Yes, they’re worth it, but if you want to skip the crowds, head to The Nuwati Trail (moderate, peaceful, and lined with boulder-strewn creeks) or Flat Top Tower Trail near Blowing Rock, where the payoff is a fire tower view most visitors never find.

The uniqueness is largely down to getting elevation without isolation. This isn't really backcountry, the trails are accessible, trailhead-marked, and usually within 30 minutes of a craft beer or general store (see below).   When the fall foliage peaks, there’s nowhere more visually outrageous - although please, please, please do not drive like a dickhead - pull over for the photo. 

You may even find a resident black bear for company like my buddy Seth and I did one May evening a few years ago (walk away slowly and quietly!)

2. Asheville’s – and the rest of the state’s - Beer Scene

Where To Stay: Blind Tiger (Rooms from £130 p/n) - Central to Asheville's re-emerging River Arts district and a decor that melds funky and historic with no little skill

Asheville gets most of the buzz.  Rightly so, since it has more breweries per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. But the beer obsession doesn’t stop at the city limits. North Carolina has over 400 craft breweries, and they’re scattered from mountain towns to beach cities. You can sip a Belgian dubbel in the shadow of the Lucky Strike Tower at Full Steam in Durham, a sour ale at Charlotte's divey and atmospheric Thirsty Beaver (famous drinking spot of Mick Jagger) pair a flight with some superb local produce at Booneshine in the mountains.

Back in Asheville, don’t miss the murals atBurial Beer Co (check out the murals after a few pints) and chill at New Belgium's beautiful riverside location, thankfully re-opened after Hurricane Helene. where the atmosphere is lively and the flavours are wild - Palisade Peach and Grapefruit Paloma currently feature.

My go-to everytime I return to the mountains is Appalachian Mountain Brewing (AMB) in Boone for their Long Leaf IPA, glasses with the state toast - yep that's a thing! - engraved and spontaneous bluegrass jam sessions that break out in the bar. It's simply a wonderful place to sample great beers and feel immersed in Appalachian culture.

What makes NC unique is the sheer regional diversity of the brewing culture, it’s not just one city doing the heavy lifting (although if time is short, Asheville is the place to head).  And in a state that once banned happy hour (really), the beer boom feels like both a cultural shift and a celebration.

And seeing as you asked so nicely, the state toast in full:

Here's to the land of the long leaf pine,

The summer land where the sun doth shine,

Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great,

Here's to "Down Home," the Old North State!

Play your cards right and you could be inducted into NC's Order of the Long Leaf pine - cheers to that

3. Tobacco Road Rivalry: More Than Just a Game

Where To Stay: Washington-Duke Inn and Golf Club (Rooms from $260 p/n) - For reasons that are about to become apparent, I'm always going to recommend a Duke venue - treat yo' self!

There are rivalries, and then there are derbies.  Trust me, to an Englishman these are very different with the latter being infinitely fiercer. 

Tobacco Road links the universities of Duke, UNC and NC State, where basketball isn’t just a sport, it’s a birthright. Chapel Hill and Durham, separated by just eight miles, might as well be planets apart when it’s game night.

Locals don’t ask if you watch college basketball, they ask who your family supports, and how long that allegiance has lasted.  

As an aside, I’m Duke through and through after completing my Master’s there – so I'm not impartial. No sir.

The rivalry between UNC and Duke is a true derby and one of the fiercest in all of American sports,

with generations of grudges and buzzer-beaters. Getting tickets to the game may require you to sell a kidney first although when the ACC end-of-season tournament rolls into Greensboro or Charlotte every March, they’re easier to come by - there's a decent change their paths will cross.  The Duke-UNC game I attended in 2019 is one of the most fevered atmospheres I’ve ever been a part of (winning by one point helps that memory!)   

With legendary coach Bill Belicheck rolling into Chapel Hill - it's not going well so far...so sad - and both NC state and Duke’s football programmes on the up, interstate rivalries on the football field are about to ratchet up a notch on the field too.

Profesionally, I have the joy and misfortune (largely the latter)to follow the long-appalling Carolina Panthers, which we'll skip over until we have a winning season. The fan culture through the Roaring Riot is exceptional though, swing by for the tailgate if you're passing by (pack a spare liver).

In the centre of the state, the Carolina Hurricanes offer one of the loudest atmospheres in the NHL and the Durham Bulls Triple A baseball team (yes, of Bull Durham Kevin Costner fame - that's where the name sounds familiar) offering a quintestinally American evening out. The 'Hit Bull, Win Steak. Hit Grass, Win Salad' sign remains one of my all-time favourite pieces of stadium decor.

But back to what makes NC unique? It's ultimately the collegiate rivalries. Nowhere else does college basketball feel this personal, this tribal, or this deeply embedded in local identity…even though we all know Duke blue is best. That concludes my ted talk, I will not be taking questions.

4. BBQ in North Carolina: A Delicious Civil War

Where To Stay: Hampton by Hilton, Lexington (Rooms from $90 p/n) - The BBQ captial of the world? Whatever your verdict, you'll need a comfy bed to sleep it off and Hampton is always a safe bet for this.

In North Carolina, the state is split squarely down the middle in a deliciously stubborn east vs. west divide on the question of BBQ. Eastern style favours whole hog, chopped fine, and doused in a vinegar-and-red-pepper sauce that’s all tang and no sugar. Head west toward Lexington - the self-proclaimed BBQ capital of the world - and you’ll find shoulders only, coarser chopped, with ketchup-based sauce that’s a touch sweeter.   

Which is better?

Ask a North Carolinian, and you’ll get an unequivocal answer - and likely a side-eye/disagreement/full blown fight if their buddy disagrees.  Excuse yourself before the argument gets intense (plot spoiler – it will and it does).  

But the real joy is that both styles are distinctly North Carolinian, and nowhere else does this BBQ feud feel so proudly preserved.  Eastern is clearly the right answer btw but that's none of my business.

Must-stops include Lexington Barbecue (aka "The Honeymonk"), Skylight Inn in Ayden, and Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville but truthfully any backcountry place advertising BBQ will serve you up a treat.

The best part? You’ll rarely pay more than $15 for a plate of smoky pork perfection with hushpuppies (this will confuse any UK reader) and slaw.

5. The General Stores of Western North Carolina

Where To Stay: Graystone Lodge (Valle Crucis/Boone) Rooms from $120 p/n - Ideal for exploring both the general stores and Boone's mountains and breweries

Step into a general store in western North Carolina and you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a time capsule (albeit one with modern coffee and Wi-Fi). These stores are equal parts community hub, snack supplier, and hyper-local history lesson.

Take Mast General Store in Valle Crucis (other locations dotted through the state), founded in 1883, where you can still buy overalls, molasses, and MoonPies while eavesdropping on local gossip. 

What makes them special is that they’re not tourist traps dressed up as Americana. They’re still functioning parts of small-town life. Locals gather here for weather updates, porch sitting, and the odd political debate. You’ll find shelves of glass-bottled sodas, pickled eggs in jars, and regional cookbooks with titles like Fried Green Tomatoes & Funeral Casseroles. 

Every time I walk into one, I emerge gawping with a whole load of goods I never knew I needed – last time (mid-autumn) it was an App State beanie, a glass bottle of local cider and a bag of boiled peanuts.  Bliss.

So that's my elevator pitch on NC. The Western half of the state is still in recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Helene but if you're debating whether to go the answer is a clear and unequivocal YES, as I argue here.

Two questions to leave you with (comment in the chat below!):

1. What have I missed that makes NC such an outstanding destination? Well aware I haven't mentioned the coastal regions which I'm less familiar with but I'm sure that's not all.

   
   

2. Which other states are in the running for most underrated and why? I'm very keen to harness wisdom of crowds for future trips!