Preserving the Good Stuff

At just over 90 years old, the Blue Ridge Parkway holds the distinction of being the most visited scenic roadway in America’s National Park System, an honor it has earned almost every year since 1946. Spanning 469 miles between North Carolina and Virginia, the Parkway offers breathtaking views, outdoor adventures, and historic attractions connected to the region's Appalachian heritage.  Travelers along America’s most beloved roadway often discover that in addition to the scenic overlooks, the many hidden gems along the way are worthy of further exploration.

With roots predating the Blue Ridge Parkway itself, The Orchard at Altapass, located at mile marker 328.3, exemplifies one such destination.  A nonprofit organization, the Orchard is dedicated to preserving “the history, heritage, and culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Operated by The Altapass Foundation, Inc., the mission extends to “protect the underlying orchard land with its apples, wetlands, butterflies, and other natural features; and educate the public about the Appalachian experience.” Beth Hilton, Executive Director, emphasizes that they are dedicated to saving “the good stuff,” and creating for visitors a “sense of pride in taking part in that preservation process.”

Planted by Clinchfield Railroad in 1908, the Orchard is all that remains of what was once a thriving town with a train depot, post office, luxury hotel, and even a hospital. According to the Orchard website, “At its peak, more than 32,000 apple and peach trees covered the mountainsides, and during the 1930s over 50,000 bushels of fruit were shipped by rail to markets up and down the East Coast.”  Over time, with the development of the Blue Ridge Parkway and restrictions regarding commercial traffic, the Orchard enterprise quietly disappeared.

In 1995, Kit Carson-Trubey, along with her brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Judy Carson, purchased the forgotten orchard and began the slow, steady process of reviving the land and preserving the heritage. Today, the Orchard at Altapass is home to over 30 varieties of heirloom apples and welcomes over 100,000 visitors each season.

Long-time supporter Gayle Griffin from Pensacola, FL,  speaks for those visitors who return year after year, realizing this is a special place that connects to their hearts. "My family and I have been coming to this beautiful part of the North Carolina mountains for approximately forty years now. It was, and still is, our family's reunion destination.  On one summer visit many years ago, while on one of our drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we spotted this very interesting place - the Orchard at Altapass.  We decided to turn in for a visit. From the moment we walked in the door all those years ago, we felt a very special, very welcoming, and fun experience. The friendliness of the staff, the amazing music, the wonderful dancing—clogging, to be exact—the homemade apple pie and ice cream, the educational hayrides— we were hooked!”

The Orchard at Altapass is open seasonally, May through the last weekend in October. Admission is free and includes access to the General Store and Education Center, Butterfly Garden, and Music Pavilion.  Although the property also includes multiple hiking trails, all trails are currently closed due to damage from Hurricane Helene.

Sam McKinney, Mission and Sustainability Manager, encourages visitors to explore the property by enjoying one of the hour-long tractor rides: “The best way for folks to understand what the orchard is and to learn about our non-profit mission is to take a tractor ride around the property.”  In addition to the public rides each weekend, groups may contact the Orchard for private reservations on Wednesday through Friday.

Unfortunately, problematic weather patterns negatively affected this year’s apple crop, limiting apple availability and prompting the Orchard to halt U-Pick apple adventures. However, guests will appreciate the delicious Apple Core Grill slow-smoked pork with Apple Core house seasoning, hot dogs with Altapass chow-chow, Green-Apple lemonade or tea, and the most memorable homemade apple pie à la mode!  The General Store, housed in the original 118-year-old red barn, offers locally made gifts including jewelry, birdhouses, jams, jellies, hard cider, and honey from Orchard hives and other local beekeepers.

Educational features include a barn swallow habitat, an indoor observation beehive, a monarch butterfly life cycle exhibit, and an Orchard model railroad display.  Special events include free live music and dancing each weekend throughout October. Plan ahead by visiting altapassorchard.org, and remember to complete your visit with a quiet respite on the barn’s back porch, often called the “Grand balcony of the Blue Ridge.”