Skip to Main Content
Menu

Sparta & Alleghany County

About Sparta & Alleghany County

Alleghany County is proud to be the home of the Cumberland Knob Visitor Center (Milepost 217.5), the place where the first shovel hit the ground to begin Blue Ridge Parkway construction on September 11, 1935. For more than 85 years, the Parkway has been a part of the daily lives of residents of the County and Sparta, NC, the county seat. Today, Sparta is a bustling small town and the hub of this rural community. The Courthouse is surrounded by the shops and stores of old downtown. It is surrounded by the Alleghany countryside, much of it still in pasture, fields, Christmas tree farms, and woodland that reflect the same scenic beauty for which the Parkway is so well known.

The New River lies along Alleghany County’s western and northern borders. At the other end of the county, a 600-foot granite dome – namesake of Stone Mountain State Park – is surrounded by rock climbers, waterfalls, hikers, picnickers, and historic sites.

Area Visitor Centers

Lodging, Dining, & Things to Do

Stories from Sparta & Alleghany County

Man Fly Fishing on a river in McDowell County.
Where can I fish in the Blue Ridge Parkway region?
November 11, 2021
Budget-Friendly, Family-friendly, Fishing, Nature & Outdoors
There are many places in the Blue Ridge region where you can snag a prime fishing spot if you know where to look and what regulations to follow.
A purple women's sweater hangs over a black shirt and necklace in a store.
Tis the Season to Shop Online
December 4, 2020
Online Store, General & Country Stores, Apparel, Gems & Minerals, Home & Garden, Local Food
Many of the businesses along the Blue Ridge Parkway remain open year-round and offer such eclectic merchandise that you can shop for everyone on your holiday gift list from the comfort of your home and have the gifts delivered to your door or directly to the recipient.

Recommended Itineraries

Row upon row of foggy ridges are visible at Thunder Hill, NC in the Parkway's Highlands region.
Highlands Region Weekend Getaway
Region: Virginia , North Carolina
Duration:2 - 3 days
Accessible Facilities, History & Heritage, Hiking Trails, Arts & Culture, Home & Garden, Family-friendly, Local Food
A two-day trip through the Parkway's Highlands district reveals the shift from flat plateau to mountain ridges. Find yourself in the rolling pastures of Doughton Park (Milepost 240 – 245) or exploring the Grandfather Mountain corridor (Milepost 295 – 300) or the rugged Linville Gorge (Milepost 317) with a night in North Carolina’s High Country of Boone or Blowing Rock.