Cherokee County has a heritage rich in Native American and pioneer cultures. North Carolina's western-most county offers cultural and recreational opportunities that are unique in the state.
Avery County, named for Revolutionary War soldier and North Carolina's first attorney general Colonel Waightstill Avery, is an area of superlatives where all of its residents live above 3,000 feet.
Bird watching is making a comeback on the shores of the Outer Banks. About 400 varieties of birds have been documented on the Outer Banks, and the Audubon Society’s Pine Island Wildlife Sanctuary is home to many of them.