Sparta calls itself the Unspoiled Province, a moniker recalling the days when the town and Alleghany County were called the Lost Provinces. The Blue Ridge Mountains isolated Sparta from the rest of the state. It wasn’t until the Blue Ridge Parkway and other highways were built throughout the area that travel became easier. Of course, that early isolation produced a tremendous silver lining: Sparta isn’t nearly as developed as other mountain towns. If you like nature and outdoor activities but not hubbub, you’ll like Sparta.
Stone Mountain State Park, Doughton Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway corridor, and the Thurmond Chatham Game Management Area provide a canvas for the natural beauty. The New River, which cuts through northern Alleghany County, adds to the abundant natural splendor. (Alleghany is thought to be an Indian word meaning “fine stream.” It’s no wonder, then, that the trout fishing is fine in the Unspoiled Province.) In addition, Bullhead Mountain is becoming the state’s premier area to watch the autumn migration of hawks, falcons, eagles, and vultures.
To hear only the breeze blowing across the rolling, high Appalachian meadows, stay at Bluffs Lodge (336-372-4499) on the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can get breakfast or a light dinner at the coffee shop. To stay close to the parkway and to enjoy the Saturday-night Mountain Music Jamboree, try the 100-year-old farmhouse of Burgiss Farm (800-233-1505; www.breakfastinn.com) in Laurel Springs. Also in Laurel Springs is Doughton Hall (336-359-2341; www.doughtonhall.com), the historic home of Congressman Robert Doughton, now turned into a bed-and-breakfast. To camp, try Doughton Park Campground at Milepost 241 on the parkway. It’s open from May to October. The campground accommodates RVs, trailers, and tents. A dump station is available, but there are no water or electrical hookups. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Where to Eat
A local favorite, The Pines, on South Main Street in Sparta, serves steaks, seafood, and a variety of home-cooked favorites. Built in 1916, the white-clapboard Senator’s House on North Main Street once served as Senator Eugene Transou’s home. Today, guests enjoy fine-dining entrées like grilled Black Angus beef, crab cakes, and roasted rack of lamb. Reservations are recommended; call 336-372-7500.
Ways to While Away the Day
Golf
New River Country Club (336-372-4869) near Sparta; Deer Creek Golf Course (540-236-3221) in nearby Galax, Virginia; and Olde Beau Golf Club (336-363-3333) in Roaring Gap are open to weekend golfers.
Heritage
In 1880, Martin Brinegar, a cobbler and farmer with roots in the Moravian tract of Wachovia outside Winston-Salem, built a cabin for himself and his wife, Caroline, in Alleghany County. They lived there until the 1930s, when the Blue Ridge Parkway Commission purchased the land from Caroline. The Brinegar Cabin, often open on summer weekend afternoons, still contains Caroline’s loom. Weaving and other craft demonstrations are given during the summer. You can find the cabin at milepost 238.5.
Music
To take in some good pickin’ on a Saturday night, visit Burgiss Farm, located just off N.C. 18 in Laurel Springs. For more information, call 800-233-1505 or visit www.breakfastinn.com.
Outdoors
Biking
The Virginia Creeper Trail, one of the country’s premier rails-to-trails projects, is about an hour’s drive away. One option you have is to drive the short distance to Whitetop Mountain in Virginia and pedal down to Damascus, Virginia. The other option is to drive all the way to Damascus (about an hour and a half away). From there, you can either pedal to Whitetop and back or ride one way and arrange for a shuttle. For shuttle information, contact Blue Blaze Shuttle by calling 800-475-5095 or visiting www.blueblaze.naxs.com. For information about the Virginia Creeper Trail, visit www.vacreepertrail.org.
Fishing
Stone Mountain State Park contains more than 17 miles of designated trout streams, where you might catch rainbow, brown, or brook trout. Three streams—Garden, Widow’s, and Big Sandy—are designated Wild Trout Waters, where you can use only single-hook artificial lures. For season dates and regulations for each type of trout water, contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. A valid state fishing license and trout stamp are required for all streams. To reach the park, drive south on U.S. 21 from Sparta and turn right on S.R. 1002. A brown state-park sign signals the turn. For information, call 336-957-8185 or visit www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/stmo/home.html.
Hiking
Doughton Park, a 7,000-acre park at Milepost 240 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is home to 30 miles of hiking trails. One of my favorites is the 7.5-mile, moderately difficult Bluff Mountain Trail, which ends near the Brinegar Cabin. (North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail follows this route while in Doughton Park.) The two-mile Fodder Stack Trail is home to lots of wildflowers. For strenuous hiking, follow the 2.8-mile Bluff Ridge Primitive Trail and the 3.3-mile Basin Creek Trail to the 100-year-old Caudill Cabin, an outstanding example of the isolation of mountain life in days gone by. Trail maps are available at the parkway office at Doughton Park. Stone Mountain State Park also has several trails. They range from the relatively short and easy Self-Guided Nature Trail to the Stone Mountain Loop, a strenuous 0.75-mile jaunt up Stone Mountain. The view from the summit is definitely worth the energy you’ll expend to get there. If all you want is an easy leg-stretching walk, visit the Hutchinson Homestead, tucked at the base of Stone Mountain. This mid-1800s homestead, restored in 1998, includes a cabin, a barn, a corncrib, a blacksmith shop, and a meat house. Four generations of Hutchinsons lived here.
Tidbits
Doughton Park honors Robert Lee “Muley Bob” Doughton, a North Carolina congressman from 1911 to 1953, who helped established Social Security and promoted the curious notion of a parkway running through the Blue Ridge. In addition to his Muley Bob moniker, Doughton was also affectionately called Farmer Bob. According to Marse Grant, editor emeritus of the Biblical Recorder and admirer of Doughton, FDR was once one vote short on an important bill. Doughton agreed to provide the deciding vote if Roosevelt would support construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a project that would provide jobs, mostly through the Civilian Conservation Corps, for hundreds of mountain people who needed them during the Depression.
Paddling
With the New River close by, why not go paddling? New River Campground (336-372-8793; www.canoeingthenew.com) rents gear and provides shuttle service. Trips range from two-and-a-half-hour jaunts to overnight outings. If you’d rather tube the New, you can do that, too.
Picnicking
Doughton Park and Stone Mountain State Park are the places to go.
Pottery
Pottery hound alert! Rob and Bet Mangum of Mangum Pottery at Turkey Hill Knob have applied their talents to functional stoneware, porcelain, terra cotta, figurative folk art, and custom tiles for kitchens and bathrooms. Each summer, the Mangums conduct three hands-on weekend workshops for up to 10 participants, both skilled craftsmen and novices. Mangum Pottery is open from April through December; hours vary. For more information, call 888-288-2112 or visit www.mangumpottery.com.
Wineries
The growing North Carolina wine industry has a serious foothold in Sparta. Larry Ehlers, who runs Chateau Laurinda with his wife, Linda, says that some of his recipes are 100 to 125 years old. Chateau Laurinda is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 A.M. to 7 P.M. and Sunday from noon to 5 P.M. Guests can visit the gift shop and enjoy tours and tastings. For more information, visit www.chateaulaurindawinery.com.
Want to try winemaking when you return home? Then visit grapestompers in Laurel Springs. Tom Burgiss and his son Brant sell 40 different kinds of winemaking kits. For more information, call 800-233-1505 or visit www.grapestompers.com.
Festivals/Events
| May-October | The Farmers’ Market is open in downtown Sparta. |
| Mid-July | The Alleghany County Fiddler’s Convention is held at the Alleghany Fairgrounds. An admission fee is charged; call 336-372-8809. |
| Mid- to Late September | Hawkwatch is held at Bullhead Mountain; for information, visit www.ncaudubon.org. |
| Late September | The Mountain Heritage Festival is held in Sparta; call 800-372-5473 or 336-372-5473. |
More Resources
For information, contact the Sparta Chamber of Commerce by calling 336-372-5473, 800-372-5473, or visiting www.sparta-nc.com.
For other nearby bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, and activities, see the “Weekend with Yosef,” “Weekend in America’s Hometown,” and “Weekend in New River Country” chapters.