Roan Mountain Gardens

Roan Mountain hosts the world’s largest natural rhododendron garden, with hundreds of acres of Catawba rhododendrons creating spectacular purple displays in mid-June. The trail system explores both the famous gardens and the extensive grassy balds that stretch along the Tennessee-North Carolina border, offering some of the finest high-elevation hiking in the Southern Appalachians. The Appalachian Trail crosses the balds, providing access to multiple peaks and connecting routes. The open character of the balds creates panoramic views in every direction, while the rhododendron thickets provide sheltered passages between meadows. This is one of the essential destinations for experiencing the Southern Appalachian highlands at their most spectacular.