With some terrific road trip options in the surrounding area, renting a car makes sense. Without one, it’d be much more difficult to enjoy all that Boone, 25 miles away, has to offer. Appalachian Ski Mtn. Ought to be at the top of your list here. Tweetsie Railroad and Kidd Brewer Stadium are fantastic attractions too. The locals will also probably point you in the direction of Banner Elk, 25 miles away. If you can only see one attraction here, make sure it’s Sugar Mountain Resort. (But we’d also highly recommend Grandfather Mountain and Beech Mountain Resort.)