Fun things to do near Boone NC to beat the summer heat

Here are 7 tried-and-true ways to stay cool near Boone, all family-friendly and most of them free:

1. Float the New River — The Classic Boone Cool-Down

This is the summer ritual. The New River near Boone offers slow and peaceful waters and wildflower-covered banks, the perfect backdrop for a self-guided canoe ride or a lazy inner tube ride on a hot summer's day. Tubing is viral for a reason.

Go with High Mountain Expeditions (just minutes from Boone) — their tubing trips are family-friendly, lasting 2–2.5 hours, while kayak and canoe rentals cater to all ages. The water ranges from 2 feet to as deep as 8 feet making it perfect for all members of the family, and water temperatures are inviting and offer relief from the hot summer sun. Bring a cooler tube, water shoes, and sunscreen. Pro tip: morning float = fewer people.

2. Swimming Hole Hopping — Trash Can Falls & Elk River

Forget the pool. The Boone area is full of great trails that lead to cool, shaded waterfalls.

- Laurel Falls (Trash Can Falls): Affectionately known as Trash Can Falls, this swimming hole features a 15-foot waterfall with flat swimming areas above and below the falls perfect for a refreshing dip. Super easy access.

- Laurel Creek Falls: One of the most popular swimming holes in Boone — this beautiful waterfall tumbles over 25 feet into the river down below, where you'll find several others swimming around in the summer.

- Elk River Falls: Take a refreshing dip and cool off from the summer heat by swimming at the beautiful Elk River Falls. Deep pool, dramatic 50-footer, and it's just a short drive from Boone near Banner Elk.

Get there before 10am on weekends — these fill up fast.

3. Huntfish & Upper Creek Falls — Worth the Drive

If you want cold — like, gasp-when-you-jump-in cold:

Huntfish Falls is 31 miles / 1 hour from Boone, 1.5 miles round trip. On a hot summer day, this is one of the best swimming holes in North Carolina, and the cold mountain water is about as refreshing as it gets.

Upper Creek Falls is about 40 minutes from Boone. The trail is a 1.6-mile loop that provides multiple views and access points, and access to the swimming hole area, complete with a swing rope! The sloped falls and the perfect swimming hole below are ideal for kids who want to slide, not just jump.

4. Widow's Falls at Stone Mountain — The Shaded Secret

Located in Alleghany and Wilkes counties, Stone Mountain State Park offers more than 14,000 acres of lush woodland concealing bountiful trout streams fed by gorgeous waterfalls. A shaded swimming hole at the bottom of Widow's Falls draws visitors seeking refuge on hot summer days. The 4.5-mile loop to the summit is a great shaded morning run — way better than the treadmill when it's 90 in Purlear.

5. Go Underground — Caves Stay 55 Degrees Year-Round

When it's too hot to even hike, go caving. High Mountain Expeditions also offers whitewater rafting on the Nolichucky and Watauga Rivers, caving, and guided Appalachian Trail hikes. Worley's Cave in nearby Bluff City and the Linville Caverns (about an hour away) are naturally air-conditioned and kids go absolutely feral for them — in a good way.

6. Sunset, Not Sunburn — Music in the Valle

Boone's summer nights are the real magic. Highs reaching 80.7°F and overnight lows of 59.5°F, still comfortable enough for sleeping with the windows open. Every Friday night in the summer, enjoy Music in the Valle at the Valle Crucis Community Park with live music, food trucks, and a great atmosphere. Bring a blanket, grab a snow cone, and let the kids run. It feels like a little fair every week — which, if you love fairs like we do, is perfect.

7. The Post-Swim Cool-Down

You didn't hear it from me, but the best way to beat the heat after a river day is:

•  Local Lion for iced coffee + homemade pop-tarts

•  Comeback Vinyl + craft ice cream at Local Exchange

•  Thaidish in Boone for red curry chicken — you know we had to get that in there

Local Packing List: Old sneakers you can get wet, quick-dry towel, small cooler, car trash bag (leave it cleaner), and $20 cash — many river outfitters are cash-only for parking.

Boone doesn't really do brutal summer — Summer is when Boone comes fully alive, you can spend entire days on the trails, tubing the New River, or driving the Blue Ridge Parkway without the oppressive heat that blankets the lowlands. But the secret is staying in the water until about 4pm, then doing everything else.