Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Banner Elk, NC

    3.7 (3 reviews)

    Banner Elk, NC Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Banner Elk, NC

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    8 months ago

    Helpful 28
    Thanks 7
    Love this 27
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    I went for breakfast. Eggs were tasteless. Home fries were cold & drenched in pepper. Coffee was lousy. Never going back

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Waterfalls Park - Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    Waterfalls Park

    4.8(8 reviews)
    8.7 km

    So pretty! A lovely little stop. Just a short climb...:and for anyone you can't climb, you can see…read moremost of it from the rocks at the bottom.

    I almost passed this spot entirely, and missing it would have been a real loss. Tucked across from…read morethe Ingles Market, a modest parking area and an understated sign conceal a striking series of cascading waterfalls. The path leading up the slope was carved out by volunteer firefighters, and while it is steep in places, it offers a rewarding climb with views that unfold as you ascend. It's medium difficulty. The park features a few picnic tables scattered near the base, inviting visitors to linger and enjoy the sound of rushing water. The falls themselves are double-tiered, flowing over rugged stone, and a natural rock bridge allows you to cross to the other side with reasonable footing. I had the place entirely to myself today, and despite the questionable wisdom of climbing solo, I made it up and back without incident. The experience was peaceful and memorable, and I left with a handful of beautiful photos and a sense of quiet satisfaction. Locally, the site is also known as Bobby McLean Memorial Park, named in tribute to a respected community figure whose legacy lives on in this serene corner of Newland. [Review 1222 of 2025 - 4407 in North Carolina - 24774 overall]

    Photos
    Waterfalls Park - Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    Waterfalls Park - Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    Waterfalls Park - Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    See all

    Waterfalls Park aka Bobby McLean Memorial Park, Newland

    Banner Elk Stables

    Banner Elk Stables

    3.3(13 reviews)
    1.9 km

    DO NOT LISTEN TO BAD REVIEWS. This was the best horseback riding experience my family and I have…read moreever done. Mike and his parents are the kindest individuals we have met on our trip and practice social distancing and wear masks when necessary. The horses were well trained and followed the horse in front while still having control to maneuver around certain areas. Best time ever!!! Best views ever too!!

    Worst ride I have ever had. I rode late June 2021.. no wonder the best reviews are much older. I've…read morebeen riding English for a year and western a year before that, and have a history of riding trails such as in the Colorado mountains, at home, and the difficult trail at Dutch creek. This was a supposed easy ride, trail wasn't very long, you ride the same stretch there and back. There were a few red flags right away. The horses, although very friendly, did not look to be in very good shape. One horse had Cushing's disease, a condition where they do not shed their winter coat as they should. This poor horse had to ride in full western thick gear with a full winter coat in the middle of summer, they didn't even shave his coat. All of the other horses had long hooves, they desperately needed a farrier out there to trim their hooves. A fair few of the horses also had spots where their coat was completely rubbed off and it was just their skin. The stables and the staff are next. No greeting from the staff, I couldn't tell who was staff and who was a rider, our trail guide seemed to have no interest in talking. The woman who signed us in was polite enough- just enough, not nice enough to comment on or rude enough to be mean about. The trail guide took the first horse in line aside from his own on a lead, which is the first time I have ever seen that on a trail, and frankly was very strange. Although they did multiple check on the girth, my saddle and my mothers saddle were leaning to the side and could not be fixed easily. Half of the staff was a seven and six year old, who did a better job than the other staff. Props to them, they held back tree limbs as we passed, and walked ahead and behind us as we rode the trail. The barn and main house were in poor condition. There were flies in the main house, and you could see through the barn where ceiling insulation was coming loose and the walls were disheveled. The barn where the horses stayed seemed unorganized, as when our trail lead got off, he let his horse run right into the barn, not lead to a stall or anything, still fully tacked up. Now, onto my personal ride. I had a panic attack. Keep in mind my riding experience here, I have NEVER cried on the back of a horse. Ever. From being thrown off to multiple almost heat strokes, I have never cried. But this horse, Sugar.. she broke me. She had the strangest step pattern I have ever ridden on. She'd step to the cliffs, right at the side of the trails, and run me STRAIGHT INTO THORN BUSHES. I had to pick thorns out of my thick riding pants and legs. The saddle was crooked the entire time, and it was very concerning. The trail was fairly easy, but very rocky. The staff said there were working on it, so I don't mind as much. There was one spot that had a very steep decline that you rode down and then back up, the horses seemed confident going up but very unsure going down. My horse constantly stepped off the path, but was so stubborn I could hardly move her, she didn't listen to leg or reign. She INSISTED on going through more difficult paths with no regard that I was on her back. She would be terrifying for a smaller child to ride, and this place advertises themselves as very kid friendly. The trail was just ride up then take the same way back, fairly simple, but because of the horse it was the worst ride I have ever been on. In conclusion, I would not recommend this place. The horses haven't been kept care of in the best way, the staff is just okay, my horse didn't listen and drove us into thorns and rocks, and the trail was just basic. The best staff there were around 7 years old.

    Photos
    Banner Elk Stables - Barnyard

    Barnyard

    Banner Elk Stables - Horses getting ready

    Horses getting ready

    Banner Elk Stables

    See all

    Land of Oz

    Land of Oz

    5.0(6 reviews)
    2.5 km

    This has been on our bucket list since we moved to Nc 2 years ago! I wasn't sure what to expect but…read moreit was AMAZING. I definitely feel it's a must see at least once in your life. No detail was missed! We took the chairlift up to Oz and obviously back down. There was amazing views and scenery. Once we got to Oz there was plenty of spots for us to take pictures at and meet the characters. All characters did such a great job in their role! There is some hills and walking that you may need to wear good shoes or take a rest. I saw older people resting quite a bit as some parts can be difficult, I mean you are on a mountain! I'm very overweight and I did fine with resting 2 times after a killer hill. We also did the scenic view trail (extra fee) beautiful! Such a neat place and glad we finally made it out!

    Honestly, I went in with fairly low expectations, and I left surprised at how much fun we had! We…read morearrived at the Beech Mountain Resort parking lot at 9:15am for our 10am time slot. There was plenty to do at the resort, including buying snack foods and shopping at Oz-themed booths. Around 9:30am we boarded the shuttle and then shortly after we left for the Land of Oz; we got there right at 10am. Without giving anything away, I was surprised at how coordinated the event was, and how we followed a pre-planned path, but we never felt like we were being hurried to the next event. I was concerned our tween boys would think the whole thing was hokey, but they had a blast too. All of the actors gave it their all, and I never saw anyone break character, which was impressive considering the amount of improv and crowd work they did. We zoomed through most everything, and we were done by a little after noon. If we had taken our time and gotten food at the Emerald City, we easily could have spent 1-2 more hours. It was an exciting event, and I'm so glad we went. There were lots of people in our time slot (1 shuttle and two school buses full), but everything was so well paced that it didn't feel overcrowded. Bit of advice: bring water and snacks in a backpack unless you are ready to pay a premium to buy them at the Land of Oz.

    Photos
    Land of Oz
    Land of Oz
    Land of Oz

    See all

    Mountain Warriors UTV - Polaris UTV

    Mountain Warriors UTV

    3.0(2 reviews)
    7.4 km

    I've been meaning to come back here to update my review, as the only photos that were taken of our…read moreexpedition by the owners wouldn't be released to us until we showed the owners we'd posted 5-star Yelp reviews of their company. As a condition for releasing the snapshots to us, they compelled everyone in our group to open up our phones and write a favorable post on Yelp while they looked over our shoulders and confirmed we submitted our posts. Not cool! Even when some of us said our phones were inside the car way out in the parking lot, they said, "go get them if you all want your pictures!" We were extremely tired, hungry, and muddy and just wanted to leave, but had to trek to our cars to retrieve our phones to write damn Yelp reviews on the spot. When we started the trip, the owner said, "Don't worry about getting your cameras dirty. We will get pictures for you and give them to you afterwards. Then we finish the trip and they put a ransom on our pictures, knowing that we relied on their word. Extremely unethical and unprofessional. Speaking of muddy, MAKE SURE to bring your own rain ponchos (or even a trash bag with a hole cut out for your head) because ponchos will NOT be furnished by the owners unless you pay an overpriced premium for them: $10 each for the same paper thin poncho that you'd get at the drugstore for 99 cents! How disgraceful. We declined and spent 2 days cleaning all of the mud off our shoes and clothes.

    We were lucky enough to get the business founder, 24 year old Carson Gordon, as our driver. The…read morethrilling ride around the mountain ridges in his Polaris UTV was like being in Space Mountain. Two other families drove their UTVs. It was entertaining enough that our 16 year old athletic son had fun, and so did the elementary kids with their parents driving. Highly recommend Carson and Mountain Warriors UTV.., Carson's dog Lincoln knows the word "goldfish", as in cookie

    Photos
    Mountain Warriors UTV - Group photo of our guided group. Two families drove their UTV. Our family had the owner drive us - like being on Space Mountain ride

    Group photo of our guided group. Two families drove their UTV. Our family had the owner drive us - like being on Space Mountain ride

    Mountain Warriors UTV - Three Polaris UTV

    Three Polaris UTV

    Mountain Warriors UTV - Carson, his mom, brother and dog Lincoln.

    See all

    Carson, his mom, brother and dog Lincoln.

    Grandfather Mountain - Wilson Discovery Center

    Grandfather Mountain

    4.3(255 reviews)
    8.4 km

    Despite the colder than expected weather and the wind, my wife and I had a great time exploring…read moreGrandfather Mountain. The park is so nicely maintained, well mark, and cleared hiking trails for all skill levels. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is an amazing add on with so much fun, and educational info for all ages. The Wilson center also has a cafe, offering reasonably priced "ball park" cuisine, well maintained bathrooms and a souvenir shop. Next to the Wilson Center is the Mildred The Bear Environmental Habitats where you can get up close and learn about some of the species that call this area home. Consider it a miniature zoo with habitats for some animals needing rehab. We were able to see some bears, bald eagles, river otters, and elk, OH MY! Each area had signs posted for ranger talks, which we caught for the river otters. They tell you about the animals, and and answer any questions people have. After exploring the Wilson Center and habitats, we continued our trek up on the mountain to the swing bridge, and that's when the wind really kicked in...with wind gusts, the temp dropped quickly, with a wind chill of -9degrees, but we trudged on, and made the most of it. In the end, we had a great time, and look forward to returning to explore more of the trails. Based on other reviews, some may feel that the $35 ticket price per person may be a bit much at the main entry, but it's a small cost of maintaining such an amazing resource. If you enjoy being outside, hiking, and exploring, this is a must visit NC destination

    Nice park and mountain, but $37 PER PERSON? With NO…read moresignage/pricing posted anywhere ... yikes I could understand for something like Yosemite or Yellowstone, but just a state park ...tough pill to swallow especially when it's not posted anywhere. I was planning to hike with some friends and we were going to start at one of the other lots but the roads were closed leaving us no choice but to enter the park. I really just wish the pricing/fees were posted somewhere-anywhere- because they weren't online or on the park signs out front. Had to pull up to the gate/window and even then the park ranger seemed to want to withhold that information as long as possible. The actual park is beautiful and well maintained- and you do get an audio guide plus map upon entry. But the lack of transparency here is a hard no for me. @azfitfoodfun

    Photos
    Grandfather Mountain - Exploring the Wilson Center

    Exploring the Wilson Center

    Grandfather Mountain
    Grandfather Mountain - Mile high bridge

    See all

    Mile high bridge

    Banner Elk, NC - localflavor - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...