A Gem of a Mountain Town.

 

Spruce Pine is a quaint, welcoming mountain town surrounded by natural beauty and filled with an artistic spirit. Located on a steep bluff overlooking the Toe River and situated next to an old railroad line is the Downtown Spruce Pine Historic District. A mix of small businesses thrive on Oak Avenue and Locust Avenue – also known as Upper and Lower Streets – and offer dining, shopping, entertainment, and other services. Spruce Pine offers a wonderful selection of art, apparel, antiques, and more!

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Riverside Park is accessible from Lower Street in downtown Spruce Pine by way of a historic, suspended walking bridge over the Toe River. The bridge offers great views of the river, Riverside Park, the railroad line, and downtown. The park has a paved walking trail, a playground and splash pad (open seasonally), along with a baseball field, picnic area, and benches for relaxation. The Toe River is accessible from Riverside Park where fishing, paddling, and tubing are common. 

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Spruce Pine is the ideal place for art lovers. Many potters, woodworkers, painters, glass blowers, textilers, and other artists call Spruce Pine home. The Toe River Arts Gallery on Oak Avenue hosts exhibits and events throughout the year as well as the biannual Toe River Arts Studio Tour held every June and November. Nearly 100 galleries and artists in Mitchell and Yancey counties open their studio doors to the public during the Toe River Arts Studio Tour – an event not to be missed.

 

The Mineral City of the World

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Spruce Pine is a gem-lover's dream! Home to the purest quartz in the world, this area is known for its abundance of minerals and gems. For over 40 years, the sand in the bunkers at the Masters, held at Augusta National, has been called “Spruce Pine sand” but is actually quartz, a waste product of the mining process that takes place in Western North Carolina. 

Since the late 1950s, Spruce Pine has hosted the North Carolina Mineral and Gem Festival every August and attracts thousands of people from around the country. Other festivals include Fire on the Mountain Blacksmith Festival in April, Bluegrass and Barbecue in July, and the Potters Market in October.