Your guide to a weekend in the Yadkin Valley

This story was written for our partner, Explore Elkin.

Located in the scenic Yadkin Valley and near the Blue Ridge Parkway, Elkin, NC is the ideal day trip or weekend getaway destination.

Whether hiking or biking the trails, sampling wines and craft beers, listening to music or savoring the flavors of local restaurants, here are the top spots to explore during your time in Elkin and the Yadkin Valley area.

The trails

Elkin is the only place in North Carolina where three sanctioned trails converge, according to the Elkin Valley Trails Association. It sits at the union of the Overmountain Victory Trail, the Yadkin River Blue Water Trail and the Mountains to Sea Trail.

You can try many trails to find your favorites. For example, Natalie Eidson, who oversees marketing with Explore Elkin, said she takes her father on a different trail every time he visits.

A can’t-miss trail is the Yadkin River Water Trail, which flows next to Main Street. You can rent kayaks and other equipment at outfitters in the area.

“There are several places you can put in or take out, so you can make different trips depending on where you want to be on the river and the difficulty level,” said Eidson. “There’s a three-hour kayak trip back to Elkin starting from Ronda, 7 miles away. Then you can come downtown, finish and have lunch. It’s just perfect.”

The number of trails in and around Elkin is so numerous and variable that the town even hosts an event dedicated to exploring and discovering them. NC Trail Days takes place in the first weekend of June around National Trails Days. The festival features guided and self-guided hikes, low-country boil, Yadkin River kayak excursions, free live music, food trucks, a beer garden and more.

Wine tasting

The Yadkin Valley is the place to be for wine lovers, with dozens of vineyards and shops. It’s easy to go between them with local shuttles, including the Elkin Vine Line, owned by Shannon and Denny Lazar.

The couple moved to the area six years ago and fell in love with the scenery and the friendly people. They bought a historic home built by the town founders and have been renovating it to eventually become a bed and breakfast.

Their Elkin Vine Line acts like a trolley by driving specific routes, and the vans don’t just connect visitors to wineries — they end up connecting riders to each other.

“It’s fun to see the mix of the relationships with the people,” said Shannon Lazar. “By the end of the day, they’re having dinner together, and they didn’t know each other at all.”

No matter which route you take, you’ll find high-quality wine.

“The really cool thing is they did soil samples around here, and there are many places where the soil is identical to wine country in France,” said Denny Lazar. “That’s what got them started and it’s just gone like gangbusters. We’re surrounded by 48 wineries.”

Downtown Elkin

After a day of hiking or sampling wines, you can tune in to some live music in Downtown Elkin.

The Reeves Theater, built as a movie house in 1941, has been remodeled into a live music venue. Local musicians regularly play at the Reeves, which brings in artists from around the country and world. One big event that holds its opening night there is the annual Reevestock Music Festival, which features many bands and raises funds for scholarships.

You can also enjoy live music outside during the warm months, including Live Music every Friday night from spring through the fall.

“In summer we have downtown block parties, with live music at different spots in Elkin,” said Eidson. “Every Friday from April through October, we’re going to have different live music happening. There will be banners showing where it is for people just coming in. Any given Friday you’ll find live music at some location downtown.”

Aside from music, there are also plenty of locally owned stores and restaurants to enjoy, whether it’s grabbing a cup of coffee at Dirty Joe’s, sampling a flight at Angry Troll Brewing or grabbing some five-star food at Southern on Main. The streets of downtown are also filled with unique shops, including The November Room, Honeysuckle Home, American Aquatic, as well as a number of art galleries.

More events

In the fall, events include new wine releases and the pumpkin festival, which has the Great Pumpkin Weigh-off, said Eidson. Growers cart in pumpkins that they’ve nurtured to reach 2,000 pounds.

Elkin also has an active farmers market, which starts in spring and goes through November, after which it moves indoors for a couple of months. During the busier growing months, produce is in bountiful supply.

The best time to visit is May through September, where there is a lot of produce,” said Eidson. “In the off season, you can find more items like honey, soaps and artisan goods.”

Other events throughout the year include the Yadkin Valley Wine Festival, the Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival, Reevestock Music Festival and the FreedomFest Celebration.

This story was written for our partner, Explore Elkin.

Elkin is an advocate level partner for the Outdoor NC "Leave No Trace" campaign. All that you bring in on any of your favorite Elkin walks, River paddles, or any outdoor Yadkin Valley adventures, take back out with you. Living by this ethic helps keep our Yadkin Valley outdoor adventures a clean experience for the years to come.