Near Watauga Lake

The small Johnson County town on the north shore of Watauga Lake, rebuilt on higher ground after the original Butler was flooded by the dam in 1948.

Known for: The town under Watauga Lake (Old Butler, flooded 1948) · Public boat ramps on the north shore · Old Butler Days festival each August

The Johnson County seat 15 minutes east of the townhouse — Tennessee's highest incorporated city, a real downtown courthouse square, and the closest Walmart to the lake.

Known for: Johnson County seat — the only county seat in the northeast corner of Tennessee · Tennessee's highest incorporated city at 2,418 feet of elevation · The 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, a landmark moment in Appalachian music history

The US-321 trail town on the south side of Watauga Lake — Appalachian Trail crossing, the Doe River Gorge, and the gateway most guests use to get to the lake.

Known for: Appalachian Trail town (the AT crosses Watauga Dam just east of here) · Doe River Gorge (US-321 follows it through the mountains) · Cherokee National Forest access (Laurel Fork Falls trailhead)

The Carter County seat — a real downtown with a covered bridge across the Doe River, the Sycamore Shoals historic park, and the closest full grocery to the lake.

Known for: The 1882 Elizabethton Covered Bridge over the Doe River · Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park (Watauga Association, 1772) · Downtown East Elk Avenue, the walkable historic strip

A town of 1,000 people at 3,895 feet, with a four-year college, two ski mountains, and the best dinner within a half-hour of the lake. We send guests across the state line for dinner more often than any other town on this list.

Known for: Lees–McRae College, perched at 3,720 feet · Beech Mountain Resort, the highest ski area in the eastern US · Sugar Mountain Resort, the largest ski area in North Carolina

The small Carter County town at the foot of the highest mountain in Tennessee outside the Smokies, with a state park, a rhododendron festival, and the easiest AT access on the Roan Highlands.

Known for: Roan Mountain State Park and the Miller Farmstead · The Roan Highlands grassy balds along the Appalachian Trail · World's largest natural rhododendron garden (peaks late June)

The biggest real city within an easy drive of Watauga Lake. 71,000 people, the home of ETSU, a working downtown, and the place we send guests when they need a hospital, a Trader Joe's, or a steak that wasn't grilled at the campground.

Known for: East Tennessee State University and the Quillen College of Medicine · Founders Park and the redeveloped downtown · Yee-Haw Brewing and the Tree Streets dining cluster

A college town named after Daniel Boone, 3,232 feet up in the Blue Ridge, with 19,000 residents and 21,500 App State students. The shopping and dining anchor for the whole high country, and a 45-minute drive from the lake.

Known for: Appalachian State University and the Mountaineers football program · The highest-elevation town over 10,000 population east of the Mississippi · King Street and the Mast General Store