SweetGrass — Blowing Rock’s only mountain lake community — makes this a sweet choice.
Witnessing an amazing mountain view is something very special. But when that view is enjoyed at a mountain lake on gently rolling plateau terrain — easily accessible for walking and building — you have found something priceless. SweetGrass is the only mountaintop lake community in the popular Blowing Rock, N.C area. Close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, next-door neighbors to national park forests, and home to one of North Carolina’s designated Outstanding Trout Streams, SweetGrass is a premier gated community that is as welcoming as it is beautiful.
Blowing Rock, just ten minutes from the gate, has been named “North Carolina’s Best Small Town,” offering a wealth of recreational opportunities such as Price Memorial Park along with an astounding array of shopping and dining in its 3-mile area. The town of Boone, just 20 minutes away, offers top ski resorts, and all the amenities of being the college town for Appalachian State University.
Pass through the entrance of SweetGrass and you’ll find 278 acres of lush meadowlands, rushing streams and creeks and the 22-acre SweetGrass Lake. A lake at this elevation is a rare thing and, needless to say, the view is spectacular.
The Lake House is the focus and gathering place of the community — a rustic mountain lodge with a sandy beach for swimming, a canoe house, and a fishing dock. Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, and fishing for mountain trout all under the gaze of Grandfather Mountain’s east side. Inside, you’ll find a huge kitchen for party preparations, a game room, a business center and a fitness center. Outdoors, you can enjoy the view from the covered patio, covered grill, and firepit. Evenings are spent by the fire, either indoors or out, enjoying stories of the day’s adventures or watching sporting events or movies with your friends.
Around the community, you’ll find private parks and trails to explore, including Treetop Park designed for campouts and Chimney Park at the old homestead chimney. Fish, hike, and bike to your heart’s content, or simply relax for hours on your deck or patio enjoying daytime views and nighttime stars.
The elevation, at 3,500 feet, and the gently rolling topography make this a community to enjoy the year round. Choose from lakefront home sites, stream or creek-side sites, or conservation frontage facing national park or Blue Ridge Parkway lands. Now is the time to find your place at SweetGrass. In fact, this weekend is the perfect excuse to visit.
What’s new at SweetGrass? The SweetGrass Cottage Homes Collection
Beautifully livable, endlessly charming, SweetGrass is introducing a collection of cottage home plans that make the most of the natural setting and a relaxed mountain lifestyle. To make building easy, you can choose a plan to build on any lot using one of the SweetGrass selected builders from the most recognized and proven builders in the area. Of course, you still have the flexibility to bring your own builder, and any custom home plans are still welcomed at SweetGrass.
Meet Ron and Darla Sands of Fernadina Beach, FL
Longtime fans of the charm and natural beauty of Blowing Rock, Ron and Darla Sands have been coming to the area many times a year for more than 20 years. Advocates for the Blue Ridge Parkway and the national parks, they enjoy hiking, climbing, biking, canoeing, and kayaking. When they finally decided to get serious about making a home there, they discovered SweetGrass, as Ron describes it, by a fluke.
“We had toured many communities in the Blowing Rock and Sparta areas with a realtor and were due to leave the next morning to return to Florida. Darla couldn’t sleep that night and started surfing the web for communities in Blowing Rock. SweetGrass popped up first, and she realized that it was located exactly where we had been hiking the day before at Price Lake.”
Instead of leaving for Florida that morning, they went to SweetGrass and by that evening they had finished signing the papers for their home site. “I’m not an impulsive person,” says Ron, “I’m methodical and check every detail. But this fit the bill, all the checkpoints. The other communities we had seen paled in comparison. Walt Davis was excellent helping us with every detail. Nothing happens by mistake. This was a godsend. It couldn’t be better.”
The Sands were originally thinking that Blowing Rock would be their second home, but now they are considering making this their primary residence. They selected a gently sloped estate size home site on Owl’s Brow Ridge on a cul de sac that affords privacy. Even on closing day, they met a few of the friendly neighbors — seven deer strolling through their home site stopped to say hello. “We love the setting, the beautiful hardwood trees, Darla calls it ‘Sherwood Forest.’ The community is designed with wide paved roads that we can easily travel even in the harshest of winters.”
The Sands were also impressed with the amenities. “The lake is great with the best fishing in the area. The unique plateau setting means the trails are moderate, making it ideal to get out enjoy the views. Everything is well-maintained, first class, top shelf. Yet surprisingly affordable in terms of HOA fees.”
“This is true mountain living that is accessible, convenient and easy,” says Ron. “We couldn’t be more pleased.”
Community Facts:
Elevation: 3,500 ft.
Home sites: Starting at $60,000
10 minutes from Blowing Rock, NC
20 minutes from Boone, NC
1 hour 30 minutes from Asheville, NC
