Enjoy an expansive view at this beautiful overlook located just north of Asheville. Sunrise can be spectacular as this overlook faces east. Tanbark Ridge Overlook is a favorite with stargazers as well. In the small valley below, which is mostly forested, there is a little community aligned with Bull Creek Road. In the distance the mountains are High Swan, High Knob, and Lane Pinnacle. Behind the overlook, Tanbark Ridge ascends another 700 feet. Swan Mountain is behind Tanbark Ridge. The name tanbark comes from a leather tannery that is said to have been located on this ridge. Tanneries by their nature were foul smelling and usually located away from towns. A tannery situated on this ridge had the advantage of nearby resources—tannins from the bark of oak and hemlock trees and mountain breezes to blow away the smell of tannic acid and putrid animal hides.
The History of Asheville
Before European settlement, Asheville was part of the Cherokee Nation. Bearing the name Untokiasdiyi, meaning “Where they race,” the Cherokee people used the area as a gathering place.
Settlement didn’t occur until after the Revolutionary War, in 1784, when Colonel Samuel Davidson and his family arrived, claiming land through a soldier’s grant. The settlement, initially named “Morristown,” was later renamed Asheville in honor of North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe.
Asheville became an important outpost in the Blue Ridge Mountains, attracting famous travelers like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. The city flourished during the railway boom into the 1920s but faced a significant setback during the stock market crash of 1929. However, thanks to a committed urban renewal plan and efforts to maintain the city’s charm, Asheville transformed into the vibrant culture hub it is today.