Cheese trail · Asheville area

WNC Cheese Trail

The WNC Cheese Trail is a free online map run by a nonprofit of Western North Carolina cheesemakers and the wineries, cideries and shops that sell their cheese. Looking Glass Creamery in Columbus is the only cheesemaker on it with regular walk-in hours; the others open by appointment, so book before you drive out. After Tropical Storm Helene the trail asks visitors to check with each member first.

Run by: WNC Cheese Trail (nonprofit)
Map: Free, online
Walk-in creamery: Looking Glass, Columbus
Festival: Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival, October

Photo: Asopro, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Cheesemakers

Looking Glass Creamery, Columbus

A farm café with cheese boards, grilled cheese and ice cream, viewing windows into the cheese cellar and production floor, and free samples. Open Wednesday to Sunday with no reservation. See our Looking Glass Creamery page.

Round Mountain Creamery, Black Mountain

Founded in 2002 by Linda Seligman as North Carolina's first Grade A goat dairy. Hour-long tours with a guided tasting cost $20 and must be booked. See our Round Mountain Creamery page.

French Broad Creamery at Mount Gilead Farm, Leicester

About 20 minutes northwest of Asheville. The Russell family makes fresh, bloomy rind and aged goat cheeses from Nubian, Saanen and Alpine goats. The farm is open dawn to dusk and the farm store works on the honor system, taking cash, Venmo and, when someone is around, cards. From March to June there are scheduled tours with bottle feeding and a cheese tasting; call ahead for a formal tour at other times. Two farm stay units sit on the property.

Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery, Fairview

Victor Chiarizia makes cave-aged cheeses from local raw cow's milk, including a Gorgonzola-style blue, in a cave he dug into the base of a mountain. The creamery is rebuilding after Hurricane Helene; call 828-551-5739 for tours.

Spinning Spider Creamery, Marshall

A family goat dairy in Madison County making fresh, aged and bloomy rind cheeses. Tours by appointment, booked by email.

White Tree Farm, Statesville

Iredell County's first certified goat cheese maker, started in 2021. Guided farm tours with a seated tasting are booked through an Airbnb Experience listing.

Blue Goat Dairy and Three Sisters Cheese

Blue Goat Dairy in Vale makes fresh goat cheese in 17 flavours and opens for tours by appointment. Three Sisters Cheese in Marion carries on the recipes of English Farmstead Cheese, with a shop at 44 Depot Street.

Other Trail Members

The map also lists wineries and cideries, such as Marked Tree Vineyard in Flat Rock and Asheville, Addison Farms Vineyard in Leicester, Linville Falls Winery and Barn Door Ciderworks in Fletcher, and shops that stock local cheese, including South Slope Cheese Co and Provisions Mercantile in Asheville, Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview and One Wicker Cheese Co. in Highlands.

Planning Tips

Book appointment-only farms a few days ahead, and expect to drive between stops; the trail spreads across several counties. Hours and tours change with the seasons, and kidding season in spring is the busiest time at the goat dairies. The trail's fundraiser, the Carolina Mountain Cheese Festival, brings most members together in Black Mountain each October.

Where to Stay near Asheville

We may earn a commission when you book through this map, at no extra cost to you.

Questions People Ask

Where is the WNC Cheese Trail map?

On the WNC Cheese Trail website, as an interactive Google map with a full member list underneath.

Do you need to book WNC Cheese Trail creameries?

For most of them, yes. Looking Glass Creamery takes walk-ins Wednesday to Sunday and Mount Gilead Farm's store is open dawn to dusk, but Round Mountain, Spinning Spider, White Tree Farm and Blue Ridge Mountain Creamery need an appointment.

Official site: wnccheesetrail.org/the-map.html. Dates, hours and prices checked 22 October 2026; confirm on the official site before you travel. See all cheese trails.