WNC IS MADE BY MOUNTAINS

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With unmatched natural assets and a community intimately engaged in the outdoors, Western North Carolina is the outdoor industry hub of the East. Step in for a closer look at places, people and companies that are made by mountains.

Made By Mountains Stories

The Fire Mountain Trails / Provided

Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

There is a sensibility to this area that for me, is rooted in having value for this place.

Read Annette’s story

Leah Wong Ashburn / Provided

Earl B. Hunter, Jr.

So many Black folks have died without experiencing this beauty, this nature, this calm. This is our public land, too.

Read Earl’s story

Always ready for the trail / Johnny Johnson

Jennifer Pharr Davis

Hiking changed my values. It broke a lot of my preconceived notions about who I was, and what my options were in the world.

Read Jennifer’s story

Making outdoor adventure accessible
/ SylvanSport

Thrive Here

These mountains have made dreamers and doers, tinkerers and builders, industry leaders and pioneers.

Find a Career in the Outdoor Industry

Lush forests blanket our WNC mountains / Matthew Larkin

These Mountains

Western North Carolina

Explore What Makes These Mountains Special

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And Get Involved with MADE X MTNS

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The recently passed state budget invests significa

The recently passed state budget invests significantly in our state’s trail systems, state parks, and conservation projects, which is great news all around for the future growth of outdoor recreation!

‘“I think we’re going to see significantly more parks and trails and greenways both in state parks but also local parks, local communities all across the state,” Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, told The @smokymountainnews. “What’s exciting about that is that the budget shows that the state’s leaders recognize the high value that North Carolinians put on having plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities. I think that bodes well for continued expanded funding in the future to continue to provide outdoor recreation to people in North Carolina.”’

We’re here for it. Read more at: smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/32612-budgeting-for-conservation-state-budget-amplifies-funding-for-trails-parks-and-conservation

#madexmtns #northcarolina #wnc #wncmountains #ncgov #ncoutdoors #ncoutdoorculture #ncstateparks #conservation #outdoorrecreation #outdoorsforall

We love to highlight WNC partnerships for people &

We love to highlight WNC partnerships for people & planet! @outdoorgearbuilderswnc and @1percentftp members @enohammocks & @mount_inspiration have partnered with @bravetrails, a national non-profit organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth leadership, to create a T-shirt promoting sustainability AND social good. A portion of proceeds from each shirt sold supports the Brave Trails mission to help LGBTQ+ youth find what they need most to thrive: their people, their place, and their passion. This ChariTee shirt is printed on a 60% recycled cotton from production scraps, 40% recycled plastic bottle polyester shirt with sustainable inks. Order yours online at @mount_inspiration!
📸: @mount_inspiration

#madexmtns #outdoorgearbuilderswnc #wnc #wncmountains #wncoutdoors #enohammocks #mountinspiration #bravetrails #sustainability #apparel

Join us for a WNC Gear & Cheer Weekend at @secondg

Join us for a WNC Gear & Cheer Weekend at @secondgearwnc!

Head on over to Second Gear's new Riverside Drive location on Saturday, December 11th from 10am-6pm & Sunday, December 12th from 10am-5pm. Connect with local makers, and slay that holiday list with gifts from right here in Western North Carolina.

With the largest concentration of outdoor recreation companies East of the Rockies, Western North Carolina is the outdoor industry hub of the East . To learn more, visit @outdoorgearbuilderswnc outdoorgearbuilders.com & madexmtns.com.

#madexmtns #wnc #outdoorgear #holidays #wncoutdoors #secondgearwnc #outdoorgearbuilderswnc #giftideas #outdooradventures #outdoorapparel #avlevents #828isgreat

Made by Mountains Stories: David Billstrom - CEO o

Made by Mountains Stories: David Billstrom - CEO of @kitsbow

Kitsbow Cycling Apparel makes premium, stylish bike gear designed by real riders. At the helm is David Billstrom, an equal-parts manufacturing theory buff, cycling enthusiast, and community-minded entrepreneur. Aiming to amp up Kitsbow’s domestic production, in 2019 Billstrom relocated the company from Petaluma, California, to Western North Carolina, setting up shop in Old Fort.

“When it came time for Kitsbow to relocate, we were seeking accessible housing, improved quality of life and for the location to be a recruiting tool rather than an impediment. In that sense, choosing WNC took no convincing at all.”

Kitsbow’s adoption of one-piece-flow production signals a small but significant revival of manufacturing jobs in the old textile town. And that’s just one way Billstrom is encouraging community-building in Old Fort. Just last year, Kitsbow opened the doors to The Old Fort Ride House, a trail-side outpost, cycle shop, and coffeehouse that serves as base camp for visiting riders and locals alike.

Read David’s MADE X MTNS story and more on our site, by following the link in our bio! 🚲⛰

#madexmtns #WNC #kitsbow #apparel #mountainbiking #outdoorgearmadehere

The rain held off for some halloween fun during th

The rain held off for some halloween fun during the Pumpkin Pedaller today at @newbelgium_avl thanks to @ashevilleonbikes One of the many impactful organizations that make these mountains! #madebymountains #bikeasheville #828isgreat #newbelgiumbrewing #riverartsdistrict #pumpkinpedaller #bikepower #bicyclefun

Stories are part of the life and culture here in W

Stories are part of the life and culture here in Western North Carolina, and they flow from this place like rivers down its mountains.

The people, the places and even the products that are designed, built and tested here, all have some kind of story to tell. And one example of that can be seen with @astralfootwear’s new LE GreenJacket, The Heron.

Not only is it designed to reduce its environmental impact by repurposing fabric and materials left over from previous PFD productions, but it also has a deeper purpose of honoring and giving back to The Green River and community that has played a such a key role in the creation of Astral over the years.

So you can both look good and feel good, knowing that 10% of proceeds from the jacket are donated back to The Green River Access Fund to help fund future river access. 🌊🚣🏼‍♂️🌱

Check the link in our bio to read the full story behind the GreenJacket, or explore ways to create and share your story here in WNC.

📷 (1/5) @o.damniel
📷 (5/5) @nourianewman

#madexmtns #WNC #outdoorgearmadehere #PFD #astralfootwear

Meet and mingle with outdoor industry professional

Meet and mingle with outdoor industry professionals this Thursday at @highlandbrewing Attendees can also be the first to see the next WNC: Made By Mountains Story and taste our first brewery collaboration! #madexmtns #outdoorindustry #outdoorindustryhuboftheeast

Beyond stoked to announce that we have officially

“We’re so fortunate to be so proximate to the

“We’re so fortunate to be so proximate to the outdoors here. There’s almost not a weekday lunchtime or a weekend that a group of folks here aren’t out doing something. We’re not even a half-mile from the entrance to Pisgah National Forest and all the trails there. We’re on the bike path that leads between Pisgah and downtown Brevard, where you can enter the Bracken Mountain Preserve. Enjoying these places that are right outside our door is part of our company DNA.

That proximity is another thing that makes Western North Carolina so special. So unique. We have the industrial base of a place like Ohio and the outdoor recreational base of a place like Colorado. Most places in this country that have a really rich outdoor attribute don’t have the proximity to manufacturing. It’s very difficult to manufacture outdoor gear in the heart of the places you want to use it.”

- Tom Dempsey, Founder of @_sylvansport

#madexmtns #WNC #outdoorgearmadehere

Love seeing collaborations like this between @blac

Love seeing collaborations like this between @blackfolkscamptoo and @obozfootwear! 🙌🏿👏🏾 Working together to “Put a Little Soul in Your Step” and promote Unity on the outdoors 🥾⛺️🍂

Check them out and visit the link in their bio to see the BFCT + Oboz O FIT Insole® that’s now available!

#madexmtns #WNC #blackfolkscamptoo #obozfootwear #camping #hiking #outdoors

Feels like it’s high time for some beers and bik

Feels like it’s high time for some beers and bike rides around this place. Perfect way to welcome in the weekend and this October weather 🍂🙌🏽

#madexmtns #WNC #beermadehere #outdoorgearmadehere #Asheville #OldFort

🍻📸 @highlandbrewing
🚴📸 @kitsbow

Did you know? WNC is located within just a day’s

Did you know? WNC is located within just a day’s drive to 50% of the US population…

And whether you’re a startup business in the outdoor industry or an existing company looking to expand your reach and operations, having such a prime east coast location and access to 178 million potential customers can be a major advantage!

Visit our website to read more about Our Industry and infrastructure here in WNC, as well as the various benefits of making things in these mountains ⛰

#madexmtns #WNC #outdoorgearmadehere

(3/3): “A lot of places I hike, the environment

(3/3): “A lot of places I hike, the environment is more severe. It’s more arid, or it’s colder. Here, we have water. And we take it for granted! There are so many beautiful streams and rivers, and it rains and rains. It’s so lush and verdant. I think it supports life and creativity and is why the mountains also feel very intimate to me. Because so many of the qualities I love are found in the details. You have to go out into it to get to know it. The views are great, but I think Western North Carolina is best experienced inside the forest.

Having traveled pretty extensively, it’s always this wonderful feeling to come back home and think, “There’s no place I’d rather live.” And, quite frankly, I love Asheville. But my favorite thing about living in Asheville is an hour in every direction. It’s just so great to be able to go to Madison County, go to Hot Springs, hit the Appalachian Trail, be able to go to the Smokies, go to Cherokee or Oconaluftee. To go to Linville Gorge, or head down to the Blue Ridge escarpment and see waterfalls. An hour in every direction is just so great. I love that about Western North Carolina.”

Read the full MADE X MTNS story on our website by visiting the link in our bio. 🥾⛰📖

#madexmtns #WNC #blueridgemountains #appalachiantrail #blueridgehikingcompany #outdoorgearmadehere

(2/3): “Hiking can be a powerful catalyst for po

(2/3): “Hiking can be a powerful catalyst for positive things. I decided I wanted to do it more, and help others do it as well. So when it became clear that I wanted to start a hiking company—because helping other people get outdoors was all that I would think about—I knew I wanted to move back to Asheville. I wanted to share with people the mountains I loved growing up. And it’s funny because I didn’t grow up with the outdoors so much. It wasn’t like my family camped together or backpacked together. But even so, growing up here a lot of my early memories are tied to the outdoors. Picking blackberries from a wild blackberry patch and seeing bear fur in the briars. Being on the deck at my childhood home and seeing this weird loopy thing sticking up through the deck and it was a snake! Being young and playing in creeks with my brothers and looking for crawdads. I think these mountains just become a part of who you are.”

Read more of Jennifer’s story at the link in our bio 🥾

#madexmtns #WNC #blueridgehikingcompany #outdoorgearmadehere

Made By Mountains Stories: (1/3): “I’ve hiked

Made By Mountains Stories:

(1/3): “I’ve hiked the Appalachian Trail three times. The second time I was going for the women’s record, which had really not been established. It was partly a passion project to see what I was capable of.”

Jennifer Pharr Davis will be the first to say she owes a lot to the trail. Her legendary treks have encouraged her to push her own boundaries, like when she set the record for the fastest Appalachian Trail hike by a woman in 2008 and returned three years later to break the overall record for women and men.

Read Jennifer’s MADE X MTNS story and more on our site, by following the link in our bio!

#madexmtns #WNC #appalachaintrail

Thinking of starting an outdoor business? Or looki

Thinking of starting an outdoor business? Or looking for ways to grow an existing one? Applications for the Waypoint Accelerator Program are open through September 26th! There’s no better time to be part of the Outdoor Industry here in WNC 🏕🚐🚲🛶/// #madexmtns #WNC #outdoorgearmadehere

An absolute beaut 🚲👌🏽If you’re looking

An absolute beaut 🚲👌🏽If you’re looking a for a bike that can both shred and turn heads, make your way over to Black Mountain and check out the ones @pisgahbikeworks is building inside the @wncoutdoorcollective. /// #madexmtns #WNC #outdoorgearmadehere

📸 @wncoutdoorcollective

A product (and tag) that speaks for itself… 👌

A product (and tag) that speaks for itself… 👌🏽 Built right here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, @tarpestry makes water-resistant blankets and tarps that are perfect for picnics, camping, beach days, outdoor concerts and more. And based just outside of @exploreboone they even partner with local @tsugausa for local manufacturing. 🪡🧵 /// #madexmtns #WNC #outdooorgearmadehere

📸 @tarpestry

Time to head for the hills and take a good long ri

Time to head for the hills and take a good long ride into the weekend 🚴🏽‍♂️🚴🏻‍♀️ /// 📸 @canecreekusa

Tag #madexmtns to share all the ways you plan to get out, explore and enjoy #WNC this weekend 🙌🏽

Did you know? From hammocks, water shoes, and bike

Did you know? From hammocks, water shoes, and bike packs to bouldering crash pads, camper trailers, and kayaks…

Western North Carolina has the Highest Concentration of Outdoor Companies East of the Rockies!

There’s a lot of quality goods and gear made in these mountains, and brands both big and small that call #WNC home.

Think you know them all? Tell us which ones come to mind when you think of WNC’s outdoor scene.

#madexmtns

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