Reddit mentions of A Rockhounding Guide to North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains

I'm not local, but here are some resources you may look into:

A list of gem/mineral clubs in North Carolina. Here is the MAGMA club site, which I believe is local to you. I'm sure that other /r/rockhounds will back me up when I say that joining a club is a great way to meet people who know where to go to find the goods. Clubs also often go out on field trips periodically, including to spots you can't access as an individual.

This website describes sites in 13 counties of western NC, with great pictures of the finds from some of those locations. However, some of those are on private property and you need the owner's permission to hunt there.

A list of upcoming mineral shows. According to that list, there's one in Columbia, SC this weekend if you're okay with a drive. That's another solid place to meet some folks who might give you some pointers, and a great place to get your Christmas shopping done! Otherwise, you might try out the 2017 show in Asheville (scroll down), scheduled for March 17-19.

GatorGirl's list for general-interest geology stuff in your state. You might cut your teeth on one of the commercial sites listed at the bottom there before venturing out on your own. Here is a similar list of general western NC rockhound info.

Michael Streeter's A Rockhounding Guide to North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains seems well-received on Amazon. One of the reviewers mentions that it gives GPS coords for the sites, which is an absolute godsend. Your local library may have a copy.

And here is the full Mindat page for finds listed in your state -- towards the bottom, you can select a specific county to narrow things down a bit. Mindat's pretty comprehensive and often has great pictures to help you know what to look for when you hunt, although many of the specimens were collected from private land or closed sites.

Here is the Forest Service's guidelines for rockhounding and gold panning in National Forests in your state, if any of your travels lead you there. Be aware of the local laws and always keep the Code of Ethics in mind!

Happy hounding! I've obtained a couple awesome Chalk Mountain specimens from others, but I've never been able to make it over there myself. Maybe save the Torbernite hunt for a day without kids, though -- radioactivity ain't so good for yoots!

Even if you're not exactly in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the Roadside Geology book for the park is a great one, Amazon has lots of other books that look good too.

I haven't read The Rockhounding Guide to the NC Blue Ridge mountains, but I think I will before next vacation....