love valley north carolina

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krissie
a sign for love valley on the side of a road in front of an open field
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
But what's life like inside this tiny town in North Carolina without cars?
two horses are standing in front of a love valley sign with people walking by them
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
Love Valley's residents and merchants love entertaining visitors.
a sign that says love valley surrounded by flowers and trees
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
Did you know this car-free cowboy town was right here in the Tar Heel State?
two horses are tied up to the side of a wooden fence in front of a building
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
The town has a general store, a cafe, a local bar, a gift shop with ice cream, a feed store, hardware store, a saloon, and of course, a tack store.
a woman standing in the middle of a dirt road with buildings on either side and trees lining both sides
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
Visitors though, are another story. You can rent a horse to ride into town if you want, but most days, if you're coming to Love Valley as a tourist, you can get away with leaving your car outside the invisible gates in a lot up the road a bit from the retail and other businesses.
a woman riding on the back of a white horse in front of a wooden cabin
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
Firstly, many residents DO have cars, but there are many places they can't drive them.
a group of people standing next to horses on a dirt road near buildings and trees
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
Barker passed away in 2011, but the town remains car free. The 2016 census-estimated population of Love Valley was 104 residents.
two horses are tied up to the side of a wooden structure in front of a building
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
Barker's Utopia of Love Valley had one major rule:
a sign that says love valley hanging from the side of a wooden structure over a dirt road
Love Valley: The Tiny Town In North Carolina With No Cars
At the start, Barker brought with him some construction buddies who helped build a church that still sits up on the hill overlooking the town. By 1963, when the town was incorporated and Barker's dad was named mayor, the town's main street (a.k.a. Henry Martin Trail) had long taken shape.