Nature & Adventure
Western North Carolina is the world’s largest natural classroom with experiments and activities for the whole family.
Get out on the water on an old-fashioned paddleboat at Lake Julian in south Asheville. Children love the ducks and geese that live at the lake and this is a great spot for bird watching. Keep your eyes open for great blue heron or the glittering blue of a kingfisher.
Get a Parkway map and count and name the tunnels as you gain altitude on your drive through the mountains. As you go though the tunnels, see who can hold his or her breath the longest. Discover the Milky Way along an overlook at night. The city lights below create a mural, reflecting the stars overhead.
Gather your family for a mountain bike ride on the many dirt roads and trails at Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Cool off after your adventure by taking a dip in Lake Powhatan. And while you’re there, hike one of the interpretive trails to learn about ecological habitats and forest regeneration methods in the Southern Appalachians.
Climb to the highest point east of the Mississippi River at Mount Mitchell, north of Asheville off the Blue Ridge Parkway. An observation tower near the top gives access to views of Buncombe County’s water source, the watershed fed by mountain streams and creeks.
Children love waterfalls. From the Parkway, head down U.S. 276 toward Brevard to enjoy these wonders of nature as well as Sliding Rock, nature’s own water slide.
Interactive Asheville |
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