Hiking

Whether you’re a day-hiker or a thru-hiker, answer the call of the wild along one of hundreds of hiking trails across the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Asheville Hiking Guide: The Trail Starts Here

by Joanne O'Sullivan

Choose Your Own Adventure Thousands of miles of trails twist, meander, dip and climb through the peaks and valleys around Asheville. In this world-class hiking destination, you can take your pick from peaceful hikes along mountain streams and technical scrambles up steep terrain; hikes that are short and sweet and multi-day adventures. Some hikes give you a view into the region’s past, and some just give you views of ridge after ridge of Appalachian mountain beauty. You could spend a lifetime trekking the wild and well trodden trails of … read more

Discover

10 Waterfalls You Want to Find Now

by Mark File

Waterfalls for All Occasions With hundreds of beautiful cascades near Asheville, where do you begin? Here’s a quick sampler to get you started. These 10 locations represent a diverse range of options, so there’s something for everyone. … read more

50 Things to Do in Asheville

by Del Holston

If you’re looking for things to do in Asheville, then consider this list your primer to the many activities available in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Whether you’re a first-time visitor, or perhaps well acquainted with the flair of this … read more

6 Drive-By Waterfalls: A Windshield Tour for All to Enjoy

by Mark File

Easy-to-see cascades in the Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Asheville are home to thousands of beautiful cascades . While most are in remote areas or require a hike to see, here are half a dozen waterfalls that you can … read more

A Day Trip to DuPont

by Melissa Stanz

“Hunger Games” setting offers amazing waterfalls, lakes, and trails Less than an hour’s drive south of Asheville between Hendersonville and Brevard, drop-dead gorgeous DuPont State Recreational Forest is a wonderful day trip if … read more

An Eden Still Unspoiled

by Janet Moore

George Masa, Horace Kephart and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park There was drama in the mountains of Western North Carolina back in the 1920s and 1930s, and it had nothing to do with prohibition and moonshine. One need only read Serena , Ron … read more

An Evening with the Elk

by Mark File

Pack a Picnic for Cataloochee Valley A quick trip to the gorgeous Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains offers big rewards. The biggest is getting a close-up view of the majestic elk that weigh up to 900 pounds, making them the largest … read more

Asheville Hiking Guide: The Trail Starts Here

by Joanne O'Sullivan

Choose Your Own Adventure Thousands of miles of trails twist, meander, dip and climb through the peaks and valleys around Asheville. In this world-class hiking destination, you can take your pick from peaceful hikes along mountain streams and … read more

Asheville's Wildflower Bloom Schedule

by Asheville Insider

Spring in the Mountains is a Pastel Paradise The landscape of the southern Appalachians, the oldest mountains in the world, is rich in biodiversity, offering you an opportunity to discover flora not found anywhere else in the world. In Asheville, … read more

Best Spring Hikes in Asheville, N.C.

by Jason Tarr

As the mountains green up with the coming of spring, the new season also brings a burst of color to the trails in and around Asheville. Hundreds of types of wildflowers line the paths that lead to stunning vistas and thundering waterfalls. These … read more

Day Trip: Exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

by K.C. Cronin

Discover the Smokies by Trail, Train or Tube To walk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is to follow in the footsteps of the Cherokee Indians; living on this land for more than 14,000 years. Because of the great efforts of many , today the … read more