BEST SIDEWALK STROLL: The Urban Trail in downtown Asheville is a 1.7-mile walking tour with 30 sculptures that depict the history of downtown. Walk half of it, stop for lunch, and complete your tour! Directions: Get a brochure at the Visitors Center or stop by Pack Place by the monument to pick up an audio tour at the art museum.
BEST VIP HIKES: Enjoy a variety of hiking trails at Biltmore Estate. If you don't feel special enough exploring this grand setting, get a guided private tour for hiking, biking, birding or gardening.
BEST IN-TOWN NATURE WALK: North Carolina Arboretum, just 10 miles south of downtown, has several easy to moderate walking trails. Our pick is the Natural Garden Trail, a one-mile loop starting from the Plants of Promise Garden to the Core Area Gardens. It is a gently graded, naturally surfaced trail that overlooks Bent Creek and the National Native Azalea Repository. Directions: Take exit 2 from I-26 and go south on Highway 191 to the Blue Ridge Parkway/Arboretum entrance. There is a $6/car admission fee.
BEST EDUCATIONAL HIKE: Walk two miles on a paved trail at the Forest Discovery Center at the Cradle of Forestry to see restored buildings from the early 1900s and learn about how forestry begin in the United States.
BEST AFTER DINNER STROLL: Go to the Botanical Gardens at Asheville for a ½ mile loop across streams, through meadows, and over a woodland ridge to a wildflower cove with an authentic log cabin. All of this is in the middle of town, just three miles north of downtown beside the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Admission is free. Directions: Take Broadway from downtown and turn left on Weaver Boulevard. The gardens are immediately on your left, and they are open from dawn to dusk.
BEST CEMETERY WALK: Stroll through the 87 acres of Riverside Cemetery.
COLD MOUNTAIN
Made famous by the novel and movie, Cold Mountain is located about 40 miles from Asheville. See our Cold Mountain Hiking Guide.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Options are overwhelming here with 800+ miles of hiking trails. See our Smoky Mountain Guide.
PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST
The half million acres of the Pisgah National Forest surrounding Asheville features hundreds of hiking trails through some of the most beautiful and rugged mountain scenery in eastern North America, including Linville Gorge. See our Pisgah National Forest Guide.
MOUNTAINS TO THE SEA TRAIL
Hike parts of this 193-section that follows the Blue Ridge Parkway. Read more about the Mountains to Sea Trail.
WINTER NORTH CAROLINA HIKING
From November through March, hiking in the higher North Carolina mountain elevations can mean negotiating blustery winds and snow. Try the North Carolina Arboretum, the Mountain-to-Sea trail at the Folk Art Center, a lower trail at Chimney Rock (the Skyline Cliff trail is often closed in the winter due to ice) or the Waterfall Tour (see above). Looking Glass Rock is a great winter option, but be careful of ice on the rock face at the top. In the higher elevations, you can enjoy the rime ice. Also see our winter hike to Mt. Cammerer in the Great Smokies.
ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION
See our Top 20 Green Guide.
CAMPING
See our Asheville Camping Guide.
 TOP PICK HIKING BOOK
Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway by Randy Johnson
The Blue Ridge Parkway provides access to many great hiking trails. This book features photos and lots of maps, including finely-detailed topographic maps that you won't find in other guides. You should purchase this book prior to your trip to plan the perfect hikes for you. Also check out Randy's other hiking guides, including one for the easy day hikes on the Parkway.
Buy this and other Asheville books.
ASHEVILLE HIKING CLUBS & GROUP HIKES
The Carolina Mountain Club, now over 80 years old and the oldest Hiking and Trail Maintaining Club in Western NC, fosters the enjoyment of the mountains of Western North Carolina and adjoining regions. They lead 175 hikes per year, maintain 400 miles of trail, build new trails, and promote the conservation of the trails and natural scenery. Join them on a hike. See their Hike Schedule.
The Montreat Trail Club is made up of volunteers, supporters, and conference center staff members, and works with the Montreat Conference Center to maintain hiking trails, conduct hikes, and provide environmental education opportunities. Membership is not required to participate in Trail Club hikes or work with a trail crew, but a new membership does entitle the member to a Montreat Trail Club patch and a subscription to The Wanderer, the Trail Club’s quarterly newsletter. See their Hike Schedule by downloading their newsletter. NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS HIKING TIPS
1. Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.
2. Go early to avoid crowds and heat.
3. Take extra clothes and rain gear, in case of a quick weather change. With the exception of the Chimney Rock hike, expect much cooler conditions on the trails we recommend. Wear layers.
4. Stay on marked trails. Do not disturb any wildlife or plantlife.
5. Take plenty of drinking water. Although it may be tempting, don't drink from the streams.
6. Take a cell phone in case of emergency. Coverage is surprising good on some mountaintops, although it is spotty in some valleys. But have it turned off so it won't ring while you are trying to "get away from it all!"
7. Take hiking maps and snacks, especially if you are going on a longer trail.
8. If you have an emergency along the Parkway, call 1-800-ParkWatch. Otherwise, call 911.
9. Trail lengths can be misleading if the trail has a big elevation gain. We do have the highest mountains in the eastern USA.
10. Dogs are allowed on most hiking trails (on a leash), except in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Pet Friendly Asheville
11. Research ahead of time. (Buy a book.)
Download: Haywood County Hiking (Hikes just west of Asheville) |
Favorite Hikes and City Walks
