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One of the most popular day-tripping Asheville picnic spots amongst hikers, Max Patch promises breathtaking mountain views. Pack a picnic to enjoy across the street after your big hike. Encounter quaint picnic areas and gardens filled with rotating installations.
Top 20 Asheville Picnic Spots, NC Mountains – Pair Your Picnic With Delicious Vistas
Are you looking for the perfect picnic areas in Asheville, NC? As locals, these are the best Asheville picnic spots, the Blue Ridge Parkway included. Imagine grazing with the cows on top of a mountain with degree views or eating grapes while watching the birds from the edge of a cliff. How about those romantic picnic spots in Asheville including sitting on a rock with your sweetheart at a cascading waterfall while having lunch at one of the filming locations for The Last Of The Mohicans? There is nothing that we love more than going on a gorgeous walk or hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains and then stopping to picnic in Asheville.
Below, encounter top Blue Ridge Parkway picnic areas along with endless hiking trails, parks, gardens, and waterfalls perfect for picnicking with family, friends, and loved ones. Explore the best picnic spots in Asheville — from locals — along with top picnic areas near Asheville, including day trip options like the Great Smoky Mountains and small mountain towns across Western North Carolina. This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
As locals, one of our favorite picnic areas in Asheville includes Beaver Lake. Although privately owned, Beaver Lake is open to the public. This is also one of the most romantic picnic spots in Asheville — especially if you find the cozy picnic table hiding behind the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary.
Beaver Lake and its bird sanctuary are donation-based find slots in the parking lot and at trail access points along with a 2-mile perimeter trail.
While you will need a permit for your dogs, residents spread out along the lake with books and friends. Find reprieve from the heat in the shade of a tree or sit on a bench.
Catch a gorgeous sunset over the lake. Beaver Lake is located at Merrimon Ave. Asheville, NC Find multiple parking lots at the Bird Sanctuary and around the lake. There are no restrooms here. Check out even more Asheville lakes that are perfect for a picnic, including nearby Lake Louise. Read more about all of the best lunch spots in Asheville here. Visit for The Secret Garden vibes and explore a property covered with nature trails, wildflowers, quaint bridges, and a plethora of open space to spread out your picnic blanket.
If you are looking for quiet and romantic things to do in Asheville , this is it. Address: W T. Weaver Boulevard, Asheville, NC Check their hours and ground rules here. Both of these Asheville parks connect to each other via walking trails. Enjoy picnic tables, benches, river observation decks, public restrooms, and a gazebo. In the summer, watch as giddy tubers float down the river. If you are looking to picnic in Asheville at one of its most iconic homes, head to Biltmore Estate.
You will need a ticket, annual pass, or Biltmore accommodation reservation to enter the grounds, and please just keep in mind that Biltmore has designated picnic areas.
We recommend picnicking around the beautiful Lagoon with the ducks and Biltmore House in the background. For Asheville picnics, Bass Pond — with its gazebo and bridge — is also gorgeous. We always get sucked into the Downtown Asheville restaurant scene versus packing a picnic.
However, you may wish to grab food or donuts to-go from a restaurant, cafe, or food truck and head to historic Pack Square. Pack Square features green spaces, water pads, water fountains, a concert and performance stage, local sculptures, and street art. This lake also has some of the best mountain biking trails. Plus, if you are looking for short and easy hikes , find them around the lake.
We are annual members of The NC Arboretum. If you love curated gardens and nature trails, this is one of the best picnic areas in Asheville. The North Carolina Arboretum is filled with hiking, biking, and nature trails. Encounter quaint picnic areas and gardens filled with rotating installations. While the Bistro is perfect for on-site food and beverages, you may also bring your own.
There are bathroom facilities in the main buildings. The Blue Ridge Parkway picnic areas in Asheville are incredibly scenic and popular. We cannot possibly begin to name them all, but below, uncover our favorites. Please know that in late fall through the winter, many parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway will close for weather.
One of our absolute favorite hiking trails and best picnic spots in Asheville along the Blue Ridge Parkway, head to Craggy Gardens. Craggy Gardens has a large picnic area with tables, a restroom, and charcoal grills. Just be sure to check the temperamental weather for wind, rain, and clouds. While it may look gorgeous in Downtown Asheville, the higher mountain elevations are much cooler.
Milepost Here, find picnic tables, restrooms, and grills. Having a picnic is an excellent plan before or after you hike the Mount Pisgah Trail. If you are looking for a hardcore hike to enjoy a private picnic in Asheville, Little Butt promises to kick your butt. This difficult hiking trail is about 5. Little Butt Trailhead starts at Mile Marker Find extremely limited parking in the horseshoe shaped-lot. Tired of generic Asheville travel itineraries? Experience Asheville like a local with our free Asheville Favorites checklist, including restaurants, breweries, and hiking.
Plus, get local updates — including events and hidden gems — straight to your inbox. Sign up here. The 3-waterfall hike to Hooker, Triple, and High Falls is a must for any Asheville weekend itinerary. Enjoy picnic areas along this trek. Hike 2. Pull over on a rock near the base of the falls and lunch in heaven. The Bridal Veil Falls hike is an out-and-back. Chase even more waterfalls with our top Asheville waterfall hikes. Did you know that you can have lunch or dinner with the cows?
Bearwallow Mountain is a 2-mile total out-and-back hike near Asheville. Walk the easy and wide gravel access road or trek up the more moderate forest trail to a beautiful scenic meadow filled with — you guessed it — cows.
Bearwallow Mountain peaks at 4, feet, and spy Mt. Mitchell, the Black Mountains, Mt. Pisgah, and the Great Smoky Mountains from the top. Bearwallow Mountain is an easy hike for families and is perfect for romantic Asheville picnics and sunsets. Park on a steep road. There are no facilities here. Trombatore Trail follows along the Eastern Continental Divide with a 1,foot elevation gain and is managed by Conserving Carolina. Park on the road. One of the best-kept Asheville picnic spots secrets, we love Little Bearwallow Falls — and this Conserving Carolina trail also connects to Bearwallow Mountain.
Another popular picnic spot near Asheville past Wildcat Rock, Chimney Rock is where all of the tourists go — for good reason. You will have to pay to enter the grounds. Take the elevator up or hike Chimney Rock for incredible views, and explore a variety of hikes with fun for the entire family. We suggest grabbing a picnic table along the Hickory Nut Falls Trail. You can either purchase food on-site or bring your own.
Chimney Rock is a destination and will have restrooms, cafes, and a gift shop. While in Chimney Rock, you may also enjoy Lake Lure. The Hendersonville wineries are our personal favorites. Find sprawling vineyard views, delicious steel and barrel-fermented wine, local bites, and sleek wine bars. This tends to be a quieter family-run winery, and you cannot beat the outdoor picnic tables.
The owner, Paul, is a fantastic conversationalist. The hike up is a bit strenuous, and you will dangle close to the edge of the cliffs. Once you get closer to the top, find at least three large rocks and overlooks perfect for a quick picnic.
Picnic around the foot waterfall, Rainbow Falls, head over to Turtleback Falls, or even trek to Hidden Falls for quieter spots. If you hike all the way to Turtleback Falls for your picnic, you will trek about 4. Of course, please respect all posted signs as certain areas are dangerous and off-limits. People have died around the falls. This is one of the quietest and off-the-beaten-path Blue Ridge Parkway hikes.
Located in the Pisgah Forest just a few miles off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, surround yourself with blooms and butterflies.