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The hike is a steady up hill climb to the top of the mountain above Haw Creek Valley. There is a lot of roadway noise on this trail from traffic traveling on the Parkway.
Lots of wild mushrooms and some wildflowers. Richmond Hill Park Trail. Richmond Hill Park. Length: 4. A nice loop hike or bike within the city limits of Asheville.
The loop shown on this page is a combination of the yellow and blue trails. Leaving the parking area, the trail passes an information board and enters the woods. Continue straight ahead for a quarter mile to a four way intersection. Turn right. From this point bear left at all intersecting trails to make a loop of about three miles.
Trail markers are often missing. Melanie Haiken is a San Francisco—based writer. Outdoor Adventure. Destination Spotlight. Try California. Load More. This incredible waterfall earns its name from its appearance in the wintertime, as the falls freeze and the sun glistens, creating the visual of a grand mirror. Yet, the waterfall is spectacular to enjoy throughout the four seasons. In the summer, it is a great place to swim and cool down after a challenging hike.
Spectacular views surround our property on every side, so you can always enjoy the best mountain views from your very own window. When you book any of our rooms, like the Premium Mountain View King , you can always look forward to comforting amenities , the best vacation packages , and top-notch service. Complimentary, gourmet breakfast is always included in your stay. Explore exceptionally beautiful high-elevation forests on this two-trail loop, catching soaring views from the summit and looping through a lush, fragrant, mossy forest of balsam fir trees on the Balsam Nature Trail.
This hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail follows an old gravel road through a scenic forest, catching beautiful views above the Parkway from an angled rock outcrop. The route ends at the remains of Rattlesnake Lodge, a once-grand s summer estate, and explores the stacked-stone foundations of the lodge, swimming pool, barn, and several other structures. And the surrounding forest is simply outstanding in autumn! At the summit, wind-blown grasses frame wildflowers and blooming flame azeleas in spring, and views stretch to the neaby crag at Craggy Pinnacle and far into the rolling blue yonder.
A large communication tower borders the viewing platform at the summit — but the views of neighboring summits are well worth the climb, including the nearby Fryingpan Mountain.
Wildflowers by the millions, wind-blown grasses, and some of the best views in Western NC fill this popular trail. Be sure to arrive early to score a parking spot, and please help prevent trail erosion by staying on the trail and following these easy leave no trace tips.
Great hikes near asheville nc –
Beaver Lake is under minutes from downtown Asheville. We all love the Blue Ridge Mountains! The trail departs a gravel parking lot and enters a hardwood forest, immediately ascending Graybeard Mountain. The parking lot is conveniently located at Mile The summit is located within Mt. You can cross over onto the Appalachian Trail to reach the summit, which is perfect for a picnic.
The Best Hiking in Asheville NC Bucket List (Top 25 Hiking Trails) – Best Hiking in Asheville NC Guide
One of the things Matt and I miss the most about living in Asheville , is the ease of hiking to unbelievable locations anytime we want. Because of its location tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains and right off the Blue Ridge Parkway , there is no shortage of hikes near Asheville. I wanted to put together a list of our absolute favorite hikes within 60 miles of Asheville, NC.
These hikes are organized by mileage from Asheville from lowest to highest, but the travel time is also listed next to the mileage to help you perfectly plan which hikes near Asheville to definitely add to your itinerary. The other thing to remember is that temperatures drop by at least 10 degrees, and often more, once you get up in the mountains.
Just be aware of your surroundings, make noise while hiking and never approach or feed any bears. Just shoot a text to a loved one at home and then also let them know when you make it back. This truly saves lives. I typically just pop into the first 0. This trail is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a hike I highly recommend when the rhododendrons are in bloom. This trail is short and sweet.
From the top of Craggy Pinnacle , you can look out over several mountaintops. Also, you can see down into the beautiful watershed, which is illegal for visitors to go into. However, you can sneak peeks of the watershed in the first Hunger Games film. Fryingpan Fire Tower Trail is super short and offers up some of the best, unobstructed views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
You access this trailhead from the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker The trail goes straight up the road, which makes for a nice, wide trail. In the summer, the trail is lined with beautiful wild flowers, but is a beautiful trail in any season. You may not be able to access this in winter if the parkway is closed. The trail takes you up to the fire tower. While the Lower Falls are beautiful, the highlight is absolutely the Upper Falls.
However, be sure to use caution. This is one my very favorite Western North Carolina Waterfalls! This is one of my very favorite short hikes near Asheville.
Secondly, you get to see a waterfall. Lastly, at the base of the beautiful waterfall is a wonderful swimming hole.
There is even a spot where brave souls jump into the water. This trailhead starts in the Mount Mitchell parking lot, and you simply follow it as far as you want and then turn back. Each mountaintop offers a different view, or honestly, lack thereof. Keep in mind, Mount Mitchell is the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi River, so bring a jacket as the temperature is considerably cooler than Asheville.
Graveyard Fields is a very popular hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway. As such, it can be quite crowded, especially in mid-day. The trail to lower falls is paved and boardwalked and is very, very short. However, I highly recommend continuing on to Upper Falls. The Lower Falls are shorter but have a larger rush of water. The Upper Falls are taller, but are more dependent on rainfall to flow more heavily.
This is a great option for families looking to see something truly spectacular or to add on to a day full of shorter hikes. The smallest, is Hooker Falls, which takes a wide but short tumble down. I recommend starting with this one, as the other two are much more impressive.
Triple Falls is a beautiful fall that you can climb up and get personal with. High Falls steals the show in terms of beauty because of its height and size. Try to get here early in the day, as this is one of the most popular places for hikes near Asheville.
This hike is a half mile straight up, and a half mile straight down. This is truly one of the best hikes near Asheville! This is my favorite hike in North Carolina, thus far, not because of the hike itself, which is very straightforward up a bald mountain, but the views from the top are truly remarkable. There are multiple paths up and around this mountain. I also highly recommend choosing a day with clear skies, as this is all about the views.
I truly cannot recommend this hike enough. Waterrock Knob is a short, beautiful trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You come to a bit of an opening where you can see mountain after mountain and even see a beautiful curvy stretch of the Parkway from up top. This is one of my favorite waterfall trails in Western North Carolina. Matt and I have done this trail at least 5 times.
This waterfall is such a stunner that it never, ever gets old going back again and again. The trail is fairly easy, but there is a bit of an incline making it just moderately easy.
The base of the waterfall is beautiful spot for a picnic. Rainbow Falls is a beauty that falls feet down a fairly sheer rock cliff. We did this hike in the summer and there were tons of beautiful wildflowers blooming along the way. There is also Turtleback Falls, which only adds an additional 1 mile total to the hike. The 2. The pool below the falls is a perfect spot to take a dip.
Also, when the flow is just right, you can hike behind the waterfall as well — just be careful, those wet rocks can be slippery!
The thing that makes this one of my the best hikes near Asheville, though, is the peace you can find here. The smaller height of the waterfall makes for a very peaceful sound as it falls. Luckily, there are beautiful spots to sit and rest and soak all that nature, peace and beauty in. Of all these things, the nature that surrounds it is one of my very, very favorites. With this list of the best hikes near Asheville, you have an amazing jumping off point for the beloved blue ridges covering Western North Carolina.
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Share It! Like this: Like Loading Enjoy This Post? Check Out One of These! June 29, By Paige Wunder. Wanderlust Wednesday- Travel Goals January 8, Previous Post Next Post. Reply Paige Wunder July 5, at am Nice! I love NC! I hope you enjoy these hikes!
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