Grab Your Hiking Boots for an Adventure in the Asheville Area

Although the largest city and main tourist draw in the Asheville Area is, of course, Asheville itself, you don’t have to follow the crowds if you want to enjoy the natural playground of the Western North Carolina mountains.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail, which straddle the Tennessee/North Carolina border, are only a short drive away from most Asheville area cabin rentals. You can set out from Hot Springs, the perfect place for any hiking enthusiast to get their footing, to the top of Max Patch Mountain or you can tackle the 70 miles of Appalachian Trail that line the Park’s ridge.

However, the Pisgah National Forest is literally right outside the door of many area vacation rentals, stretching from the charming town of Brevard all the way to Asheville. Boasting a wide array of recreational activities such as hiking, fishing, biking, swimming, and horseback riding, it offers both convenience and excitement for any outdoor adventurer.

While you will certainly come upon a few waterfalls during your excursions in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Pearson’s Falls in Saluda is a small but stunning one to check out), the allure of the waterfront is a bit too much to resist in Lake Lure. Whether swimming, water skiing, boating, or simply sunbathing tops your itinerary, Lake Lure offers it all in the most serene and picturesque of settings.

With countless active pursuits at your disposal, it is good to take a day off and simply enjoy the great outdoors without all the effort. The Blue Ridge Parkway allows for scenic and relaxing drives through one of the most beautiful parts of America, just be sure to avoid the tempting recreation areas if you want to recoup your energy before another active day in the mountains.