The Appalachian Medley Scenic Byway is an official NC drive that follows NC Highway 209 from Lake Junaluska to Hot Springs, with much to see in between in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Twist and turn through the Pisgah National Forest and rural…
The tiny St. Jude's Chapel of Hope is very big in beauty. Located in the community of Trust in Madison County near Hot Springs (along the Appalachian Medley Scenic Byway), the roadside chapel is always open to the public for a peek…
You'll often see long lines out the front door of the French Broad Chocolate Lounge on weekends. And it's worth the wait... a chocolate lover's dream. Their delcious variety of hand-crafted artisan chocolates and pastries features superb local…
Downtown Asheville is a chocolate lover's dream. In addition to 50 restaurants with decadent desserts and a dozen coffee shops and bakeries, there are some must-stops for fine, handmade local chocolate:
French Broad Chocolate Lounge (pic at…
Because of its strategic location, Asheville became a major Confederate military center during the Civil War with several encampments. Asheville and Flat Rock, home to wealthy landowners, were Confederate strongholds. In Asheville’s public square…
It is a strenuous 10.6-mile roundtrip hike to the Cold Mountain summit in the remote Shining Rock Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest. Allow 6-7 hours of hiking time, plus breaks. The best months to hike are May through October. Snow…
Cold Mountain, North Carolina, located 35 miles from Asheville, has received notoriety from the best-selling Charles Frazier novel Cold Mountain and the acclaimed 2003 motion picture. The movie was filmed in Romania; however, the mountain scenery…
What a gorgeous setting! Courthouse Falls descends into a lush, picturesque cove in the Pisgah National Forest. The waterfall plunges about 45 ft. from a narrow chute into a deep pool, perfect for a dip on a hot summer's day. It's an easy…
Visitors are welcome to tour part of the Billy Graham Conference Center at The Cove. Located on 1,200 acres about five miles from downtown Asheville and nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, The Cove hosts many events, conferences and…
A short drive (20 miles) from downtown Asheville takes you up, up, up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to mile-high Craggy Gardens. As you approach the area, you will first see a sign for the Craggy Picnic Area to the left. It's a short drive up the…
This short mile-high hike offers huge rewards. It's only a 1.4-mile round-trip hike to the top of the 5,892-ft. summit, Craggy Pinnacle. at Craggy Gardens. The exceptional panoramic 360-degree views are hard to beat in Western North Carolina…
Ride the rails just 5 miles north of downtown Asheville on the historic Craggy Mountain Line. The 3.5-mile section of railroad in the small town of Woodfin (near Weaverville) has been preserved by a hard-working group of volunteers. This small…
Cullasaja Falls can be seen from the roadside on US Highway 64 (called Mountain Waters Scenic Highway & Waterfall Byway), 8.8 miles west of Highlands, along a very narrow, curvy stretch of highway through the Cullasaja River Gorge in…
This waterfall in Pisgah National Forest near Brevard has multiple names: Tom's Spring Branch Falls, Daniel Ridge Falls and Jackson Falls. It’s an easy half-mile hike on the Daniel Ridge Trail to reach the base of this 150-ft. waterfall. As with…
Mount Craig (altitude 6,647 ft.) is the second highest peak in the eastern United States, only 37 feet lower than neighboring Mount Mitchell, the highest peak. Mt. Craig is part of the Mt. Mitchell State Park, surrounded by the Pisgah National…
Located at milepost 422.4 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Devil's Courthouse has a short but strenuous trail climbing a half-mile to its peak with wonderful panoramic mountain views (see photo above). The mostly-paved trail starts from the…
Dill Falls is a 50-foot waterfall in Nantahala National Forest in Jackson County. It’s a short hike from the road – and you can see both Upper and Lower Dill Falls on Tanasee Creek via two different trails (one mile roundtrip) from the same…