Asheville Attractions & Activities

Are you looking for the best Asheville attractions and activities? Discover top things to do In Asheville, NC from locals, including hiking, the Biltmore, and seasonal activities. We’ll talk about shops, bookstores, waterfalls, and gardens, too.

Asheville Attractions And Activities Hooker Falls at DuPont Forest — Are you headed to Asheville, North Carolina and looking for things to do? Find our top posts for Asheville attractions and activities to get you started.

Get Outdoors: Hiking, Waterfalls & Gardens

Hiking Trails To Explore

Asheville Hiking Trails Best Hikes Near Asheville with picture of Blue Ridge Mountains at Craggy Gardens at sunset — Almost every week in Asheville, we hit the gorgeous trails. So, what hiking trails near Asheville, North Carolina are famous for their 365-degree views, cascading waterfalls, pastel sunsets, breathtaking fall foliage, chill swimming holes, and vibrant blooms? We’ll share over 30 Asheville hiking trails by level of difficulty that everyone will love.

Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower Trail with aerial photograph of Fryingpan Lookout Tower surrounded by foggy mountains — Overcome your fear of heights with this 70-foot tower at Fryingpan Mountain. An easy 1.5-mile hike off of the Blue Ridge Parkway along a gravel road, you’ll spy Mount Pisgah, the BRP, Cold Mountain, and Looking Glass Rock from Fryingpan Lookout Tower.

Waterfalls Hikes Near Asheville

Waterfalls Near Asheville NC Hiking blog post cover with picture of Triple Falls at DuPont State Recreational Forest — If you love hiking and waterfalls, don’t miss the best waterfalls near Asheville, NC perfect for picnics, hiking, or a quick and refreshing dip.

DuPont State Forest Waterfalls and hikes picture of Hooker falls blog post cover — DuPont State Forest has some of our favorite waterfall hikes near Asheville. Home to The Hunger Games waterfalls, you can see over 4 waterfalls in a 7+-mile hike. Read more about Hooker Falls, Triple Falls, High Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.

Douglas Falls Near Asheville NC blog post cover with waterfall — If you are looking for a waterfall hike that is both easy and stunning, head over to Douglas Falls. You’ll love this 70-foot waterfall that you can walk under.

Asheville Parks, Gardens & Nature Walks

Parks In Asheville NC with green grass, trees, and brown wooden bench at Botanical Gardens At Asheville — Don’t miss some of the best gardens and parks in Asheville, NC. We’ll share local public parks like French Broad River Park, Pack Square, and Carrier Park along with Asheville gardens including The NC Arboretum, Biltmore Gardens, and Botanical Gardens at Asheville. Uncover quick mentions of the most popular State and National parks near Asheville, too.

NC Arboretum Asheville North Carolina blog post cover with pink flowers — As members and locals, The NC Arboretum sings to our nature-loving souls. Discover trails and hidden benches among stunning flowers and butterflies.

Botanical Gardens At Asheville blog post cover with pink, white, and yellow flowers — If you are looking for 10-acres of streams, wildlife, and gorgeous blooms, don’t miss the Botanical Gardens At Asheville, only minutes from downtown.

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary Trail Asheville NC blue lake with mountains and fall foliage — Did you enjoy too much local Asheville, NC food and beer? Need to walk it off? Head to the Beaver Lake Trail and Bird Sanctuary for a gorgeous 2-mile loop around the lake or a .5-mile boardwalk nature hike through the sanctuary. Beaver Lake is perfect for picnics, too.

Visiting Biltmore Estate

Best Things to do at Biltmore Blog post cover with picture of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC — Are you wondering if the Biltmore ticket price is worth it? This article will alleviate your Biltmore wallet woes while telling you all of the fun things that you can do at Biltmore to get your money’s worth.

Visiting The Biltmore With Kids — Does the Biltmore sound too stuffy for families and kids? We asked one of our favorite mom bloggers if she recommends bringing kids to Biltmore. Her answer: YES! Discover kid-friendly activities at Biltmore here.

Asheville Shopping

Asheville bookstores blog post cover with white brunette woman reading Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe — Did you know that Asheville has a champagne book bar, a queer & feminist co-op bookstore, and a bookshop in a location where they used to auction cows?! Don’t miss these 5 Asheville bookstores.

Fall Asheville Attractions

14 Cozy Fall Activities in Asheville — It’s no secret that Asheville is STUNNING in the fall. As half-backs (CT gone FL gone Asheville), we had to do ALL of the Asheville fall activities. See which ones you should add to your bucket list…like who has the best cider donuts and corn mazes.

Best Fall Hikes Near Asheville, NC with brunette white male with green backpack hiking through fall foliage at Graveyard Loop — Hiking in Asheville is gorgeous all year round. However, the fall is especially magical here in the mountains. What are our favorite fall Asheville hikes that are worth the drive? Your eyes won’t be disappointed.

Apple Orchards in Hendersonville NC blog post cover with red apples in a basket next to a tree and pumpkin — Did you know that Hendersonville is known as “Apple Alley.” If you are visiting Asheville in the fall, you cannot skip the Hendersonville apple orchards. See where to find the best cider donuts, get lost in a corn maze, and apple pick near Asheville, NC.