Get Outside

Zoom out on a map of Asheville and you’ll notice colossal swaths of green. No, we’re not talking about the hemp grow-ops. Our city perches sweetly in a valley that’s surrounded by three lush and mountainous national forests: Pisgah, Nantahala and Cherokee.

And due west is the vastly biodiverse Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cutting through its center is the storied Appalachian Trail — a legendary 2,189-mile trek reaching from Georgia to Maine.

Within an hour’s drive of downtown Asheville, no matter what direction you head, you’ll find scores of hiking trails, picnic spots, waterfalls and pristine mountain streams. It’s no surprise that nicknames like river rat and hiker trash are taken in stride by our outdoorsy residents.

Linville Falls

@ coralashley

In search of a view worthy enough for your Instagram feed? The most casual go-to spot just outside of town is Craggy Gardens, a dramatic, rhododendron-laced, 1.4-mile round-trip hike that leads to a stunning panoramic view of the Pisgah mountain range. Another nearby and well-traveled path is Catawba Falls: a gentle 2.7-mile round-trip trail that rewards visitors with a towering, mossy waterfall. The treeless and expansive views of Black Balsam Knob are another bucket-list hike for both locals and visitors.

Take note that the more popular trails sometimes overflow on busy weekends in the summer and fall. If you’re chasing sweet, sweet solitude, consider hiking the lush, streamside Haywood Gap Trail in the Middle Prong Wilderness or the historic Rattlesnake Lodge Trail. Impressive, more isolated hikes beckon, such as Linville Gorge, rugged and teeming with quartz crystals, known by its admirers as the “Grand Canyon of the East.” For a daylong ass-kicking adventure, attempt a summit of the 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. While there are easy trails that start within a mile of the summit, try starting down low at Mount Mitchell Trailhead and tackling that gnarly, inspiring 3,600 feet of elevation gain over 5.5 miles. The reward? Besides an amazing workout, you’ll encounter idyllic, grassy balds, rushing streams and at least four varieties of forest, including native Fraser firs and old-growth spruce.

DuPont State Recreational Forest, just outside of Brevard, functions as the region’s unofficial mountain biking mecca.

Climbers can keep occupied at area indoor climbing gyms or venture off to natural sites such as Hawksbill Mountain (Linville Gorge) or Rumbling Bald (Chimney Rock State Park). Whitewater adventure, from class I to V, beckons in almost every Western North Carolina county, with the Nantahala and French Broad rivers offering easy spots to drop in a tube, raft or kayak.

Online search engines are your friends when it comes to renting equipment and signing up for guided excursions. There’s also an abundance of retailers nearby. Mountain Xpress readers voted REI, Second Gear and Frugal Backpacker as the top Outfitters in the 2019 Best of WNC Guide. During the steamy months, a few go-to swimming holes include Skinny Dip Falls, Sliding Rock and Midnight Hole.

There’s also a slew of other outdoor activities around, such as fly-fishing, zip lining, paddleboarding, even Bellyaking (WNC is the birthplace of the Bellyak, after all!)

Photo by Derek DiLuzio Photography @derekdiluzio