Guidebook for Asheville

14 HIKES NEAR ASHEVILLE: While parks and trails may be listed as open, we recommend checking park websites — especially the Blue Ridge Parkway, which closes every winter — before visiting for further info, current trail conditions, and safest practices for the area. Key: Easy = 🥾| Moderate = 🥾🥾 | Hard = 🥾🥾🥾 1- Bearwallow Mountain (Close to town) Bearwallow Mountain, N35.4607, W-82.3681 Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 2.1 mile loop Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash This trail slopes gently uphill, eventually leading you to a gorgeous, pastoral bald with plenty of space to roam and picnic. Very often, you’ll see cows roaming the bald. 2- Rattlesnake Lodge, 667 State Rd. 2109, Weaverville Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 3.7 mile loop Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash What this hike lacks in sweeping summit views, it makes up for with historic artifacts. After a good number of switchbacks and a few rocky outcrops, you’ll encounter the former site of the Rattlesnake Lodge, which was built in 1904 and gets its name from the now-defunct living room that was covered in rattlesnake skins. 3 - Hard Times Loop Trail, 375 Wesley Branch Rd. Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 6.4 mile loop Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash This lovely loop is part of the trail network that traverses Bent Creek Experimental Forest and the NC Arboretum. It’s open year-round and has a moderate grade, with the exception of a steep incline about halfway through the hike. 4 - Sunset Shining Rock Wilderness Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest Looking Glass Rock Trailhead Difficulty: 🥾🥾🥾 Length: 5.7 mile out-and-back Pet-friendly: Can be dangerous for pets One of the most popular hikes in Pisgah, the summit of this hike offers panoramic views atop a large smooth rock that gets its name from the way it reflects ice in the winter. On the way up, you’ll encounter several springs and plenty of rhododendron and mountain laurel. 5 - Graveyard Fields, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 418.8 Difficulty: 🥾 Length: 2.9 mile loop Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash We recommend getting here early (or very late) as the parking lot fills up quickly. This historic trail moves through an old fire site and several waterfalls. 6 - Black Balsam Knob, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 420.2 Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 1.4 mile out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash This expansive bald has some of the best views in Pisgah — often times, soaring above the misty Blue Ridge clouds. To get there, trek through a grove of balsams and up a rock outcrop. You’ll want to bring a jacket as it gets very windy up there. 7 - Craggy Gardens- known for its twisty rhododenrons. Craggy Gardens, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 364 Difficulty: 🥾 Length: 1.9 mile out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash In the summer, blueberries are ripe for the picking and rhododendrons famously decorate the landscape of this iconic Asheville trail — but the panoramic views of Pisgah are sublime all year-long (just make sure the Blue Ridge Parkway is open before heading out). 8 - Mt. Pisgah, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 407.6 Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 4.5 mile out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash This steep, technical trail climbs through tunnels of rhododendrons and some muddy patches to offer a rewarding summit. The hike finishes at an observation deck and transmission tower, with sweeping views of Pisgah National Forest. 9 - Mount Mitchell @ Mount Mitchell State Park Mount Mitchell Trail, S. Toe River Rd, Burnsville Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 11 miles out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash This one’s not for the weak of the heart — but it can be done if you start early enough or if you bring overnight supplies and make it a camping trip. If you complete this hike, which reaches up to 6,684 ft., you get forever bragging rights for scaling the highest peak in the Eastern US. 10 - Mount Mitchell Summit Trail Difficulty: 🥾 Length: 0.4 miles out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash Want the epic views of Mt. Mitchell without an excruciatingly long hike? Park at the visitor center and hop on this paved trail. There’s also a concession stand and gift shop on-site. 11 - Max Patch - Appalachian Trail Max Patch Loop, Max Patch Rd. Difficulty: 🥾 Length: 1.5 mile loop Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash Be warned: the drive up to the Max Patch parking lot is bumpy and twisty. But if you can manage that, you’ll be rewarded with a short, family-friendly hike that offers deeply memorable views of the mountains, with plenty of space to picnic and frolic. 12 - Lover’s Leap, 138 Silvermine Rd., Hot Springs Difficulty: 🥾🥾 Length: 1.8 mile loop Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash This hike is especially great if you’re already planning an excursion out to Hot Springs Resort and Spa. It’s perched alongside the French Broad River, climbing over rocky, root-laden terrain, and offers many wonderful vantage points of the Appalachian Trail, river, and surrounding township. 13 - Linville Gorge - Shortoff Mountain Shortoff Mountain, Wolfpit Rd., Nebo Difficulty: 🥾🥾🥾 Length: 5.5 mile out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash If you’re looking for stunning views of Linville Gorge and a challenging yet rewarding journey up there, this is a dream hike. Quartz crystal glistens along the trail and you also get fun views of Lake James. 14 - Linville Falls, Hwy. 183, Newland Difficulty: 🥾 Length: 0.9 mile out-and-back Pet-friendly: Yes, on leash If you’d rather experience Linville Gorge from the perspective of the river that cuts through it, this hike offer the perfect vantage, with several waterfalls sprinkled throughout the trail. It’s best to visit April through November as it gets rather icy in the winter months.