Explore Asheville, North Carolina
About 366,000 people live in Asheville, North Carolina. This Blue Ridge Mountains city is known for its beautiful architecture, and a great way to start exploring it is to tour Biltmore Estates. After touring this home constructed in 1895, enjoy a picnic behind the house while seeing stunning views of the city below. Then, head to Pack Square Park, where festivals often occur, including the North Carolina Ceramics Festival in October, Asheville Art in the Park in June and October and Shindig on the Green in June and August.
In the River Arts District, visitors can see works from over 200 artists to take a class and make art. About two miles south of downtown Asheville, this area has many outstanding restaurants. The Ultra Coffeebar serves a terrific smoked turkey panini sandwich with locally produced mustard. This restaurant displays ceramics from the nearby Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts. Also nearby is the North Carolina Glass Center, where visitors can see glassblower demonstrations and make glass ornaments or paperweights. The Wedge Brewing Company in this neighborhood offers locally brewed craft beer and entrees from rotating food trucks. This brewery is in a three-story building, with the upper two stories used to showcase artwork for sale. In all, tenants in 21 buildings in this district offer art or food. A particularly great time to explore this neighborhood is during their monthly Second Saturday events.
There are many top-rated museums in Asheville, including Asheville Pinball Museum, where visitors can play unlimited games on 50 vintage pinball machines, Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum, displaying vintage working cars and moonshine still and the Asheville Museum of Science, where you can pretend to be a scientist for a day.
Campgrounds Near Asheville, North Carolina
There are 25 pull-through sites and 65 back-in sites at Asheville’s Bear Creek RV Park and Campground. This campground has a swimming pool, a recreation room, a playground, a dog area, two laundry rooms and three bathhouses. Complimentary internet is available at every site.
Wilson’s Riverfront RV Park offers 26 campsites, with over half located along the French Broad River. Each site has full hookups, and a bathhouse is available during the warmer months. Tony and Ann Wilson have operated this campground for more than 30 years. The French Broad River Greenway linking Hominy Creek River, Carrier and French Broad parks runs along the edge of this campground.
In nearby Waynesville, North Carolina, about 30 miles southwest of Asheville, consider Creekwood Farm RV Park. This campground has 125 sites, with full hookups available at each one. They have a camp store with fire pits and grills available to rent. Guests can fish from this campground with a North Carolina fishing license. This campground has a fenced dog park, recreation room and laundry facility.
National Parks near Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is about 80 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The closest entrance to Asheville is the Oconaluftee entrance, which is very near the Mountain Farm Museum, where visitors can see a blacksmith shop, barn, cabin and springhouse at the Mountain Farm Museum. A couple of miles up the road is the turbine-powered Mingus Mill, which workers constructed in 1886. Nearby, the Oconaluftee River Trail is a fantastic place to stroll along the river. Beginning in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the 6.7-mile-long Roaring Fork Motor Trail allows visitors to see much of this park’s geology and wildlife. Spread across this 527,000-acre park, guests can find opportunities to go fishing, hiking, stargazing, biking and horseback riding. There are 10 campgrounds, each with a grill and picnic table.
Congaree National Park is about 175 miles southeast of Asheville. The Congaree and Wateree rivers are excellent places for a paddling adventure. Beavers often build homes along the edges of these rivers. This park is home to the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States, and it contains some of the tallest trees in the United States. A great way to get an introduction to this park is to stroll along the boardwalk, where park rangers are often available to answer questions. There are many hiking trails, especially near the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. Congaree National Park has two campgrounds, but park officials only allow tent camping.
New River Gorge National Park is about 245 miles north of Asheville. The New River, which flows northward, unlike most U.S. rivers, is often a paddling destination. This park features several long-distance hiking trails. Many trails in the Glade Water area lead to waterfalls while those in the Grandview area often lead past unique rock formations. There are no RV campsites at this park.
State Parks Near Asheville, North Carolina
Table Rock State Park is about 70 miles south of Asheville, near Pickens, South Carolina. Pinnacle Lake and Lake Oolenoy are terrific places to fish for bass, bream and catfish. An ADA-compliant fishing pier is available, and a boat ramp is available for launching paddle and electric-powered boats. Guests can bring their own or rent one from a vendor at the park. While there are no lifeguards on duty, there is a swimming beach. Guests must register at the Nature Center or the trailhead before hiking. There are 25 campsites, with standard sites having electric and water hookups.
Another fantastic option is to explore Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park near Limestone, Tennessee, about 65 miles north of Asheville. Hiking trails run along limestone bluffs and through grassy meadows. Most courses are less than three miles long, and all are natural surfaces. There is easy access for canoers and kayakers to launch their vessels on the Nolichucky River. Bank and wade fishing for smallmouth bass and catfish is popular at this park.
Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville, South Carolina, is about 65 miles south of Asheville. There are 117 miles of hiking and biking trails. Guests can fish on Lake Placid, Mountain Lake, Buckhorn Lake and North Lake. Six park pavilions provide excellent places to enjoy a picnic. There is a 39-site campground at this park that covers more than 1,700 acres. Park rangers often host seasonal activities, including potluck dinners, holiday light shows and themed hikes.
National Sites Near Asheville, North Carolina
The Blue Ridge Parkway, connecting Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, offers visitors a scenic drive. Virginia has four seasonal visitor centers along this 469-mile highway. Still, only the one at milepost 115 is open year-round. There are nine visitor centers in North Carolina, with the ones located at the Museum of North Carolina Minerals in Spruce Pine, the Folk Art Center, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville open throughout the year. There are eight campgrounds along the parkway, with Mount Pisgah Campground being the closest to Asheville.
In 1852, Andrew Johnson purchased the land for Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. Soldiers called this site near Greeneville, Tennessee, Signal Hill because of its elevation during the Civil War because its higher elevation allowed them to send light signals that soldiers could see for miles. The Johnson family owned the cemetery until 1906. While technically under the control of the United States War Department, the cemetery where at least 100 Civil War veterans are buried fell into disrepair. The National Park Service took control of the cemetery in 1942. Until 2019, this cemetery was one of only two controlled by the National Park Service. Over 2,000 soldiers from the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WW1, WW2, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan are buried at this site. Starting in 2019, no more burials can occur on this property.
The Foothills Parkway is the only federally commissioned parkway in the United States that workers still need to complete. Authorities are hoping to complete it by 2042. So far, workers have completed only 22 miles since starting in 1944. The first section, called Foothills East, opened in the 1960s. Four overlooks along this section of the road give drivers a place to pull over and enjoy the scenery. Foothills East ends in Crosby, Tennessee. U.S. Highway 321 divides the southern section of Foothills Parkway, and there are numerous overlooks where you can stop and enjoy the scenery. Workers completed the south part in 1966 and the northern part of Foothills Parkway West in 2018. Note that the east and west sections never meet. The Look Rock Picnic Area has the only public restroom along the parkway.
National Forests Near Asheville, North Carolina
Pisgah National Forest covers more than 500,000 acres on the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountain range. It was one of the first properties purchased under the Weeks Act, establishing national forests. This forest is home to the Cradle of Forestry in America Heritage Site, open from early April to early November. Visitors can see seven historical buildings that were part of Biltmore Forest School, one of the first institutions of higher learning focused on the lumber industry. This national forest has 11 campgrounds, but many are open only in the summer. One of the closest ones to Asheville is North Mills River Campground, which has a vault toilet and is open all year long.
Cherokee National Forest, covering 600,000 acres, lies partially in North Carolina and partly in Tennessee. Part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail runs through this forest. There are over 40 miles of hiking trails in the Bald Mountain area, and they are gorgeous in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming. The Holston Mountain area is home to South Holston Lake, a superb place to go waterskiing. Fly fishing is prevalent below this lake’s dam. Rafters often float on the Ocoee River. The Starr Mountain Area features over 21 miles of trail ideal for horseback riding. There are 30 campgrounds in this forest, and most are free or available at a $10 or lower fee.
The deep mountain gorges and valleys at Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina’s southeastern corner often only see the midday sun because of this area’s geology. Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest contains trees over 400 years old. Mountain Waters National Scenic Byway runs through this forest. There are fantastic hiking trails throughout this forest, but one of the best is the looped Whiteside Mountain Trail, climbing 2,800 feet along its two-mile length. This national forest has 14 designated camping areas, with many opening on April 1 and closing in the fall. Jackrabbit Mountain Campground near Hayesville is one of the biggest, with over 100 campsites.
