I’m not much of a hiker, but on rare occasions I do get the urge to walk around in the woods and look at stuff. Anyone have a good suggestion for an easy, pleasant hike within, say, 10 miles of downtown?
Probably the best easy walk in a great natural place is the Botanical Gardens at Asheville - it’s at the corner of WT Weaver and Broadway. 10 acres of Native plants, easy parking, it’s FREE, plus an actual Dog-leg cabin. They’re open during daylight every day of the year and it’s quite meditative. I know, i used to be the Resident Gardener there for many years.
But, if you want a pretty easy “mountain” hike within 10 miles, then try the Shut-In trail by heading down Brevard Rd (191) to Bent Creek where the Blue Ridge Parkway and entrance to the NC Arboretum is. But don’t go in and pay the money, park at the gravel parking lot by the river (Bent Creek parking), and walk up the road towards the parkway. On the right you’ll see this
and follow it for as long as you want. It does climb, but not terribly so, and it’s beautiful, especially in the spring. Follow it for as long as you like and turn back when you’ve had enough. For a better description and map, go to nature notebook.
There are many hiking trails close by. Just go up to the BRP at 74, park and hike on the Mountain to Sea Trail. Look for the white dot blaze. The Mountain to Sea Trail has many entrances along the BRP.
The most popular hiking spots around here are:
Graveyard Fields: 2 waterfalls (past Mt. Pisgah on the BRP)
Shining Rock: Past Graveyard Fields on the BRP
Cold Mountain: Not that close, and it is a strenuous 10.6 mile roundtrip.
Looking Glass Rock: Also moderate/strenuous. 3.1 miles to the top.
The Pisgah National Forest has over 200 miles of trails to hike.
Make the trip to Graveyard Fields!!! It will W(h)et your appetite!!!
I work at a therapuetic boarding school and have sent the kids all over WNC. Their favorite spots, which means a lot coming from a teenager, are Chimney Rock and DuPont State Forest.
try taking I-26 to weaverville, then 25/70 north through marshall ... just as 25 turns left to hot springs (70 goes straight toward tennessee), there’s a parking lot there with a trail that leads down along the laurel river. it’s a beautiful, easy in-and-out and level hike along the river. and you’re only a few more miles from hot springs! book a tub and make the adventure complete!
Lumina, have you ever hiked Bailey Mountain? There was an article in the Madison County paper, I think it was in 2006, about the trail being worked on and ready for hiking. I called for more info and was told it wasn’t ready yet for hikers. I never followed up after that.
no, i haven’t made that hike. i remember when the foundation was being created to help save bailey mountain and there were plans for such a trail, but i haven’t kept up with the news and didn’t know it had been completed. i live near it and would love to get the low-down on where it stands ...
The two I see at Folk Art Center are both Mountain to Sea Trailheads.
One goes up hill, the other goes down hill. The up hill hike goes by the Haw Creek Overlook. It is a marked side trail that ends at the rocks above the overlook on the BRP. If you start at the Folk Art Center, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get there hiking (for me).
I’m planning on hiking to Mt. Pisgah via the Shut In (MTS) trail. Already hiked to Sleepy Gap. I’m waiting for good weather, and time off, AND when I can’t make it to the AT. Almost went this week, but the Parkway was closed up there, so I hiked Bad Fork Trail in Bent Creek instead.
Yeah, the MTS trailheads are the ones I’m talking about. I used to just go for a while, then turn around and head back.
There’s also some trails spidering around Warren Wilson College campus. Keep an eye out for poison ivy and dogs whose owners don’t believe in leash laws and you’ll be alright.
If I recall correctly, the Grove Park Inn has a 1.5 mile nature trail. That is as close to being within the 10 miles that I can think of. That little college out in Black Mountain has some nice little trails.
Did someone say that the Cold Mountain hike is only 10 miles round trip? Where do you access the trail? We were thinking we would have to spend 3 days to hike there and back, going from the art loeb trail up on Black Balsam (the best hiking we’ve done here BTW).
The trailhead for the hiking trail (Art Loeb Trail) is located at the Daniel Boone Scout Camp.
To reach the trailhead to the Cold Mountain summit, drive through the Scout Camp. It begins on the left, just past the last building.
Directions from Asheville via I-40: (Approximately 35 miles) Take I-40 West to exit 33. Turn left on Newfound Road toward Canton. Go 1.6 miles, turn left at the stoplight in front of the big paper plant. Go a short distance and turn right on Church Street. Follow 19/23 south through downtown and turn left onto NC Highway 110. Go 5.3 miles, and Highway 110 will turn into NC Highway 215. Continue for 5 miles. Turn left onto Little East Fork Road. Go 3.8 miles to the Scout Camp.
Allow 6-7 hours for the hike!! :( took me 8 hours. My excuse: It was raining and the rocks were slippery.
