Farms to Tour Near Asheville

Explore a variety of Blue Ridge Mountain farms, including historic sites to see the homesteads of yesteryear and working farms with animals and local food.

NC Mountain Working Farm Tours near Asheville

Hickory Nut Gap Farm (pic above): This farm is open the most of any and it's right along the highway between Asheville and Chimney Rock. See animals raised in their natural outdoor environment: adorable goats at play, pigs in the woods, chickens laying eggs, and cows grazing in pastures. Stop by their Farm Store (open year round every day) to buy grassfed beef, along with pork, chicken, and eggs. The Farm Store also has a deli, butchery with fresh cut meats, and local honey and jams. During September and October their activities include a corn maze, pumpkin patch, local apples, and freshly pressed apple cider. Directions from Asheville: I-240 East, exit towards 74-A East, Bat Cave and Chimney Rock. Follow 74-A approximately 9 miles. Turn left on Sugar Hollow Rd. Go to their Website.

Killer Bees Honey Farm near Brevard offers small group tours with a 3-hour hands-on beekeeping experience high above Nantahala National Forest that includes wearing a bee suit to get a close look at the hives and a honey tasting and pairing. Limited space, advance reservations a must. Read more.

Apple Hill Farm: Located near Banner Elk, this unique mountaintop alpaca and angora goat farm with guided tours year-round. Shop in their Farm Store with fiber from the angora goats is made into mohair. Also see horses, donkeys, pigs and llamas. Tours every day mid May through mid-October. Open Wednesday-Saturday during winter. Read more.

Dr. King Bison Farm (photo at top of page): Take a safari-type tour to see Buffalo (Bison), Watusi, Camels and more animals you don't expect to see 11 miles from downtown Asheville! Read more.

Orchard at Altapass: This historic apple farm along the Blue Ridge Parkway is still producing many varieties. Take a hayride through the orchards, hear mountain music and buy local jams. Read more.

Round Mountain Creamery: Take a guided tour of the goat-to-cheese process and meet 150 goats on this small farm south of Black Mountain. Make an appointment for any day of the week. Read more.

Apple Farms: Henderson County just south of Asheville is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina, growing 65% of them. You can visit many orchards along US Highway 64, just a few miles east of I-26 (between Hendersonville and Bat Cave). The apple harvest season runs from late August to late October, and many of the orchards are open daily. See our NC Apple Orchard Guide.

Looking Glass Creamery: Sample goat cheeses at this small cheesemaker in Fairview. Read more. Part of the WNC Cheese Trail.

Wehrloom Honey (257 Willie Colvin Road, Robbinsville) harvests honey from millions of bees to create homemade lotions, soaps, beeswax candles, and a big variety of raw honey. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10-5. See our Wehrloom Honey Farm Guide.

Franny's Farm: (22 Franny's Farm Rd, Leicester) 10 miles from downtown Asheville, this organic, sustainable farm is located in Leicester invites visitors to celebrate, learn, explore, relax and have a memorable time. Franny’s Farm is home to many animals such as chickens, turkeys, sheep, goats, and a donkey. They have vegetable, fruit, flower, bee, and pollinator gardens as well as a u-pick blueberry hill. Enjoy a picnic on a table by the pond; hike to the ridge that overlooks beautiful Leicester valley; purchase farm-fresh organic products, chicken, and eggs from the farm store. They also offer goat yoga!

Farm Heritage Trail: This scenic driving route through the rural agricultural communities in northwest Buncombe County near Asheville has farm stops, conserved farms and an ongoing calendar of events: hikes, farm to table dinners, educational opportunities and fun activities for the entire family throughout the year. Go to their website for map, events and more info.

SAHC Community Farm (Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy) is a short drive from Asheville - on the Farm Heritage Trail. The farm teaches environmental sustainability and productive agriculture with many workshops and tour days. It's open only for special events. Read more about the farm & SAHC.

Historic Farms

Biltmore Estate: Explore farm life in the early 1900s with interpreters and exhibits at Biltmore's historic Barn. Meet friendly animals in the Farmyard and stroll the Kitchen Garden. Step into Barn to learn about the everyday life of families who lived on the estate raising livestock, tending crops, and working at Biltmore Dairy in the 1890s. Read more about the Farm at Antler Hill Village.

Mountain Farm Museum: This historic farm is located at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on U.S. Highway 441 near Cherokee. It includes farm buildings, most dating around 1900, that were moved from their original locations throughout the Smokies to create an open-air museum. Read more about the Mountain Farm Museum.

Mingus Mill: Near the Mountain Farm Museum in the Great Smoky Mountains is the historic, working 1886 grist mill. Read more.

Historic Johnson Farm, Hendersonville: Tour a 1870s brick farmhouse and 10 farm buildings now owned by Henderson Co. Public Schools as a museum of mountain heritage. Open Tuesday through Friday from September through May, and Monday through Thursday from June through August. See our Historic Johnson Farm Guide.

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site: Explore this home of the famous poet, including the historic barns with friendly goats. Read more.