The 404-ft. tall Hickory Nut Falls at Chimney Rock State Park is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. Take a beautiful woodland hike on an easy 3/4-mile trail to enjoy an up-close view at its base from a platform. While there is…
Saturday, December 2 & 9, 2023
Watch Santa Claus ready himself for clambering down chimneys across the world as he practices on one of the biggest chimneys of all, Chimney Rock! Watch him scale the 315-foot monolith and enjoy other…Chimney Tops is one of the most popular and strenuous hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The summit has an elevation of 4,800 feet and is one of the park's most recognizable geological structures since it's a rare rock summit in…
Experience the best of the North Carolina mountains in one place at Chimney Rock State Park, just 25 miles from Asheville in the Village of Chimney Rock and Rutherford County. For the last 100+ years, tourists have journeyed to see this 500-…
You'll often see long lines out the front door of the French Broad Chocolate Lounge on weekends. And it's worth the wait... a chocolate lover's dream. Their delcious variety of hand-crafted artisan chocolates and pastries features superb local…
Downtown Asheville is a chocolate lover's dream. In addition to 50 restaurants with decadent desserts and a dozen coffee shops and bakeries, there are some must-stops for fine, handmade local chocolate:
French Broad Chocolate Lounge (pic at…
Pick the perfect Christmas tree for your home and have a great holiday outing at one of the "choose and cut" Christmas Tree Farms near Asheville. You select the tree. Then they will cut it, bale it, and tie it to your vehicle. Or you can use…
Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville, formerly the U.S. Cellular Center, is a 7,654-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown Asheville at 87 Haywood Street (28801). It is home to two facilities for big events. The Thomas Wolfe Auditorium provides an…
Because of its strategic location, Asheville became a major Confederate military center during the Civil War with several encampments. Asheville and Flat Rock, home to wealthy landowners, were Confederate strongholds. In Asheville’s public square…
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. See the best views in the Smokies at the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684…
This small science learning center in downtown Asheville is big on interesting knowledge. See specimens from around the world, including 350 minerals found in North Carolina such as kyanite, quartz, corundum, beryl, mica, feldspar and itacolumite…
It is a strenuous 10.6-mile roundtrip hike to the Cold Mountain summit in the remote Shining Rock Wilderness Area of the Pisgah National Forest. Allow 6-7 hours of hiking time, plus breaks. The best months to hike are May through October. Snow…
Cold Mountain, North Carolina, located 35 miles from Asheville, has received notoriety from the best-selling Charles Frazier novel Cold Mountain and the acclaimed 2003 motion picture. The movie was filmed in Romania; however, the mountain scenery…
Hear and feel the beat at the weekly drum circle every Friday night in downtown Asheville in Pritchard Park from April-October. And dance the night away!
This free festival features traditional music, dancing and heritage craft demonstrations. A highlight is the World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Competition on Saturday.
Led by birding experts, events at Chimney Rock Park includes bird walks, workshops ranging from bird photography to hummingbirds, hawk watches and family nature walks.
This longtime favorite weekend at Nantahala Outdoor Center main campus near Bryson City features free attractions, live music and entertainment - along with great end-of-season deals.
At this festival, hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Asheville, you can drive through and sample and buy some of the traditional foods and pastries such as lamb shank, pastichio, spanakopita, gyro, souvlaki, and baklava. They…
See the Top 10 places to camp in the Lake Lure, Chimney Rock and Forest City areas in the foothills, including RV and motorcoach resorts. Find a big variety of campground amenities with many things to do in the Hickory Nut Gorge.