Top Things to Do in Asheville, North Carolina
Reflecting on everything that Ashley and I did while in Asheville, I would have to say that visiting the Biltmore Estate was probably one of my favorites. While we did many interesting things, I liked this one the most because I absolutely love being able to visit grand, old places and there were so many things to do at the Biltmore Estate. I love to see the way they are decorated and learn about both the lives and the opulence of the people who had lived there. (I also get to pretend that I could live in a place that grand one day!)
Even though that was my favorite, there are many fun things to do in Asheville from breweries to hiking (it is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are beautiful!). This list here are just some of the things that you can do while here and are the ones that Ashley and I chose to do when we visited! Here, I’ll share these places we visited as well as reasons on why Ashley and I liked it.
Hiking
Dupont Forest State Park: High Falls
High Falls is the largest waterfall in DuPont Forest and is not hard to walk to! The walk to the falls is only .5 miles, but there are other trails around, so, you can hike for longer, if you want. This is what Ashley and I did while we were here. We hiked to the falls and then hiked the High Falls Loop so that we could see Triple Falls as well.
Dupont Forest State Park: Triple Falls
Like I said, Ashley and I walked the High Falls Loop so that we could see both Triple Falls and High Falls. Both were pretty and worth the walking. We went in early spring, so the trees had not gotten their leaves yet, but it was still a pretty, nice hike. It would be especially pretty in the fall when the leaves have changed color, too! Overall, the hike was a little bit more difficult than Ashley and I were expecting (there was a very big hill by Triple Falls we had to walk down and then back up). But it was manageable, and I’m sure it would have been much easier if we were in shape. (hahaha)
Looking Glass Falls
Looking Glass Falls is an easy to reach and very pretty waterfall! This one is directly off the road, so there is no hiking involved to reach it. Although it is easy to reach, you do have to walk down stairs to reach the base of the waterfall. While there are stairs to reach the base of the waterfall, you can still see it from the look over spot off the sidewalk, so you don’t have to walk down the stairs to enjoy a view if you do not want to or cannot walk up and down stairs. Ashley and I only walked down the first set of steps to get the photos you see here!
Blue Ridge Parkway
While it is not hiking, you can drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway and see the pretty views and the beautiful mountains. The mountains are pretty to see while you’re driving (but be sure to pay attention to your driving too! Some of the sides of the roads are big drops) and there are many overlooks to stop and look at the mountains.
II. Sliding Rock
Sliding Rock is a fun addition to a trip to Asheville, especially after a long day of hiking in Summer! It is a natural water slide that ends in a pool of water. While the location is open every day, restrooms and lifeguards are only open/available Memorial Day through Labor Day. Lifeguards are only present between 9am and 6pm when they are on duty. If you go at other times, the water may be cold (it was freezing when we were there!) and there will be no restrooms for changing after you slide down the rock. Finally, there is a $5 fee per person to use the slide when it is staffed with lifeguards and the restroom is open.
While we did not slide down the rock this time, when we were last in this area years ago, we slid down it. It was busy and parking was hard to find in the summer, so it would be best to get there early to make sure you can park and use the slide. Ashley and I enjoyed it and wished we could slide down the rock this time too.
III. The Biltmore Estate
Like I said, the Biltmore Estate was my favorite thing that Ashley and I did while in Asheville! George Vanderbilt started building this estate in 1889 as his country home. It took 6 years to finish and was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. The land that George Vanderbilt purchased was overworked and needed to be rehabilitated, so he hired Fredrick Law Olmstead (who also worked on Central Park in New York City) to work on the grounds and gardens.
The finished home is huge, containing 65 fireplaces, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 704 windows, and 74 exterior doors. The Estate is also huge – 8,000 acres. The materials to build this grand home were shipped from all over. For example, the home was built with 9,973,638 pounds of limestone from Indiana and marble from Europe.
After serving as the familial home, the Biltmore House was opened to the public in 1930 to increase tourism to the area during the Depression. Eventually, the Biltmore Estate was nominated as a National Historic Landmark in 1963.
So, what is there to do at the Biltmore Estate? Ashley and I found so many things to do and spent a whole 2 days on the estate. When you visit the estate, you can either purchase a tour or just access to the grounds. Because Ashley and I were there in their off-season, we got a tour and ground access on one day and ground access only on a second day. You can purchase two-day grounds tickets for a higher price during busy season (there is enough stuff to do to fill both days!). The ticket rates vary based on season and events but range from $70 to upwards of $110 for basic tour and access. The tour of the home is 90 minutes long and is self-guided with a device that talks at you at designated points.
There are also so many other things to do besides tour the house! When you purchase a tour, you are also given a complimentary wine tasting. Ashley and I are not big wine drinkers but did this and enjoyed it. There are also many shops and places to eat. At the house, there is a Christmas store, a chocolate shop, a bookstore, and a souvenir shop. There are also numerous places to eat right by the house. Ashley and I ate at the café because it was the only thing open while we were there. The sweet teas and BLTs were delicious!
Antler Hill also offers several shops and food options. This is also where the Winery is located. Here, Ashley and I looked through all the shops and had lunch at Cedric’s Tavern after our long walk. This Tavern offers English pub fare like fish and chips as well as soups, salads, and appetizers. Ashley and I each had a salad and a drink. We also split their brie appetizer, which was amazing and put us in a brie eating mood for the following weeks because we couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Other than shopping, touring, and eating, there are a lot of outdoor activities to do here! The estate is 8,000 acres and offers 22 miles of nature trails. Information on these trails is located at both the Bike Barn and the Outdoor Adventure Center. Bikes are also available to rent at the Bike Barn, if you do not feel like walking or want to explore more of the trails. While hiking is the only outdoor activity that Ashley and I did while at the Biltmore, their website indicates that they have a number of other options like fishing, river float trips, and sporting clays and archery (as well as other things).
IV. Downtown Asheville
Downtown Asheville is full of many wonderful places to shop and eat. Ashley and I wondered around downtown for a few hours, popping into a few bookstores and other shops that looked interesting. Malaprops bookstore was busy but a great place to visit if you love books. It even has a little café in it! The other notable place that Ashley and I went into while downtown was Old Europe Pastries. Downtown also has Double D’s Coffee and S & W Cafeteria, both of which Ashley and I went to and loved! Double D’s was cash only, so if you’re going there, make sure you bring some with you.
V. Places We Ate
This is a list of food places that Ashley and I ate at and enjoyed while we were in Asheville. I have added photos where we have them (sometimes we ate before we took photos).
