Intro Bald is beautiful. Especially when referring to the grassy bald known as Black Balsam. A short ramble through a fragrant forest of Balsam Fir trees leads you to panoramic views atop the Great Balsam Mountains on this high country adventure. A picturesque drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway climbs from the fertile French Broad […]
Nestled in the Pisgah National Forest, Looking Glass Rock is an iconic natural presence that beckons climbers and hikers from all over. For trail runners and hikers, it’s one of the top 10 hikes around the city of Asheville (which is saying a lot considering the peaks and forests of Western Carolina are brimming with such a dazzling array of hiking […]
Intro DuPont State Recreational Forest is a beautiful 10,000-acre outdoor playground in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With roughly 80 miles of multi-use trails meandering through dense forests, alongside mountain lakes, and next to cascading waterfalls, DuPont is a hiker’s paradise. What Makes It Great Options are something you’ll have plenty of in DuPont. The 4.5-mile […]
What are the Blue Ridge Mountains besides an immense exhibition of natural beauty: wide-open vistas overlooking an ocean of rolling mountain peaks, rivers of whitewater and clear pools with wildflowers clustered at the banks, sunlight catching rainbows on the curtain of a waterfall. You could wander this wilderness for season after season, camera at the ready, and […]
It is a well-documented phenomenon that romance flourishes in the outdoors, particularly in autumn, when chilly temperatures flood us with relief from the sweltering summer. Maybe it’s the brisk wind that pinks the cheeks and sparkles the eye that fills us with a craving for coziness and companionship, or perhaps it’s our inborn desire to find love before the […]
Once again, nature generously provided us with the dry, crisp and sunny fall days in the southeast that climbers wait for all summer. Crunchy leaves under your feet, high friction rock under your hands, and foot jibs that feel like glue. In this cornucopia of climbing areas we find ourselves in, it sure can feel […]
Summer days are long and should be filled from sunup to sundown with adventures and enriching outdoor activities. Now is the season for children to get their hands dirty, to chase frogs and climb trees, to hear songbirds and eat freshly picked berries. Asheville and the surrounding mountains are brimming with family-friendly summer adventures that will keep […]
Tucked deep inside the forests and gorges of Western North Carolina are hundreds of wild swimming holes and natural water parks. We’ve already brought you five of our favorites, but that was only a small taste of what the Blue Ridge has to offer. Here, we bring you a few more bucket list swimming destinations, […]
The West coast may have hot springs and glacier-fed lakes, but here in the sultry Southeast we have our swimming holes — and we’re damn proud of them. Just listen to the Top 40 Country Countdown: people are always jumping into water, fishing in the holler, lying by the creek, and getting into trouble down by […]
A voluminous network of trails spiderweb the mountains that surround Asheville. Soaring ridge lines, breathtaking views, and an epic array of terrain have long established this city as one of the hiking epicenters of the country. The tireless efforts of such organization as The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and the Conservation Trust for North Carolina have not only protected the […]
