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7 Romantic Excursions in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Skiing at Cataloochee Mountain.Lovely evening light settles over the ski slopes.
Timo Newton-Syms

1. Share Some Powder

Love birds by day, powder hounds by night: Hit the slopes of one of Western North Carolina’s ski resorts after dark for an out-of-the-ordinary romantic excursion. Most ski resorts offer both twilight (usually 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and night (6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) passes for discovery of the distinct pleasures of skiing and snowboarding after sundown. Although the main trails are brightly lit, the real fun begins when you and your sweetie duck into the trees and find the powder stashes that are illuminated only by starlight.

2. Picnic on the Parkway

Kissing alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A romantic moment alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Melina Coogan

A picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway requires very little planning, which makes it a perfect spur-of-the-moment romantic outing. Simply choose which phenomenal view you’d like to share (we recommend Looking Glass Rock Overlook at Milepost 417, which also happens to be the trailhead for Skinny Dip Falls) or cruise the parkway and take your pick of breathtakingly beautiful overlooks.

3. Camp Out at Crabtree Falls

Take a tiny vacation to the Crabtree Falls & Meadows Recreation Area, home of the gorgeous, 70-foot Crabtree Falls, one of the most photogenic landscapes near Asheville. Spend the night in one of the small, rustic cabins at the Crabtree Falls Campground. Then, make the easy, three mile out-and-back hike to the falls first thing in the morning. Bring a thermos of coffee to share with your sweetheart and watch as the first rays of sun penetrate the forest and illuminate the gauzy veil of water. If you’re an early riser, you may have that marvelous sight all to yourself.

4. Watch the Sunset from Linville Gorge

Sunset at the Linville Gorge.
Sunset from Hawksbill Mountain in the Linville Gorge.
JenjazzyGeek

With all the artistic allure of sunrise, but without the painful wake-up time, sunset is time of reflection, serenity, and romance. As the sun sinks and the sky erupts in colors, the world grows cold very quickly. Make sure and throw a blanket in your backpack so you can wrap it around the both of you, and pack a thermos of hot tea to share.

A dramatic spot to witness the closing of day is from the summit of Hawksbill Mountain in the Linville Gorge Wilderness. Some 2,000 feet above the canyon floor, perch at the edge of the rock outcrop, and take in the view that stretches across the gorge to Table Rock and Grandfather Mountain. Remember to pack a couple of headlamps for the 1.5 mile descent back to the car.

5. Take in the Stars at Graveyard Fields

A starry night in the mountains.
The cosmos on a clear night, putting on the most romantic performance in the universe.
Anunturi Gratuite

If you’re truly looking to impress, treat your certain someone to the best stargazing in all of North Carolina. Graveyard Fields, a high valley in the heart of the Great Balsam Range, is best known for its hiking trails that meander through mountain laurels, blueberry thickets, and rhododendrons and provide the perfect overlook for two waterfalls that tumble down the Yellowstone Prong. In the evening, however, after most of the visitors have packed up and headed home, the settling darkness unveils a whole new realm of natural beauty above the quiet meadow.

Folded away in the Blue Ridge and far from the city lights of Asheville and Hendersonville, the sky above Graveyard Fields is one of the best places in the Southeast to view the Milky Way. And while this may be a lofty claim, that diamond-white spray of stars is arguably the most romantic spectacle in all of the visible cosmos.

6. Ride the Point Lookout Greenway Bike Trail

If you want to keep it casual with a brand new love interest, take a fun and flirty ride on the Point Lookout Greenway Bike Trail. This paved greenway, surrounded by Pisgah National Forest, makes for a pleasant eight mile out-and-back ride (including the half-mile dash from the parking area at the picnic area near Old Fort). If you choose to cruise together on a tandem bike, be warned that the trail gains 900 feet of elevation in 3.6 miles, so get ready for some teamwork.

7. Escape for the Weekend

On the front porch at a Smoky Mountain Getaways cabin.
On the front porch at a Smoky Mountain Getaways cabin.
Courtesy of Smoky Mountain Getaways

Just because you’re a permanent resident of the Blue Ridge Mountains doesn’t mean you can’t play tourist from time to time. Surprise your partner by a one-of-a-kind cabin or yurt and sweeping him or her away from the ubiquitous demands real life. Hide away at a rustic riverside cabin or indulge in the luxuries of a fancy mountainside cottage. A weekend of fresh views, hot-tub soaks, and some new perspective on a familiar landscape will do you both a world of good. Sometimes, even the most steadfast relationships need a little change of scenery.

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Featured image provided by Caleb Ekeroth

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5 Outdoor Dates to Enjoy in the Blue Ridge This Fall

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 frozen winter. Grab your soul mate (or your tinder date) and spend every moment that you can out of doors during this crisp, bright season. Here are five outdoor dates perfect for autumn in the Blue Ridge.

1. Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower

The views from atop fire lookouts inspire romance.
The views from atop fire lookouts inspire romance.
Emily Poisel

Jack Kerouac loved lookout towers. The years he spent living in a remote fire tower on Desolation Peak altered the course of his life and his writings. But you don’t have to be a beat poet to enjoy the stark elegance or the sweeping mountain views of these lofty structures. The 70-foot lookout tower on the summit of Fryingpan Mountain is open to the public, although it remains a bit of a well-kept secret. There’s a good chance you’ll have the tower, and the mountaintop, all to yourself.

The top tower is locked, but five flights of steel stairs will bring you just below the platform, for a breath-taking view that includes the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Shining Rock Wilderness. At such great height, be prepared for gusty winds and chilly temperatures; you may have to draw each other close. If Fryingpan isn’t your jam, we’ve got more lookout towers to explore.

Fryingpan Mountain is accessible by a quick hike up Forest Service Road 450, at milepost 409.6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

2. Picnic at Black Balsam Knob

Catching the last of the sun's rays on Black Balsam Knob.
Catching the last of the sun’s rays on Black Balsam Knob.
Melina Coogan

You’ve come prepared with soft cheese, a baguette, a box of chocolates, and a wool blanket to spread upon the summit of Black Balsam Knob. After double-checking the forecast and meticulously timing your approach, you and your companion are basking in the rich and flattering light that briefly illuminates the world directly before sunset. You are 6,214 feet above the sea, yet the hike on the Art Loeb Spur trail was a mere quarter mile long. In short, you have orchestrated the best picnic date in the history of picnic dates.

Do not neglect to bring a pair of binoculars and a small notebook. Then, as you watch the sun drop over Shining Rock Wilderness, Looking Glass Rock, Cold Mountain, Mount Pisgah (and even Mt. Mitchell, but only on a day of astonishing clarity) jot down a plan to climb together up every peak that you can see. Many years later, when you look back on the rich and adventurous life that you have shared, you’ll  trace it back to this moment, this one sweet and windy picnic in the Great Balsam Range. Or at least, this is the hope.

From Asheville, catch the Blue Ridge Parkway near the North Carolina Arboretum and head south for 25 miles. Just after mile marker 420 there will be a sign on your right for the Black Balsam area.

3. Group Ride with Asheville on Bikes

Put a spin on the “group hang” with a community bike ride.
Put a spin on the “group hang” with a community bike ride.
Garry Knight

Sometimes, it’s best to keep things casual. If it’s more your style to get to know someone in a laid back and social atmosphere, check out the group rides hosted by  Asheville on Bikes , a local nonprofit dedicated to bicycle advocacy and education. A community bike ride puts an athletic spin on the ever popular “group hang,” a dating trend which avoids the potential pitfalls of a one-on-one engagement.

AOB offers scheduled group rides from May to October, as well as a number of bike related events, volunteer opportunities and social mixers throughout the year. Pedal through town at a relaxed pace that just might facilitate good conversation. At the end of the ride, all that fresh air and endorphins will have instilled in you the courage to ask her out to dinner, or maybe to the top of a fire tower.

4. Trails and Wine Tasting at the Biltmore Estate

The Biltmore in autumn.
The Biltmore in autumn.
Leonard Silver

Biltmore is the largest privately owned home in the United States, lavishly adorned and preserved in the splendor of its railroad-moneyed heyday. This may sound like an unlikely attraction for the outdoor enthusiast, until one considers the 8,000 acres of forest, ornate gardens, trails, and broad meadows across which a pack of horses can occasionally be seen galloping.

Treat your companion to an unusual date of outdoor opulence, one which delights all of the senses. Hike through fragrant orchards of ripe grapes and apples, savor the autumn foliage of dogwoods, sourwoods, maples, gums, sassafras and oak. Explore the vibrant chrysanthemums and salvias inside the Walled Gardens and study the delicate orchards in a glass-roofed greenhouse.

After you’ve worked up an appetite on the trails, duck inside the Biltmore Winery at Antler Hill Village. A guided tour and complimentary wine tasting are included in the price of admission. (The price of admission is steep, so drink up!)

5. Visit an Apple Orchard

An apple orchard is an idyllic place to fall in love.
An apple orchard is an idyllic place to fall in love.
Tabitha Blue

Nothing on earth will get you into the spirit and festivities of the season more than an apple orchard. The future holds plenty of opportunity to barrel down steep creeks and stand atop rugged summits with your love interest by your side; for now, allow yourself to relax and bask in the campy pleasures of hayrides, scarecrows, and corn mazes.

Perched high in the mountains of Flat Rock, North Carolina, Sky Top Orchard offers 22 varieties of apples, pumpkins and gourds, freshly made doughnuts and gallons of cold cider. The farther you stroll from the barn, the more solitude you’ll find amongst the fruit trees. Cap it off with a pizza at the Flat Rock Village Bakery or a plate of wood-fired BBQ at the Hubba Hubba Smokehouse. After this day, you’ll wish it were harvest all year round.

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Originally written by RootsRated.

Featured image provided by Melina Coogan

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30 Reasons Why Autumn Is the Best Season to Get Outside in Asheville

The color experts predict our warm, dry winter and wet, temperate summer have set ideal conditions for a bright and healthy 2017 fall color show in the North Carolina mountains. Dr. Howard S. Neufeld, professor of biology and the “fall color guy” at Appalachian State University in Boone, says healthy trees will add to bright yellows joining the familiar orange and purple hues that mark autumn in the Asheville area. The Blue Ridge Mountains put on a show that spans six to eight weeks thanks to the variation in elevation throughout the region, according to RomanticAsheville.com.

There’s nothing quite like fall in Western Carolina — when the mountain air turns crisp and cool, the nostalgia comes flooding back with overwhelming waves of inexplicable sensation. Here are 30 reasons why autumn in Asheville is the most spectacular time of year.

1. Months of Foliage

The mountains of Western Carolina donning their fiery October red.
The mountains of Western Carolina donning their fiery October red.
Sarah Zucca

Due to early frost, warm weather, and a dramatic variance in elevation, the Blue Ridge boasts one of the most brilliant and long-lasting displays of foliage in the country. What a spectacular season to wander through the mountains, from high up in Craggy Gardens and Graveyard Fields, which are the first to turn, to the relative low country of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, which are the last to peak in early November.

2. Sleep Soundly

It's more comfortable than it looks!
It’s more comfortable than it looks!
David Clarke

Say goodbye to the restless, muggy nights of summer. A slight drop in body temperature is actually conducive to falling asleep and waking up refreshed, so curl up in your down sleeping bag and enjoy a chilly fall night under the stars. Check out Mt. Pisgah Campground, perched high in the Pisgah National Forest. Or, just sleep with the windows open!

3. Fall Festival Season is Back

Asheville Outdoor Show at Salvage Station.
Kelty

Festival season never really stops in the North Carolina mountains, but there’s an ah-mazin’ run from the Asheville Outdoor Show in September to the Asheville Holiday Parade in November. Fall also plays host to Goombay, Autumn at Oz, LEAF, and more. Head out to Franklin for PumpkinFest, an iconic mountain celebration featuring the World Famous Pumpkin Roll.

4. Happy Dogs

Happiest dog ever.
Happiest dog ever.
Peter Laurent

Dogs across the Southeast are breathing a sigh of relief now that the temperatures are finally dropping. With her fur coat no longer a burden, your dog is happily anticipating a brisk season of chasing balls, rolling in dead leaves, and accompanying you on those long, refreshing hikes.

5. Seasonal Brews

One of the most compelling reasons to get outside this season is what’s waiting for you when you return: lots of seasonal craft favorites like Asheville Brewing Company‘s Carolina Mountain Monster Imperial Stout, Catawba Brewing Company‘s King Don’s Pumpkin Ale, and Hi-Wire Brewing‘s Apricot Sour Ale. Spend some time exploring the stunning landscapes of Linville Gorge Wilderness or Pantertown Valley, then put your feet up and indulge with a sensational season brew. If a day of tasting is more of your thing, Asheville Oktoberfest can’t be beat.

6. Invigoration

Feeling inspired to go for a long hike? Not surprising.
Feeling inspired to go for a long hike? Not surprising.
Rachel Titiriga

Is it the snap in the air, the sweet relief from August’s humidity, or the backdrop of orange and gold that makes us feel so alive and and alert? Autumn breathes new life into the soul and the landscape, painting the mountains burgundy, turning cheeks pink, and instilling a craving for hard work and adventure. Channel this burst of energy by tackling some of the best trail running spots in the area.

7. Crunchy Leaves

Don't you want to crunch it?
Don’t you want to crunch it?
Nana B Agyei

There’s something so satisfying and quintessentially autumn about crunching your heal down on a dry, brittle leaf. It adds yet another element of tactile delight to the endless hiking trails that surround Asheville.

8. No More Pests
The air is clear of pollen, mosquitos are no longer swarming, and poison ivy has lost its summer potency. Overall, the wilderness is a more friendly, comfortable, and inviting place to lose yourself for the weekend.

9. Cooler Races

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s folks in Asheville keeping things weird!
Asheville Running Experience

Weekend warriors, get ready! Not only is the temperature cooler, but the races have more spunk and personality. The Asheville Running Experience offers five events over three days: ARX Happening, ARX Half Marathon, Asheville Brewing Super Hero 5K & Fun Run, Asheville Urban Odyssey presented by Frugal Backpacker, and Chasing Trail 8K. The cooler season also sees Asheville’s oldest running event, the Thomas Wolfe 8K; the Shut-In Ridge Trail Race; and the Asheville Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.

10. Empty Swimming Holes 

So cold. But so worth it.
So cold. But so worth it.
Melina Coogan

September still has its fair share of 80+ degree days and there is a major perk to taking an early fall dip: with the kids back in school and the holidays over, you might find some peaceful solitude at the region’s best swimming holes and have swimmable waterfalls all to yourself!

11. Whitewater Races

Kayaking racing season in full force
Kayak racing season in full force.
Melina Coogan

Kayakers, take your marks! The Green Race — one of the greatest spectacles in outdoor sports — takes place on the first Saturday of November.

12. Apple Orchards 

This dog seriously loves apples
This dog seriously loves apples.
Melina Coogan

In terms of classic fall adventure, nothing compares to the endless delights of an apple orchard. Go for a hay ride, hang out with a scarecrow, sip on warm cider. Picking apples under bright cobalt skies is the perfect excuse to get the whole family outside for the day.

13. Stock Up On Gear

We kick off the fall season with an awesome Labor Day Sale and keep the local love coming throughout the season to ensure everyone has the “Asheville uniform:” plaid shirt, vest, and beanie or trucker hat. Perfect for days spent on the trail and nights spent on the town.

14. Driving with the windows down

Ahhh, yes.
Ahhh, yes!
Chovee

For the past four months, driving has been either sweltering hot or artificially freezing. Fall brings the immense pleasure of driving with the windows down, making your commute to the trailhead downright enjoyable. Blast the radio and cruise The Blue Ridge Parkway (America’s longest linear park!) with fresh air rushing in and your hair flying in the breeze.

15. Bouldering Season

It's bouldering season again.
It’s bouldering season again.
Melina Coogan

September kicks off the start of bouldering season in Western Carolina; the air is snappy and the holds are grippy! Throw on your wool beanie, chalk up, and get thee to Rumbling Bald.

16. Pumpkin Seeds

One of the best ways to spend a fall evening with friends
One of the best ways to spend a fall evening with friends
Melina Coogan

As if you needed another reason to carve a pumpkin: those pepitas (or pumpkin seeds) are chalk full of magnesium, manganese, and protein. Roast them with a little sea salt and bring them along on your next hiking session for a healthy, locally grown snack. Churches, schools, and civic organizations all sell pumpkins as fundraisers, so you can feel even better about your new orange purchase.

17. Cozy Dates

Catching the last of the sun's rays on Black Balsam Knob.
Catching the last of the sun’s rays on Black Balsam Knob.
Melina Coogan

It’s only natural that we’re all looking for love before winter sets in. That, combined with the inherent coziness of shorter days and blustery weather, makes autumn the optimal season for dating. Check out these romantic fall outings for you and your sweetie.

18. Scarf Season

Apparently, scarf season isn't just for humans.
Apparently, scarf season isn’t just for humans.
Melina Coogan

Be it chunky knit cowl or fine wool wrap, we all appreciate the little boost of being bundled up in a bright scarf. Part fashion and part good sense, it’s the perfect accessory for heading outdoors, out with friends, or to the office.

19. Leaf Piles

At the intersection of household chores and childhood delights, enormous leaf piles are autumn’s answer to the swimming hole. Rake one up and dive right in — you know you want to.

20. Bonfires

There's nothing quite like the smell of campfires in autumn
There’s nothing quite like the smell of campfires in autumn.
Melina Coogan

Stave off brisk evenings and impending darkness with the warmth and glow of a backyard bonfire. Invite some friends, toast a marshmallow, and crack open some cheer. For many people, wood smoke is one of the most pleasant and nostalgic smells out there. Kick back, breathe deep, and enjoy!

21. Afternoon Light

Taking a break to lounge in the autumnal glow
Taking a break to lounge in the autumnal glow.
Melina Coogan

By mid-October, the foliage has reached the height of its splendor. When late afternoon sunlight filters through the deciduous canopy, the forest is transformed into a shifting kaleidoscope of gold, amber, and scarlet. Even the most focused and dialed-in adventurer will take a moment to pause and moved by this display of mountain glory.

22. Photography

With such an exuberant spectrum of color and texture, fall is a dynamic season for anyone with an eye for photography. Capture every radiant detail from a single copper leaf to a whole sweeping landscape. (We recommend visiting these particularly photogenic places during peak foliage.)

23. Foggy Morning Trail Runs

Rising early with the fog to enjoy a trail run is about as good as it gets
Rising early with the fog to enjoy a trail run is about as good as it gets.
Beau B

What could be a better start to your day than a trail run through the still-quiet fog of an October morning? Perhaps you’ll even see the silver of the season’s first frost feathering the grass and leaves before the warmth of the daylight melts it away.

24. Race Bikes at Oskar Blues 

The sublimely named Dirt Diggler Gravel Grinder will be held in September at the Oskar Blue REEB Ranch. This hybrid bike race is a 50/50 blend of gravel and pavement, capped off with 2 miles of sweet single track. If it’s not your thing, biking through the meandering roads of Transylvania County is great or you can also experience DuPont National Forest‘s autumn finery by foot.

25. Hot Coffee on Cold Mountain Mornings

Toboggans and piping hot coffee: two surefire signs that fall is in the air.
Toboggans and piping hot coffee: two surefire signs that fall is in the air.
Melina Coogan

Simply put, waking up in the mountains on a cold fall morning, preparing a hot cup of coffee, and watching the steam rise against the brightening sky is one of the greatest pleasures on earth. If you prefer a barista to craft your cup o’ joe, High Five‘s Riverside Drive location on the French Broad River in Woodfin has a great view.

26. Petrichor

Fall brings the possibility of passing tropical storms, bringing strong winds and heavy precipitation to the Blue Ridge. Rivers rise, gardens thrive, and we get to experience petrichor — that wonderful earthy scent that occurs after a hard rain falls on dry earth. For a rejuvenating adventure, check out a riverside hike such as the Laurel River Trail after a rainstorm and breathe deep.

27. Corn Mazes

Getting lost in a corn maze is one of the most quintessentially autumn things you can do.
Getting lost in a corn maze is one of the most quintessentially autumn things you can do.
Kevin Zamani

Getting lost amongst the stalks: it’s an autumnal right of passage. Check out the Eliada Corn Maze, just five minutes from Downtown Asheville. One hundred percent of proceeds go directly to Eliada Children’s Home.

28. Sunny Days on the Rock

Autumn is the most enjoyable time of year to explore the local crags. The rock is no longer sweating in the summer sun and the views from the top are more beautiful than ever. Tie onto the sharp end and tackle the iconic multi-pitches at Looking Glass Rock in the cool breeze, without fear of burning up.

29. Cider Season

There are a lot of cozy things about fall, but cider might just be the coziest of all.
There are a lot of cozy things about fall, but cider might just be the coziest of all.
Melina Coogan

We may not fully understand the difference between apple juice and apple cider, but we know that cider is by far the more delicious way to rehydrate after a long ride, especially when it’s fresh pressed from the orchards of Western Carolina. For the hard stuff, be sure to check out CiderFest NC in October to taste some of the region’s finest.

30. The First Dusting of Snow

The faintest of dustings near Black Balsam Knob
The faintest of dustings near Black Balsam Knob
Melina Coogan

Sometime in late October, we’ll wake up and catch our first glimpse of the Blue Ridge Mountains dusted in snow. Then we’ll enjoy a brief and vibrant few weeks of frosty mornings coupled with warm days before winter takes its hold on the land. For outdoor enthusiasts, this means only one thing — ski season is just around the corner.

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Originally written by RootsRated.

Featured image provided by flattop341

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