Asheville has always been one of our favorite places to visit. Our most recent visit took place just weeks before Hurricane Helene caused historical destruction and damage to this beautiful city, and many other towns across the southeast. If you haven’t been to Asheville, or if you’ve been wanting to go back, now is a great time to support this region. Many businesses are back up and running but many are still struggling. If you’re looking for a serene mountain getaway or a picturesque adventure, Asheville, North Carolina should be your next destination. I know the locals would greatly appreciate your visit, and your support.
We based our entire trip around staying at the Asheville River Cabins. We had been on the hunt for a tiny home mountain experience, and I stumbled upon some breathtaking videos and photos taken from their property. The whole family agreed, that was what we had been looking for. We’d camped, we’d glamped and we were ready for the next step up to tiny home camping! ARC did not disappoint. Our trip was late summer, so we missed the crowds of July and enjoyed a half full campground in peace and quiet.
We booked a cabin on the hill, where we would have views overlooking the property, and of course selected one with a hot tub- highly recommend. ARC has a community fire pit, food truck, and a sauna with stunning views of the river. Every evening, we enjoyed s’mores either at our private fire, or the large one, a soak in the hot tub, amazing star gazing and woke up each morning with a steam in the sauna before we headed out for the day. It truly was the perfect place to stay. Go there, you’ll love it.
We were also in the perfect place for tubing and hiking, while being only 15 minutes from downtown and a short drive to white water rafting, which was our kids favorite and the highlight of the trip.
Here are our top recommendations for your trip to Asheville!
Nantahala Outdoor Center
We selected the French Broad River rafting trip- it was the perfect mix of exciting and scenic; we even lost our guide to a rapid briefly, the kids really got a kick out of that. They include a lunch break at an embankment and the whole crew was super fun, energetic and adventurous- we all had a blast. But be ready to paddle and work! This is a great selection for younger or first time rafters.
Zen Tubing
Zen Tubing was right around the corner from our tiny house. From their base they bused us up the road and then we got to hop on a tube and float down to your exit point for about 2 hours. We even went right by the campground! There was an awesome shallow area where many tubers were getting out, hanging out on sand bars, enjoying their coolers and exploring. You can make this experience as fast or leisurely as you’d like to. Very. Cool.
Moore Cove Falls
This is a family-friendly, easy hike that is roughly 1.5 miles and 154-foot elevation gain. This trail offers beautiful winding trails, and a serene waterfall.
The North Carolina Arboretum
This was a lovely surprise! I hadn’t even heard or read about the arboretum, but we quickly found out that it too was right around the corner from our cabin. We passed by the entrance daily before finally looking a bit more into it and deciding to spend a morning there. It was packed with gorgeous flora and fauna as well as hiking trails. We even got pretty lost on a trail because we went in casually not expecting much but…yep these are real trails, and you need to check the maps ahead of time to know where you’re going! You can pack a picnic, or grab some food on the grounds, enjoy the gift shop and spend the entire day in this beautiful oasis.
Biltmore Estate
I have been to the Biltmore Estate many times over the years and it’s a very cool experience. We opted out of this time because there were other things we really wanted to do, but we took the kids for a drive around the grounds. You are limited to where you can drive without paying admission but it’s worth going up the road and popping into the visitor/ticket center at the very least.
Downtown Asheville
You must spend at least one day in beautiful downtown Asheville, it is one of our favorite cities in all the U.S. and is so quaint and beautiful with so much to do, see, eat and experience. A few of our favorite spots around town:
Strada Italiano: for a delicious one-of-a-kind Italian meal with a cozy rooftop, I highly recommend going to Strada Italiano, make a reservation ahead of time on the weekends. It’s mouth-watering delicious. Some of our favorite dishes are figs, mussels, Caesar salad, fresh breads, chicken parmesan, spaghetti & meatballs and lasagna, with their meatballs being the clean number 1 favorite of my boys. Yum!
Moogseum: We happened upon this music-themed museum by accident, and it was so much fun! The super interactive Moogseum is an interactive and immersive museum built around Bob Moog, an inventor and innovator in music synthesis.
Asheville Museum of Science: Who doesn’t love a science museum? It’s a great one, especially for families and children to enjoy together.
Mini Golf: We love a good mini golf course when we travel, and Asheville has several to choose from. Pick one nearest your route into town, you can’t go wrong with the beautiful backdrop of this city.
Shopping: Shops and gift shops galore, bring some spending money and shop along the picturesque streets and pop into every General Store you pass by, treasures, trinkets and treats await you!
Sierra Nevada | Mills Taproom
This expansive brewery is worth a visit; the grounds and buildings are breathtaking and massive. It’s a super fun way to have lunch or dinner, enjoy some delicious food and cold beverages while the kids play the multitude of yard games, playgrounds and trails. On a beautiful day, this is the spot to go and play. Be sure to take a proper tour of the brewery, it’s beyond impressive!
Sliding Rock
Another one of our favorites, (am I saying that too much?) was Sliding Rock, it was so fun! We tried to get there nice and early and went during the week so that the lines wouldn’t be too long. We timed it right and at first the line was short, so we were able to slide down a bunch of times before the line became quite a wait. Bring warm towels and a change of clothes in your car- that water is cold! You’ll be shivering by the end!
Looking Glass Falls
Another popular spot you’ll want to visit during the week and as early as possible. Located right off the road, it’s a short staircase walk down to the falls. At the bottom you can walk around the small rapids and rocks and even swim right up to the waterfall and under it- again, it’s cold! Pack some warm towels and a change of clothes if you plan to swim, or some water shoes with a good grip if you plan to walk down the stream.
Pisgah National Forest
The Pisgah National Forest is loaded with all kinds of levels of hikes, the views are stunning, and the scenery is truly sublime. You’ll want to map out which hikes you want to do ahead of time based on the miles and difficulty level. On many hikes you can also just do sections of, so proper planning is very important when hiking through these trails. You can very easily end up turned around and far away from your vehicle. Pay attention to signs and have some maps pulled up and handy. Use All Trails to help guide you in which hikes you choose. Happy adventuring!
10 things to pack for your summer Asheville getaway:
- Comfortable, breathable clothes you can move in, especially if hiking is on your agenda.
- Comfortable boots/sneakers, I cannot emphasize comfortable enough, if you plan to do a lot of walking and hiking. Which you should. Because it’s awesome.
- Bathing suits & towels. For all the rafting and tubing and waterfalls you’re sure to enjoy. Most rentals only provide basic small white bathing towels, I recommend bringing some heavier duty beach/pool towels.
- Waterproof bags/fanny packs. You’ll also need this for rafting and tubing and any hikes where you plan to encounter some water. We used ours more than we thought we would.
- First aid kit. Bumps and scrapes are almost a guarantee; our first aid kit came in handy!
- A good backpack for day trips and hikes, preferably with a cooler, to carry water bottles and snacks. Scout out your hikes in advance to see how long they are and pack accordingly.
- Bug spray. Need I say more?
- Water shoes. We hate them, but you will also absolutely need them. Especially if you plan to white water raft. No flip flops are allowed, and your sneakers will be fully soaked through. They also came in handy when walking up and down streams.
- A good camera and tripod for family scenic photos. The scenery is divine, and you’ll want to capture it.
- And finally, layers. Pack a few light t shirts in addition to long sleeve UPF style shirts, flannels, sweatshirts, hoodies, etc. We found ourselves constantly layering up and down as the sun rose and fell and the temperatures fluctuated.
