Biltmore Estate — America’s largest home with gardens, house tours, restaurants, a winery, and hiking and bike trails. The prices are a bit expensive, but it is a beautiful place. We most recommend this for older kids and teens who will enjoy seeing and learning the history of the house.
Spend time in downtown Asheville walking around, checking out murals, shops, art galleries, and street performers.
Breweries – there are so many in this area and many are kid-friendly! A few favorites:
- Sierra Nevada (south of Asheville – huge backyard with kids play areas and live music, plus a great indoor restaurant)
- Whistle Hop (East of Asheville – mini-golf, games, a slide, and more to entertain kids plus a unique selection of beverages)
- Closer to Asheville proper – Highland, Pisgah, and Hi-Wire all have outside areas where kids can run around a bit while parents sip.
- There are also breweries downtown that won’t have the large outdoor space of others, but will still be ok with kids and many have board and card games you can pick up and enjoy while you sit at your table.
Drive parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway for scenic lookouts.
Tube down a river! For a slower, relaxing ride, check out
Zen Tubing. This option is closer to Asheville proper. Or if you want a more exciting ride with a bit more rapids, check out
Green River Adventures south of Asheville in Saluda. They also have options to whitewater kayak if you are adventure seekers!
Sliding Rock – slide down a 60ft. natural smooth rock face into a cool pool of water. This is a popular destination in the summer, so we recommend getting there early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the biggest crowds. There is a fee of $5 per person. You must be able to swim! The water at the bottom is 8-10 feet deep, cold, and there’s a slight current. It’s an exhilarating and fun experience!
Go on a hike! There are so many great hikes in the area! A few favorites:
- Dupont Forest waterfalls – there are 3 waterfalls in one area, and you can hike to one or all 3 of them in one trip.
- Moore’s Cove Falls – an easy 1.3 mile trail that leads to a waterfall that you can walk behind. A family-friendly favorite!
- Skinny Dip Falls – a one-mile trail to a waterfall with a swimming hole
- Graveyard Fields – an easy loop hike with several small waterfalls to explore and areas for kids to climb on rocks.
- Black Balsam Knob – this 1.4 mile trail takes you to the top of a bald knob where you get 360 views of the mountains without any trees in your way. It can get sunny and windy, but is worth it and unlike other trails in the area.
- Looking Glass Rock – this is not the easiest hike and is only recommended for older kids and teens and people in good shape, but the views from the top of the huge rock are awesome!
Swim in a waterfall! You can wade and even swim in several waterfalls in the area (mostly south of Asheville). These include Looking Glass Falls (Pisgah National Forest near Sliding Rock), Hooker Falls (Dupont State Forest), Skinny Dip Falls (off the Blue Ridge Parkway), and more.
Play in a creek – Kids can spend hours splashing around in a mountain creek and having the best time! There are several areas you can play in a creek, but a favorite is playing in the Davidson River along Pishah Highway. You can combine this with seeing Looking Glass Falls, doing Sliding Rock, or hiking to Moore Cove Falls – all of these are in close promity to each other. And if you want some extra adrenaline – there is a cilff you can jump off of at the Coon Tree Picnic Area.
