We love the North Carolina mountains. They might not be as big as the mountains out west, but they have their own beauty. They are full of color, of age, and of history. The North Carolina mountains are a perfect place to find rest for your soul and to get lost in nature. Living in a place where they are just a couple hours away is awesome.

We typically go to the North Carolina mountains in the fall or winter. This year we wanted to spend an extended time there in the summer. We wanted to spend some time hiking and exploring the many State Parks in the western part of the state so we decided to make a five-day trip out of it. It was a blast seeing some beautiful terrain and getting some pretty cool stamps in our State Park passport book.

We want to give you our itinerary so you can get an idea of what the area around Hendersonville has to offer. A short disclaimer – Hendersonville is near Asheville but we did not spend much time there. We have been to Asheville a bunch and wanted to do something different. The majority of this post though deals with things you can do if you are staying in or around Asheville.

Where We Stayed

We stayed in the coolest little “tree house” about 15 minutes from downtown Hendersonville. VRBO is our go to site for finding great places to stay. We wanted to stay in this area because it was centrally located to the parks we wanted to visit. Another reason why we stayed here was because we thought Silas would love the idea of staying in a tree house (which he did). Of course, the price was really great for the week we were going and who doesn’t love that?

This place is great for a lot of reasons. The house is kind of a remodeled yurt-shaped building with a really nice master bedroom add on. It has a good view of the surrounding North Carolina mountains and the valley below. The house has plenty of privacy and seclusion. It really is cozy and comfortable with just about everything you would need. It was perfect for us, but we would not recommend it for families or groups of more than four. If you are trying to get away for a couples weekend, this place would be perfect.

Day 1: Travel and South Mountains

South Mountains State Park

There were a bunch of State Parks that we wanted to visit on this trip. The only way we were going to be able to do that was if we maximized our time, even our travel time. We decided the best way to do this was to take the long way there and visit South Mountains State Park near Connelly Springs. We packed up the car, packed a lunch, and left the house early.

It was rainy when we left and there was more rain in the forecast for this whole day. We weren’t too bummed though because honestly we weren’t excited about this park. I’m not sure, but what we had in our mind was not what we experienced. We drove the whole way in the rain and got there around lunch time. We had a great picnic under the shelter and then the rain let up. After checking the radar we noticed we had a little break so we headed out for a short hike.

Something happened within us while we were hiking. We weren’t really expecting to cover too much ground there but South Mountains just took our breath away. Every step drew us further and further in. We could have turned around but we didn’t want to. We wanted to see the next sight, the next view, and finally – the glorious High Shoals Falls. South Mountains became one of our favorite parks we visited and this trail is one of the tops in the whole state. It is amazing! This stop set the tone for the rest of our trip. For a detailed overview of this State Park, check out our post.

Dinner at Culver’s

We got to the Hendersonville area around dinner time and stopped at a place called Culver’s. The reason why we stopped here is because we have some really great friends from the midwest who are constantly talking about how great this place is. Culver’s specializes in butter burgers and frozen custard. This was a great meal after a great day. Silas loved the chocolate custard, I loved the cheese curds, and we all loved the butter burgers.

After an easy check-in, we hung out on the front deck and watched the sun go down. We went to bed excited about what day two would hold.

Day 2: Great Parks and Great Food

Day two was an incredibly full day. Our goal was to check out a State Park, a couple of sites run by the National Park Service, and eat some good food. We were able to do them all!

Mount Mitchell State Park

Mount Mitchell is the highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It rises to 6,684 feet. If offers stunning views and incredible hikes. This park was about an hour and a half away from where we stayed. This didn’t bother us because the majority of this time was spent driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There are so many great overlooks and places to stop along this drive. This is considered “America’s Favorite Drive” and is the most visited unit of the National Park System. If you haven’t spent time on this road, make plans to do it as soon as you can (especially in the fall). It is a great way to see the North Carolina mountains.

One of the stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway is Mount Mitchell State Park. The drive from the Parkway to the park is winding and fun. You gain a lot of altitude pretty fast, you won’t get sick, but you are climbing. The visitor center for this park is right at the gate. It is older and smaller than most, but it is the place where you can get your stamp. From the visitor center you still have about a two mile drive to the summit parking lot.

Once at the parking lot we wanted to do two things – take the Summit Trail and the Balsam Nature Trail. Combined these two trails are about a mile. There are plenty of other trails that you can take, some all the way from the below the visitor center. These are pretty strenuous and take half a day. We couldn’t do this with Silas or with the time we had, but would love to one day.

Summit Trail

The Summit Trail takes you from the parking lot to the summit of Mount Mitchell. At the top there is a great observation tower with a 360-degree view. They have little placards in all directions that point out the names of the surrounding North Carolina mountains. We highly recommend going early on a clear day. The clouds roll in over the course of the day and your views are extremely limited. We came up here one day and couldn’t see five feet in front of us because we were in the middle of a cloud. This day though, was perfect!

Balsam Nature Trail

The Balsam Nature Trail could be the most unique trail in all of the North Carolina State Parks. It receives more than 75 inches of rain a year and because it is constantly enclosed in clouds it receives additional moisture called “cloud drip”. This technically makes it a temperate rain forest. It is almost like you are transported to the Pacific Northwest for this short trail. I had a great friend tell me before we went that she never knew there were that many different shades of green. She was right. It is truly magnificent. As with all trails, stay on it. This is a fragile and rare ecosystem. Definitely check it out!

Quick Tip- The weather here is very different and a lot colder than what you may be used to for NC in July! You will most likely need a jacket and/or long pants! The average year round temperature at the top of Mount Mitchell is 36 degrees!

Little Switzerland in the North Carolina Mountains

After our time on Mount Mitchell we were ready to eat. There is a place to eat at the top of Mount Mitchell but we wanted to check out another spot on the North Carolina BBQ Trail. Luckily for us, The Switzerland Cafe was just a short drive north on the Parkway. Little Switzerland is a beautiful little village on the Blue Ridge Parkway with some cute places to stay overnight, a bunch of great little shops, and a couple of awesome places to eat. We got there a little after 1:30 so we missed the lunch rush. Parking is at a premium so we were glad we decided to wait.

The food at The Switzerland Cafe was fantastic. This might have been the best BBQ we have had since we started visiting different stops along the BBQ Trail. It was really smoky and the sauce was great. Their soup of the day was tomato basil so we split a bowl. We thought it would be creamy but it was what it said it was – soup. We thought we wouldn’t like it but it was so good. They told us we had to try one of their daily homemade cakes. It didn’t take too much convincing on their end. They all looked so yummy. We went with a lemon blueberry mascarpone cake. It was ridiculously good. This was a great midday stop.

Carl Sandburg Home

Along with trying to hit up all of the North Carolina State Parks, we have also begun to visit all of the sites run by the National Parks Service. There are 419 of these so we will be at it for the rest of our lives. It’s good to have goals. We had no idea, but the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC is one of these sites. Sandburg was a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and biographer. It was a short drive from where we were staying so we decided to stop by on our way home from Little Switzerland.

One thing about the mountains, you might be 25 miles away but that still takes you over an hour. Not a major issue, just remember to plan accordingly. We ended up getting to the home about 15 minutes before it closed. We were not able to take a tour, but we were able to get the stamp and spend a little over an hour checking out the grounds. The Park Rangers here gave us plenty of information for us to be able to have a good self-guided tour. There is an $8 per person cost for touring the inside of the home. This is not included in the America The Beautiful Annual Pass.

The home sits atop a beautiful hill on a 264-acre farm. There are over five miles of hiking trails here. This is still a working farm. You can walk around and visit the different working areas and check out some sweet farm animals. We loved hanging out with the goats (they have a petting zoo) and checking out this site. If you go here, make sure you check their website for the times of the demonstrations and activities for the day.

Day 3: Gorgeous Gorges State Park

Gorges State Park

This was the day that I was the most excited about. Gorges State Park is the westernmost park in North Carolina. It is known for its miles and miles of hiking, camping, sheer rock walls, and beautiful waterfalls. It is a relatively new park and they keep on adding great amenities to it. The visitor’s center at this park is one of the best in the state. They have a ton of really great interactive activities for kids and a pretty impressive gift shop.

We had a lot of fun looking through the microscope at different plant and animal life. There is an awesome exhibit on why Gorges is part of the temperate rain forest. They also had something we hadn’t seen at any other State Park – a map of all of the other parks with pins to put in where you have visited. We really enjoyed doing that. It was cool to think back to all of the parks we had visited to that point and look forward to the ones we were missing.

Rainbow Falls Trail

The highlight of our visit was our walk on the Rainbow Falls Trail. This is a strenuous 1.5 mile (one way) hike with a huge payoff. This was the most difficult trail that we went on during our whole trip. There are uphill sections on the way there and the way back. We are not the greatest hikers in the world and we were able to do it. We did see some people struggling though. Make sure you take your time, take breaks, bring some food, and plenty of water.

This hike was beautiful the whole way. Some great vegetation and some great trail conditions. The closer you get to Rainbow Falls the tougher the terrain gets. There are plenty of rock and wood steps to help you along the way. Rainbow Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls we have ever seen. We went right after it had rained for a couple of days so they were really big for us. There are a ton of different observation points and you can climb pretty far down to the rocks below. We stayed away from anything dangerous, but we got close enough to get sprayed on. The views are definitely better (and the sounds louder) the lower you go.

You can continue past Rainbow Falls and get to Turtleback Falls. This waterfall is not as big but it is just as beautiful. Some people turn around and miss out on this, but if you can climb to the top of Rainbow Falls definitely walk the extra 300 yards. This is a lot less crowded and a great place to take a halfway break.

There is so much to do at Gorges and we were only able to scratch the surface. We can’t wait to go back and check out some of the other waterfalls and trails this enormous and beautiful park has to offer.

Whitewater Falls

This waterfall is not located in Gorges State Park but just outside of it. This is the highest waterfall east of the Rockies and it is right in the North Carolina mountains. There is an upper and lower falls. In total these falls have a combined 811-foot drop. The access to Whitewater Falls is a little over 10-minute drive from Gorges on 281 South. If you enter South Carolina you have gone too far. The entrance isn’t well marked so make sure you are paying attention.

We arrived here around two and broke for a late lunch. There are plenty of picnic shelters and tables around the parking area which makes for a really relaxing spot to rest. We viewed the falls from the observation deck. It is a pretty easy hike uphill but there are a bunch of stairs you have to climb down (and back up again) if you want to get to the deck. After our morning hike we were pretty beat, but we did it. We are glad we did, this is just a stunning waterfall and well worth the five minute walk.

There is a $3 fee to park here and it is done by the honor system. They didn’t have anyone checking, but pay the money and help support our parks. This is a great little 30-minute stop to add to any itinerary if you are in the area.

Downtown Hendersonville

We had a couple of hours in the afternoon so we headed into downtown Hendersonville. We got there around 4:30 and quickly realized that most of the shops close at 5 or 5:30. This is something we both love and hate about the great downtown areas in North Carolina. We were able to duck into a couple of stores before they closed and scout out the places we wanted to visit on the next day.

The first place we stopped was Dancing Bears Toy Land. We are both adults and we love going to a good old-fashioned toy store. Silas absolutely loved it. They have a ton of unique toys that will take you back to your childhood days. We had a lot of fun checking out everything they had to offer. The other place we went to was Mast General Store. They have a couple of these throughout the North Carolina mountains and they are always fun to go in and check out. They have a really good clothing selection and a bunch of toys and games for kids to check out. Plus, they have those barrels of candy that you can fill up your bag with. You always have to stop by a Mast General Store when you pass by one.

Mezzaluna

For dinner we went to Mezzaluna. I had been craving Italian food all week long and we were happy to find this place on Main Street in downtown. We had a really great experience at this place. We loved every item we ordered. I don’t know if we were just starving after all of our hiking and walking around town, but it was great. We loved the feel of the place and the service was pretty good too. Prices weren’t too bad, we got out of there for less than $50 with tip – which is pretty good for a sit down restaurant at dinner on a busy night in downtown.

I had the chicken parmesan, Megan got the Mezzaluna ravioli, and Silas got his go to – cheese pizza. Their pizzas are brick oven so that is always a plus. The chicken parmesan might have been the best one I have ever eaten, and I have eaten a ton of it. What made it (and everything else) so good was the cheese. I am a true fan of cheese and this cheese was simply amazing. Who knows where they got it, but it was sooooo good. I would go back there just to sit at a table with a block of that cheese to gnaw on.

We headed home and sat on the deck as the day ended. We were wiped out and ready for a good night’s sleep to prepare us for our final full day. It was another great one.

Day 4: Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock State Park

We really didn’t know what to expect when we pulled into Chimney Rock State Park. This is one of those North Carolina landmarks that you have to visit at least once in your life. This was the first time for all of us. Chimney Rock was about a 45-minute drive from where were staying. There was an admission for this park. Adults were $17 and kids were $8. We did think that this price was pretty high, but overall we do feel like it was money well spent. There really is a ton to do at this park. For the sake of this post, I am just going to focus on a couple of highlights. There is plenty more to do though, so check out our full detailed plan to Chimney Rock.

Chimney Rock

The highlight of this park is definitely the Chimney Rock. When you stand on it you almost get the feeling that the mountain is floating. There are a TON of stairs that you need to take in order to get there. There are a bunch of little spots that you can stop and rest and plenty of caves and tunnels to explore on your way up. Pro tip though, they have an actual elevator in the mountain which is an experience in itself. This is covered in the price of your admission. We decided to take the elevator up and the stairs down. We were grateful for that decision as soon as we made it.

Standing on Chimney Rock gives you views that are some of the best in the North Carolina mountains. You have a great view of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock Village. This is a great spot to take some pictures and to sit and enjoy the view.

We continued up higher past Chimney Rock and went to Exclamation Point. There are a bunch more stairs but there are some really great places to stop along the way (like the Opera Box). Exclamation Point gives you a pretty good view. We had already seen a bunch of beautiful scenery during the week so it might have lost some of its luster because of that. Silas wasn’t too impressed, but he was glad he went up there just to say he did it.

Hickory Nut Falls Trail

This trail was a little more difficult than we expected. The trail was by no means strenuous, but we were expecting it to be totally flat. The trail was 1.5 miles round trip to see Hickory Nut Falls. This waterfall is 404-feet straight up a sheer rock wall. You are able to climb down to the bottom of it and have it splash all around you. Silas and I loved doing this. Fun fact, they filmed part of “Last of the Mohicans” here. This might have been my favorite part of our trip to Chimney Rock (the waterfall not finding out the movie was filmed there).

Chimney Rock Village

Chimney Rock Village is located at the base of Chimney Rock State Park. This is such a fun little place to have outside of a State Park. It is pretty touristy, but that can be good sometimes. This is one of those classic downtowns in the North Carolina mountains. It was great to walk around and do some window shopping and to go into some fun stores.

There are a bunch of great places to eat in Chimney Rock Village. We did some research and went with the Old Rock Cafe. We were really happy with our choices and had a great experience. Whenever we are in a small town we try and go to the place that a lot of the locals go to. There aren’t too many locals in this area, but they said they went here to get a quick bite. Check it out if you are in the area.

One thing we took some time to do was the Chimney Rock Gem Mine. This was a blast and a pretty inexpensive way to have some fun. We love doing gem mining and seeing what we can find. The people here were great and took good care of us. Silas walked away with a bag full of treasure. Maybe the best $9 we spent the whole week.

Hendersonville (Again)

After our time at Chimney Rock we decided to head back to Hendersonville to visit a couple of places we had checked out the night before. We wanted to check out the Mineral and Lapidary Museum, the Aquarium and Shark Lab, and the MacFarlan Bakery.

Mineral and Lapidary Museum

What’s a lapidary? It is someone who cuts, polishes, or engraves gems! I’m sure you knew that. This was such a surprising find. We absolutely loved going in here. We were a little weirded out going down the stairs and we had no idea what we were expecting. What we found were people who loved gems, were extremely knowledgeable of them, and wanted to pass that love on to others. The people that work here are volunteers from a local mineral club. Our son loved this. If you have a kid, definitely check this out. If you don’t have a kid, definitely check this out. It is something really different and there is no admission fee!

They have gems and minerals from all over the world in beautiful display cases. These things are all shapes, sizes, and values and they are truly magnificent. They rotate their displays, so you might see something different each time you go. Make sure you ask questions, the more you ask and the more you are interested the more people are willing to share with you. We love it when people are passionate about things in life and share that with others in a kind way. When you ask questions you find out who is passionate and that is contagious.

Definitely our favorite thing to do was to crack open a geode. They have a bunch of different options at different prices. We opted for the $10 variety. Silas got to help use the machine to crack open the geode. This might have been the highlight of his week. He selected a beauty and we went home happy with a cool display stand that he has in his room right now. If you go, try and do this. The workers love it when they get to crack one open.

Aquarium and Shark Lab

What do you do if you are in the North Carolina mountains and you see an aquarium? You go to it. Hendersonville was the last place that you would expect to find an aquarium, but we found one. The cost to get in is $5 per person. They are only open Wednesday to Saturday from 1-5 pm. There are not a ton of tanks and the tanks are not that big, but we felt like it was worth what we paid. Our kid loves animals of all kinds so this was perfect for him.

The highlight of this aquarium is the shark tank that is the home to three sharks. They are not big but they are cool. They do a great feeding demonstration where someone gets in and plays with and pets the sharks. The kids loved this. They only do this once a day. We actually left and went to the gem museum and came back (free re-entry) for the feeding. They also have some really cool turtles and a fun little touch tank. The staff is made up mainly of students and interns. They are great to interact with and know their stuff.

McFarlan Bakery

Our last stop before we headed back to our place was the McFarlan Bakery. This bakery is a longtime staple of Hendersonville. You can smell the goodness from down the street. They are an authentic made from scratch bakery. They don’t use modern technology and rely on the same recipes they have used for over 80 years. This is a must do in our books. There are so many options here. We went towards the end of the day and a lot of their stuff was sold out. We definitely recommend going early.

Our family just loaded up a box full of goodies. We got come cinnamon rolls, eclairs, cookies, and a bunch of other sweet goodness. The prices were awesome too! We grabbed our box and headed home to enjoy them on our deck. A perfect ending to a fantastic day.

Day 5: Heading Home Through South Carolina

Nobody wants to end a vacation. What we have found is the best way to do it is to have an adventure on your way home. Whenever we are driving we want to use that time as a way to visit somewhere new. Hendersonville is actually pretty close to South Carolina and two National Park Sites. We headed out of the North Carolina mountains and decided to take a little longer way home so that we could experience those sites.

Cowpens National Battlefield

Cowpens is located in Gaffney, South Carolina just on the other side of the border from North Carolina. This is the site of a Revolutionary War battle won by Patriot forces. This was another stop on the quest to 419 National Park Sites. It is incredible to visit these sites and to learn the history. It is crazy to walk the grounds where so many fought for freedom.

We checked into the visitor center and picked up a Junior Ranger book. This is always a great way to learn about the site and get a cool souvenir in the process. The Parks System has done a great job with this park marking the battle out in a way that you can see it happening. The Battlefield Loop Trail takes you around the battlefield with some great interactive exhibits. This is an easy 1.3-mile hike. Definitely do this if you are coming out here.

Kings Mountain National Military Park

Right down the road from Cowpens is Kings Mountain National Military Park. This was the first major victory for the Patriot forces after the British invaded Charleston. It really was a turning point of the war in the South. The story behind this battle is pretty sweet. Pretty much a group of mountain men were ticked at the British for messing with them. They went at them and went at them hard. They pretty much trounced them and showed no mercy. Moral of the story – don’t mess with mountain men.

There is a lot of space on the grounds to explore. The main area though is the Battlefield Trail. This is a 1.5-mile self-guided trail that lets you experience the major parts of the battle. There are some really great monuments and beautiful views. This trail is paved the whole way which is pretty nice. There are plenty of elevation changes though so be prepared to sweat a little. This place also has a really great visitor’s center. Make sure you to spend some time there. We picked up Silas’ Junior Ranger badge for finishing the book and headed home.

Go The Adventure Way

This trip was truly a special time for us. It was epic! We saw so many different things from rocks to waterfalls to forests to small towns and everything in between. We feel like we packed a ton into these five days in the North Carolina mountains and barely scratched the surface. Rest is a weird thing. Some people get it sitting still. Our family gets rest for our minds, hearts, and souls by moving and being. We find rest going the adventure way.

We loved being out in nature for an extended period of time and enjoying the beautiful North Carolina mountains. There is not one thing we did on this trip that we didn’t enjoy. We highly recommend it. It is a trip we won’t soon forget. We are hoping to be able to head back for many years to come.

What are some of your favorite things to do in the North Carolina mountains? What makes them special to you? Where should we go next time we are in the area?

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