The mountains of western North and upstate South Carolina are a hiker’s paradise. Rich with human history, they are also home to some of the greatest biological diversity in the world. Hikers here are treated to thousands of miles of trails offering fantastic views, stunning wildflower and fall foliage displays, and gigantic trees in old growth forests. This guide lists 57 day hikes ranging in length from 2 to 13 miles, with destinations like the waterfalls of Dupont State Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s beautiful Craggy Gardens; the ruins of George Vanderbilt’s palatial Buck Spring hunting lodge on Mt. Pisgah; and the summit of Cold Mountain. Each entry includes everything you need to know to get out and hike: maps and detailed directions, mileage, elevation gain, trail highlights, fees and hiking regulations, a list of films and novels set in each location, and more.
Surrounded by the singular beauty of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville has long been a mecca to artists, writers, and nature lovers. The stunning Art Deco buildings of its downtown, the Gilded Age elegance of the Biltmore Estate, the rich legacy of its Appalachian craft industry, and above all the timeless beauty of the area’s magnificent mountains and forests imbue the city with a proud architectural and cultural heritage that is steeped in history.
Rental cabins in the North Carolina mountains are perfect for enjoying the lush green forests, sparkling lakes, majestic mountains, and charming towns of this fabulous destination. The lovely mountains of North Carolina are a year-round vacation paradise with colorful spring wildflowers, mild summer temperatures, fabulous fall foliage, and snow-capped mountains in the wintertime.
There are few things more beautiful than the North Carolina Mountains during the fall with the leaves turning bright orange, yellow, and red. The vibrant colors serve as a beautiful backdrop to the imposing Biltmore Estate.
The Biltmore Estate consists of an immense mansion built by the Vanderbilt family in the late 1800s. It is the largest home that is privately owned in the United States and the descendants of the Vanderbilts still own the home. It is amazingly large at 175,000 square feet. The available tours of the home are simply incredible and it is unbelievable to tour the home and realize that more than 130 years ago architecture, design, and the like were so advanced.
The North Carolina mountains are great for family vacations. In the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, visitors can enjoy a wealth of activities, from hiking, fishing, and whitewater rafting to golfing, visiting historical sites, and shopping for arts and crafts. In the winter months, guests of cabin rentals in the North Carolina mountains will find plenty of winter sports such as downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and ice skating.
Fall is a fantastic time to spend out of doors, and each fall the Smokies are filled with folks wanting to take in nature’s color and beauty. The peak weeks in the color season will account for some of the highest visitation seen at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year, but you don’t have to rub elbows with all those people if you don’t want to. The park abounds with opportunities for fall color viewing in quieter, less visited settings.
The best piece of advice I can offer you is to avoid the major roads in the park during the peak of the fall color season. This would include Cades Cove and Little River Road, as well as Newfound Gap Road (Highway 441) from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. The majority of fall color spectators will use these routes, and you will no doubt find yourself stuck in long lines of slow moving traffic – hardly a relaxing experience. If you want to view the fall color from your car window, choose less visited areas of the park for your drive. All of the following routes are visible on any map of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Fall officially begins September 23 and, though it’s a little early to know for sure, foliage should put on quite a show this year. Though it has been dry lately, usually a negative when it comes to fall color, the next few weeks will determine just how much fall color we will have.
We need bright sunny days and cool nights–without too much frost or freezing temperatures–to trap the sugars in the leaves, which give us the best reds and most vibrant colors throughout the month of October. However, small pockets of color will remain into November–something to consider when deciding whether to fight the unbelievable crowds in certain areas of the Park.
The Asheville fall leaf color show featuring the colorful foliage of the North Carolina mountains attracts visitors from around the world. With the 5,000-foot elevation change within 50 miles of Asheville, our lush Blue Ridge Mountain range puts on one of the longest-running leaf color displays in the country. Another reason for an autumn visit: the many events and art festivals that abound during October, including LEAF. After enjoying nature’s grand show, head to downtown Asheville to enjoy the many local restaurants and shops.
North Carolina has over 120 species of trees, most of which are presented in the mountains. These trees provide brilliant colors each fall season. Different color pigments are present in all leaves: xanthophylls and carotenoids (yellow), anthocyanins (red), and chlorophyll (green). The yellow and red colors are usually hidden by the darker green color during the spring and summer months. But after the summer solstice in June, the trees are alerted that the days are getting shorter. This curtails the ability of the leaves to need and use sunlight and chlorophyll. As the covering of chlorophyll is reduced, the other pigments can eventually show themselves. This conglomeration of reds, yellows and greens give the leaves their purple, brown, and orange hues.
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