Our Top 3 Favorite Hikes Within 90 Minutes of Asheville
Spring is on the horizon and I am LOVING our outdoor time! Sandals and tank tops, sun kissed skin and the most refreshing sound of bird song that invites us outdoors and into nature. It’s re-wilding time! So the family is excited and we are starting to plan our day hikes and camping weekends. Musing around on which trails to hit first - we narrowed it down to our top 3 favorite hikes within a 90 minute drive from Asheville center.
Graveyard Fields
Accessible by the already-beautiful-just-to-drive-it Blue Ridge Parkway, Graveyard Fields is a must trek every season stop for us. The spring wildflowers alone are enough to bring the bird song out of you, but what I absolutely love about this hike is the sense of diversity. There are moments, especially along the bridge, that give you a very spacious view, where you can see out among the brush and welcome the warmth from the sun. Then the trail curves along in brings you deep into the forest where you’re climbing through trees and crossing creeks. It can get a bit marshy and I definitely recommend some good water proof boots or straight up BARE feet to move through this hike - but beware of wearing sneakers as they are likely to get muddy and wet. Along the loop we get to stop and play mermaid by two absolutely beautiful waterfalls. Overall, it’s a great day hike and the access is super easy, so we call it a winner.
Little Bradley Falls
You may be picking up a theme here - my family LOVES a good waterfall. When they say we are all descendants of ocean organisms, I have zero doubt that’s true when I’m watching the kids as they’re fully immersed in their water play. Little Bradley is a nice and brisk 1 mile hike in and out. It’s one of those, when you’re in the area, it’s sort of silly not to stop for a few hours and refresh. With a few ankle deep creek crosses the journey lands at at a 40 ft waterfall with a very dippable pool at the bottom. It's a great place to cool down and have a little nature time in the midst of a busy day.
Mount Mitchell
When we’re feeling like a day is not enough, we often plan our backpacking weekends at Mount Mitchell state park. Boasting the highest peak east of the Mississippi, this trail is not for leisure walking. With a steady incline up to the summit, you will 100% get your steps in and strengthen those winter thighs up while you’re at. Within the park there’s over 30 miles of trails and more link up with other trails that’ll take you far out of the park (including the Mountains to Sea Trail). There’s a lot of adventure to be had on any trail of choice, and there are some carved out tent spots with fire pits so it’s not too hard to find a place to settle for the night. We make sure to pack our lightest gear so we can stock up on snacks and fire friendly foods for the evenings. While you can daytrip a 6 miles up and 6 miles down pinnacle hike, we prefer to extend our stay in this neck of the woods.
Happy Spring, Y'all! And may there be many trails to greet your feet through the warmest of seasons that we are approaching!
See you in the woods!
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