ASHEVILLE, N.C., June 19,
2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Colorful outdoor hangouts
along one of the oldest rivers in the world; new off-road
adventures at Biltmore; whitewater surfing on your belly; new
hiking trails with history among the highest peaks in the eastern
U.S.; yoga al fresco (or with a baby goat!); and gourmet picnics
worthy of James Beard (and the famed
Blue Ridge Parkway) – summer and fall in the Asheville area bring a wealth of scenic
adventures to Blue Ridge Mountain travelers.
https://www.ExploreAsheville.com/AVLOutdoor2018
Check out this primer for new and unusual outdoor pursuits in
one of the nation's top outdoor vacation destinations: Asheville, North Carolina.
- Outdoor Town At-a-Glance: Sitting along the famed Blue
Ridge Parkway and surrounded by one million acres of protected
wilderness, Asheville's backyard
has the highest mountain peaks east of the Mississippi; thousands of miles of hiking and
biking trails; unmatched biodiversity that brings a parade of
mountain color from summer rhododendron blooms to fall foliage
displays; and George Vanderbilt's
8,000-acre playground at Biltmore Estate.
HIKING NEWS
New Trails, A Tour to Spot Elk + A
Family-Friendly Hotel Hike
- Hiking Gone Hollywood: Closed for nearly a decade, the
ever-popular Skyline Trail that leads to the top of 404-foot
Hickory Nut Falls in the Chimney
Rock section of Chimney Rock State Park has reopened.
The area near the top of the falls (where the final fight scene in
the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans occurred) once again
provides guests with incredible panoramic views, now along a higher
route and venturing deeper into the woods.
- Picturesque Picnic Trail Expands: Bearwallow Mountain
Trail, a Hickory Nut Gorge-area trail known for its
Instagram-worthy views, grazing cows and spring wildflowers, has
recently expanded with the 3-mile Little Bearwallow Mountain Trail
that goes to a 100-foot waterfall, towering cliffs and
awe-inspiring views. Recently announced: Thanks to
conservation easements, this trail will extend across the mountain
in the next few years. More info on the Bearwallow Mountain
Trail.
- JUST OPENED: Connecting Lake Lure with Chimney Rock State
Park, the Weed Patch Mountain Trail, the newest leg of
the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail, is 8.6 miles of remote, rugged
backcountry offering unrivaled solitude and absolute tranquility
for hikers, mountain bikers and rock climbers.
- Elk-Watching in the Smokies: NEW for 2018, Asheville
Hiking Tours is rolling out a biologist-designed, guided
"safari-like" Smoky Mountain Elk Tour, with guaranteed
viewings, the story behind the reintroduction of the creatures to
North Carolina and the history and
ecology of the Appalachian Mountains.
- A Family Hike: Holiday Inn Asheville - Biltmore East
constructed a beautifully landscaped 2-acre wooded walking trail,
conveniently located just off the parking lot and providing an easy
escape. The hotel is pet- and kid-friendly and also features an
outdoor pool with serene mountain views.
OUTDOOR SPORTS
Tour Biltmore via Electric
Adventure Vehicle, Try an Asheville-Invented Watercraft + Treetops
at Night
- Go Off-Road Through Biltmore's Backyard: NEW this
summer, a two-hour-long Outrider Tour takes guests on remote
off-road trails and roads on the grounds of America's Largest Home
via electric recumbent tricycle. MORE ADVENTURES COMING SOON TO
BILTMORE: Falconry and fly fishing from a kayak!
- Belly Up to the River: Now available for rent at French
Broad Outfitters' Hominy Creek location, Bellyaks were
invented in Asheville and allow
you to ride the river on your belly with a face-first kayak and
webbed gloves for paddles. This kayaking alternative provides a
unique vantage point while floating downstream, or for more extreme
whitewater adventures.
- See the Sights at Night (NEW!): The Adventure Center
of Asheville is hosting night
climbs, Twilight in the Treetops, at their Treetops
Adventure Park, Saturdays (June 2 –
Aug. 25). Catch the sky transforming
from dusk to night while the trails and obstacles are illuminated
(ages 4 and over).
- International Horse Sporting Event in Western N.C.: The
FEI World Equestrian Games, the largest sporting event in
the United States in 2018, takes
place in nearby Tryon (45 minutes
southeast of Asheville)
Sept. 11-23. The games, expected to
attract nearly 500,000 people from more than 70 countries, include
competitions such as jumping, dressage, endurance, vaulting and
reining. More info.
- Pop-Up Gear Manufacturing: Diamond Brand Gear – whose storied 136-year
history includes manufacturing the very first backpack for the
Boy Scouts, as well as supplying the U.S. military in both WWI and
WWII – has just opened a temporary "micro" factory downtown
(through January 2019), offering a
behind-the-scenes look at their production, as well as exclusive
products available for purchase only at that location. Visitors can
also get a hands-on experience sewing on their machines.
- ADVENTURE SAVINGS TIP: The nation's largest
outdoor-recreation company, Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
provides a full day of play with the "Nantahala Adventure Pass."
Visitors can combine four of their most popular activities, like
rafting or mountain biking, while saving some bucks in the
process.
ALTERNATIVE LODGING
Go Glamping + Tack on Some
Adventure
- Glamp It Up: Choose from vintage trailers,
Instagram-worthy airstreams, yurts and tent cabins with
Asheville Glamping. A great getaway for couples, you can
also upgrade your stay with a massage – and make it an outdoor one
(with a shade tent available). On weekend mornings, guests can
enjoy onsite outdoor yoga (until October).
- Added Value: Add some outdoor adventure to a trip
through some of the area's top vacation-rental companies. Yonder
Luxury Vacation Rentals, Carolina Mornings and
Greybeard Rentals offer outdoor-adventure deals and add-ons
to customize your stay. Check out their travel packages and
more.
- TIP: See what life on the road is all about at the
Asheville Van Life Rally (with general admission on
Saturday, Sept. 22) at JuneBug
Retro Resort (a new 50-acre property of colorfully restored
1950s campers just 12 minutes from downtown Asheville). This celebration of the "van life"
community and culture, in its fourth year, will have a full lineup
of music, food trucks, beer, a vendor village, swag and a
children's area.
OUTDOOR HANGOUTS
Outdoor Restaurant, Music and
Bar Spaces Make Waves
- French Broad Outfitters recently opened Riverside
Bar at a popular river-access spot. Made out of a recycled
shipping container, this bar offers hammocks, picnic tables and
food trucks in the summer. (TIP: Grab a local beer while you
pick up your Bellyak rental!)
- White Duck Taco Shop River Relocation (NEW!): Set
to move its flagship location in early summer to 3 acres of
riverfront property, this growing taco empire will now welcome
tubers right off the river, taking over a refashioned military
Quonset hut with a refurbished bus for an outdoor bar, a box truck
for outdoor movie nights and picnic tables aplenty.
- COMING SOON: Burial Beer Co.'s Forestry Camp, set on a
historic property near Biltmore Village, will give new life to
buildings that once housed young forestry workers of the Civilian
Conservation Corps. Burial's second location, it will also include
a production brewery, taproom and restaurant.
- TIP: For more riverside fun, catch some live music at
the junkyard-turned-shipping-container-themed Salvage
Station or dine on the back deck of the largest
container-constructed restaurant in the U.S., Smoky Park Supper
Club.
YOGA HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE
Yoga on the
Water, With a Beer or Goat + A Dedicated Festival
- SUP Yoga on the World's Third Oldest River: Wai Mauna, known for its sunrise Dawn Patrol
stand-up paddleboard tours and six-person Party Barge, is offering
SUP Yoga classes (NEW!) this season. The two-hour
morning lessons include paddling instruction and a yoga session on
top of anchored paddleboards along a calm stretch of water, led by
professional instructors.
- Cheers to Buddhi Yoga: Hip-hop-inspired Buddhi
Yoga, a local favorite, has moved to Archetype Brewing
in the hot Beacham's Curve area of West
Asheville, Sundays at noon. Zen out, get some exercise and
wash it all down with a craft beer!
- A Winning Combo: Franny's Farm hosts monthly sessions of
Goat Yoga, great for beginners or those who simply want some
cuddle time with cute baby goats!
- Asheville Yoga Festival: Taking place July 26-29, this event will feature more than 30
presenters and everything from yoga to meditation to music and
outdoor recreation at various venues downtown (including Pack
Square Park).
DINE IN OPEN AIR
Picnics, Farm Tours +
Foraging
- Asheville's Top Restaurants
Let You Take Your Meal Outside: Choose from a selection or
build your own packed picnic lunch from James Beard-nominated chef John Fleer's The Rhu and take it to your
favorite scenic locale. Set to open later this summer,
RendezVous – from the team behind French-comfort-food staple
Bouchon – will offer picnic baskets to go or to enjoy on
their lawn, a specialty garden and pétanque courts.
- Explore the Grounds of Biltmore Like a Vanderbilt: Do a
private three-hour horseback trail ride – with a picnic lunch
included – in picturesque spots of the 8,000-acre estate.
- Sample Your Way Through Asheville's Surrounding
Farmland: Taste local cheeses, gather fresh eggs, feed farm
animals and find out more behind Asheville's culinary scene with Asheville
Farm to Table Tours, offering full- and half-day options
incorporating creameries, Appalachian produce, craft beer and
more.
- Must-Do Mushroom Hunting: NEW this season, No Taste
Like Home is offering a monthly immersion series focused on
specific wildcrafting and foraging skills. The longtime
Asheville company is also adding
even more tours to the schedule and new partner restaurants to
prepare foraged finds from Blue Ridge Mountain terrain around
Asheville (the
second-richest temperate ecosystem on the planet).
- TIP: Enjoy Outdoor Late-Night Cinema at AUX
Bar, a NEW downtown restaurant from the creators of
Asheville's popular Blind Pig
Supper Club, featuring a special late-night menu and plans to
install wood-fired grills and a bar on the patio this summer. Or,
catch Isis Restaurant and Music Hall's free outdoor concert
series on their lawn while grabbing dinner (Wednesday-Friday
evenings).
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SOURCE Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau