Five Asheville Hikes with Amazing Views

from Roots Rated

Asheville sits in a valley that's surrounded by so many mountains it’s hard to keep track of which ones you’re looking at. Collectively, they’re the Southern Appalachians, but there are different ranges in every direction: the Black Mountains to the East, Black Balsams and Smoky Mountains to the West, Bald Mountains to the North and many, many more. Visitors to Western North Carolina are often looking for that million-dollar mountain view, and it's definitely out there... you just have to know where to look. It's true: the hiking scene in Asheville is about as good as it gets. But here are 5 great spots (with spectacular views) to get you started. Read more here.

Asheville Hiking Guide: The Trail Starts Here

Thousands of miles of trails twist, meander, dip and climb through the peaks and valleys around Asheville. In this world-class hiking destination, you can take your pick from peaceful hikes along mountain streams and technical scrambles up steep terrain; hikes that are short and sweet and multi-day adventures. Some hikes give you a view into the region’s past, and some just give you views of ridge after ridge of Appalachian mountain beauty. You could spend a lifetime trekking the wild and well trodden trails of Western North Carolina. Read more here.

Summer’s Last gasp

There’s still time to go jump in a mountain lake near Asheville, where water temperatures are still in the mid 70s to low 60s and are expected to remain close to these levels for the next month or so. That’s great news for swimmers, standup paddlers, and anyone who has so far missed out on one of Western Carolina's best summer assets: its mountain lakes. RootsRated suggests a few that are perfect getaways for the remaining summer weekends.

Lake Santeelah

Located about two hours from Asheville (close to the town of Robbinsville), Lake Santeelah was created in 1928 with the damming of the Cheoah River and it remains mostly surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest . While part of the lake (which encompasses 128 acres) is developed with private homes, much of it is undeveloped, with the exception of a few swimming and picnic areas and a small scenic campground on the water at Cheoah Point . Santeelah Marina issues fishing licenses and offers kayak, canoe and pontoon rentals. The Santeelah Lake Trail is open to mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding and there are Class IV and V rapids on the nearby Cheoah River. This little-known part of Western North Carolina is beautiful and rarely crowded. If you go, make sure to check out the stand of old growth poplar in nearby Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest .

From Beer City to Gear City

The classic Silicon Valley start-up story begins with two tech geeks in a dorm room. The classic western North Carolina start-up story starts on a river or the side of a mountain, with a rider, kayaker, camper or climber coming up with a new way to make getting outdoors easier or more fun.

In the past five years, Asheville has earned the title Beer City, USA thanks to the booming craft beer scene that now includes 11 breweries. But Beer City may be becoming Gear City, as the number of outdoor gear builders continues to grow. Read more here.