With 2023 being designated Year of the Trail in North Carolina, we’re shining a spotlight on many of the great trails in the North Carolina mountains. We have some awesome trails to share with you this month to help you get outdoors and explore.
PARRIS CREEK FS ROAD NEAR THE INN ON MILL CREEK B&B
- 5-minute walk from our B&B
- Old Forest Service Road, 3 miles one way
- Easy to moderate, gradual elevation gain
- Lovely walk in the woods with bonus views after a mile
- Excellent spot for spring birding
More details: www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/parris-creek
THE OLD HEMLOCK TRAIL AT WARREN WILSON COLLEGE
- 20 minutes from our B&B, in Swannanoa
- Easy 0.2-mile trail through a hemlock forest
- Connects with Davidson Trail and Stand Four Trail
- Look for the free standing chimney from an old homestead!
- If you do geocaching, you’ll find one here
More details: www.swangathering.com/downloads/WWCTrailMap.pdf
THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY VISITOR CENTER’S LOOP TRAIL
- 20 minutes from our B&B: Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 384
- Easy 1.3-mile woodsy walk
- Good for stretching your legs before/after a drive on the Parkway
- Cool feature: a trail tunnel takes you under the Parkway
- Check out the BRP Visitor Center while you’re there!
More details: www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-the-vc-loop-trail.htm
CRABTREE FALLS ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY
- 60 minutes from our B&B: Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 339.5
- Moderate-to-strenuous 2.5-mile loop
- Gorgeous 60-foot waterfall about halfway down the trail
- Can be busy on weekends; go midweek if you can
- Nice variety of native flowering plants in spring
More details: ashevilletrails.com/blue-ridge-parkway/crabtree-falls-nc
FONTA FLORA STATE TRAIL – POINT LOOKOUT SECTION
- 6 minutes from our B&B to one end; 10 minutes to the other
- 3.5-mile paved trail, gradual elevation change
- Former highway-turned-greenway, for pedestrians and cyclists
- Also an Innpug-approved trail for dogs (on leash)
- Point Lookout overlook has a 24-mile view
More details: mcdowelltrails.org/point-lookout-trail
Along with the trails above, this time of year, we also recommend checking out a waterfall trail. Although the Catawba Falls Trail in Old Fort is closed for improvements until 2024, we have quite a variety of other waterfalls in the area in addition to Crabtree Falls (pictured above). Check out this previous blog post for a list.