Lovey trail alongside a relaxing stream. Several benches scattered throughout the trail, random…read morepicnic tables, a few fire rings, a sandy beach halfway down the trail, port-o-potty even further down the trail towards the end, and only 12 minutes from home within Asheville. Dog friendly with doggy bag dispensary at both ends of trail, every dog I personally passed by was on a leash and the consistent foot traffic was friendly. Found on yelp. Charming

This is a nice short little trail. It is busy almost year-round. I like to bike on it as part of my…read moreusual route. Dogs are supposed to be on leash, but rarely are so be warned of that.

Easy and beautiful, I hate that it's a little drive for us…read more The leaves are amazing this time of year

On a not-quite-hot day that was a bit humid, this was a bit of a workout for someone like me who…read moredoesn't hike much. A level parking lot with restrooms, I left the van there and followed a family carting a cooler, a baby stroller and a bunch of towels. I figured that if they could do it then I sure could. And then they peeled off at the level part and I started up the hill. There's a sign with a warning that it's steep. I ignored the sign at my own peril and climbed up to the view point. Totally worth it. It's quiet other than the sound of crashing water and a few birds in the distance. The view of Triple Falls is amazing. Not an easy climb - I would say this is "moderate plus" because of the incline. It is somewhat smooth but not wheelchair capable and there's a definite risk of slipping on the climb back down. [Review 20013 overall - 3454 in North Carolina - 988 of 2023.]

We did this hike back in the winter and it wasn't crowded. There's a little bit of parking by the…read moretrailhead and a lot of people park along the street. If you're looking at AllTrails, we did Little Bearwallow via Wildcat Rock Trail. The trail is pretty steep and on the more strenuous side. It's 4.7 miles round trip if you follow the same path. If you only care about views, I would recommend going to the Wildcat Rock Overlook and turning around after that. It would be about 3 miles round trip. There are no views from the Little Bearwallow Summit. The Wildcat Rock Trail also continues to Bearwallow Mountain, but we didn't do that portion. I'd like to come back for it at some point.

We were visiting Bat Cave, North Carolina. We had planned to hike Chimney Rock. As our luck would…read morehave it, the two days that we were in town, Chimney Rock was closed for maintenance. While we were driving from Asheville on our way back to Bat Cave later that day I spotted a new hiking trail head. Basically it is tucked right off the winding country highway. There is a sign, and some gravel parking. What I noticed while driving by were the cars parked there. So be on the lookout. We planned to hike it the next morning. We decided to get an early start. When we arrived before 8am, there were two cars parked in the gravel near the trail head. You start by crossing the road, you head down before (trust me) you go up the mountain. You can choose to hike just 1.1 miles to Little Bearwallow Falls. Or you can continue up to Wildcat Rock which is listed as basically 1.6 miles one way which sounds easy. But if you ask me it is straight up. The day we went it felt like we were hiking in the rain forest. We were sweating so much that sweat was dripping from our finger tips as we hiked up. I loved every minute of it. We were secluded and we were working hard. It felt so good. Once we reached Little Bearwallow Falls, we just knew that we needed to continue to the top. We needed to see something a little more spectacular. Once we reached the top to Wildcat Rock it was gorgeous. We stepped out of the foliage and we could see the valley below and the mountains in the distance. It was beautiful. We waited and we were lucky enough to see a bird soaring high above the mountain tops. It was the perfect hike for us. Strenuous yet providing the feeling of peace and accomplishment. We highly suggest checking out Wildcat Rock especially if Chimney Rock is too busy, or if money is a factor. There is no cost to enter at this trailhead unlike if you go to Chimney Rock. Also, take water.

Gorgeous place, easy parking on the side of the roads with multiple stopping areas. Dog friendly…read moreand people friendly. Able to swim and to walk around (very cautiously) on rocks. Relaxing to just lay on a massive rock and listen to the waterfall.

5-Stars for simply being a beautiful waterfall relatively close to town and located just a few…read moreshort steps from the road, no hiking required. There are 3 viewpoints: road level, mid-level down a short set of stairs, and at the base down a second set of stairs. This is a great option for people with little kids, people with limited mobility, or those just short on time. There is limited roadside parking. Free to visit. No restroom. Easy peasy.

Same as my review for Dupont State Forest where this trail & waterfall are located. Great park with…read morea variety of hiking trails and some beautiful waterfalls to check out. The trails are well marked, but you'll want to either download the trails map ahead of time from their website, or take a photo of the park map at the parking lot, because they don't have maps along the trails & there are several trails to chose from. We hiked to High Falls and then Triple Falls, which is a bit further (both beautiful!), which I would say are moderate-level difficulty due to the inclines & some portions of the trail are loose gravel. Easy for The Hubs and I, but a tad more of a challenge for my in-laws. There are some spots with rocks just the right size to sit on and have a rest if you need a break. There are restrooms at the High Falls trailhead parking lot, and a gift shop. I'm not sure about restrooms elsewhere in the park.

Been here twice in one month because it was just that awesome. High falls is just one waterfall in…read morethis park, there are 2 more. Easy trails, not too much incline or decline, pretty short hike down to high falls and lots of rocks to lounge on.

I absolutely LOVE this park. Hands down one of the best hidden gems in the area. Don't let the…read morespooky warehouse scare you away, you'll see gravel parking on the left, keep going to the paved lot. There is a beautiful gravel walking trail that goes along the Swannanoa River + the two lakes. There are some walking trails around but you'll have to look for those. They have basketball courts, a playground, BBQ grills, picnic tables, covered areas, baseball fields... you can also fish in the lake but swimming is not permitted. I have seen people swim in the river/creek I would just advice you to be pretty careful because sometimes it's moving pretty fast + has deep areas with currents. I'm pretty sure you also need a fishing license or permit. There are signs posted all over with the rules. There are also some signs with nature information to make it fun for the kiddos! Plenty of poop bags + places to drop them off so please clean up after your doggo! Everyone walking the trail is pretty nice, they mostly stick to themselves since COVID. But there is plenty of space for everyone and most do wear mask. Beware of the geese! They are feisty and not afraid of anything. They have gone after my dog Lucy several times, now she goes after them. Really love having this place in our back yard!

This hidden park is not a bad area for a early morning or afternoon walk. There are two lakes in…read morethis park with a river that borders the far side. The out side walking trail is 0.83 miles. And if you look closely for the hidden hiking trails you could have a good afternoon adventure. This park has plenty of tables for summer day cookouts. It also has a basket ball court which could use some work. Is really hard to replace the netting on the hoop? Also this park has a baseball field. The park is lacking in the playground department. It looks like they made the playground for a toddler, which is ok but I'm sure older kids wouldn't think to much of it. Which is a shame. A park should have something to do for all ages. The park is maintained decently well. And even the on site bathrooms where clean. 4 stars for the crappy playground and the Basketball court.

Love this hike so much. I do have to say it was quite shocking To go back after not visiting for h…read moreyears- there has been a lot of maintenance since the storms washed the bridge out last year (!?). Still a beauty though. The parking lot has space for about 15 but you can park on the side of the road if you need. It's pretty safe and spacious. This hike is great for everyone- small incline and easy 1 mile ish to a fall. Where you can swim if you wish (maybe not skinny dip though- it's pretty popular). Dog friendly. Some rocks at the end but there are alternative ways and it's not unsafe or unstable. Lots of roots but overall the pathways are lovely and wide. . You can also see the semi famous wnc dragon tree :)

It's not a business but it was a great trail hike with lots of ups downs little bridges and stairs…read more Beautiful reward awaits at the end.

We had such a wonderful time at the North Carolina Arboretum. It was very easy to walk around the…read morebeautiful gardens with a stroller. All the paths were paved with ramps to every garden area. At the main building you can get a free map, enjoy the gift shop, and clean bathrooms. The main building also has some lovely seating areas and clean bathrooms! You can walk the gardens and find a cafe at the other end of it. The arboretum has tons of walking and biking trails on the property. We didn't explore them but would love to some other time. We loved their bonsai garden the most. Make sure you check where you are walking, this time of the year, for caterpillars. We noticed several on the ground and thankfully we moved them out of the way!

It's been years since my first visit here and it was something I needed during my reset vacay to…read moreenjoy the outdoors and relive the beautiful memories here. The gardens are absolutely stunning, well maintained, and well marked. The buildings are beautiful and host wonderful events and classes. The gift shop is well stocked and perfect for buying something for your home, yourself, or for those you love. The trails are wonderful and can give you lots of options for the length and level of exercise you want for you and your pups. The Bent Creek one is our favorite (which runs along Bent Creek)! Of course, the Dambo Trolls were a lovely addition these past few months and have drawn so many people that they had to close the gate at least once because they were so packed! I'm glad I decided to make the drive to enjoy a solo date outdoors with my book.