Nice close place Worth short drive and easy walk and was…read moreable to bring kids or older parents

Really beautiful place. The admission was $5 per adult, and it was well worth it. There were other…read morevisitors, but it wasn't overwhelming. The gentleman who helped us was very kind and gave us a map of the trail and grounds. There are picnic tables and benches around. The trail is very easy to walk. There are steps along the way. I have a bad knee, but nothing was very strenuous. The trail is lined with a creek that makes it's way to the falls. There are two different spots to have different views and take photos. I found being here very peaceful. The weather was a bit chilly and very windy otherwise I would've loved to sit there longer. Really important bit of info..... there are no restrooms available so use the facilities somewhere if you need to before arriving. I would recommend visiting! It's been on my list for a while.

This is a great park with lots of winding trails - some paved, some gravel. Pavilions for picnics…read moreand barbecues, a restroom, great place to take dogs. Beautiful scenery and lots of birds.

Love this playground for kids of ages 2-6 is awesome…read more Fun rock climbing, nets, and slides for all. Clean restrooms and picnic tables. Awesome walking trails Great parking

What a gorgeous park, even in the winter time…read more Since it's winter when I visited, I can't review all of the incredible summer time water sports but I know this park can get busy then. Winter was in incredible time to visit, easy parking, a chance to chat with the staff at the visitor center, and walk around. The lake is beautiful. I've heard that this area did get some hurricane/ storm damage but everything needed to drive around is up and running! Make a plan to visit next time you're nearby. It's about 1 hour drive from downtown Asheville.

This has the look of one of those parks formed around a dam. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for…read morehydroelectric power, but artificial lakes always feel like they're lacking a certain mystique. This park had an impressive visitor center and restrooms were open even after it closed, though neighboring water fountains were not functioning on a hot summer day. The trail I selected was rugged and had occasional waterside views, most notably on a footbridge that offered a mountain vista. Cell service was not great for me, and while I'd hoped to do a zoom meeting on the run I had to return to more urban areas. But if you actually want to get unplugged, the people on boats here appeared to be having a good time.

Completely and utterly agree with Jamie S. Best park I've found in Asheville as of yet!…read moreWooden structures on small "islands" separated by shallow creeks flow through this gorgeous playground. We went on a family adventure to explore Black Mountain and saw this adorable playground. The boys begged to be let out of their seats (even if it was 50 out and melting snow on the ground) to go play. I'm so glad we found time because I will drive the 30 minutes to get to this park again. My toddler apparently loves slides because he went down the Tree House Island slide multiple times. Middle went down to the creek and found out how freezing cold winter creek water is. So many trees, beautiful structures, picnic tables, gazebo. Whoever designed this park is a genius. Even though there is a creek it is easy to keep new walkers away from the edges and occupied elsewhere (mine is so CLUMSY and gives me heart attacks often throughout the day) I cannot wait to visit here during the summer - best splash area ever - and maybe have a few birthday parties.

One of the larger parks in the area and quite fun for the kids, at least according to my 9, 6, and…read more2yr old. Spaced out with plenty of room to run, different playground sets for kids to run between, and even a creek running through the middle that the kids can safely play in!

10-5-24 The…read morehighlight of my trip to Hendersonville was coming here to Jump Off Rock. It is a free parking with free parking as well. It has a beautiful observation area where on a clear day you can see all the neighboring cities and states. After we tried on of the three trails. They aren't easy but we did it! Felt a sense of accomplishment. It was an enjoyable time where you can enjoy the scenery and nature. Definitely will return on our next trip to Hendersonville.

This weekend, my family and I decided to explore Jump Off Rock in North Carolina since the weather…read morewas nice. Jump Off Rock--located about 15 minutes from Hendersonville, NC--is a scenic overlook of Western North Carolina with three easy hiking trails, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a sunny day. There is complimentary parking, easy-to-follow trails that are hiker-friendly for all ages, benches to enjoy the scenic outlook, and wheelchair accessibility. Once my family arrived, we enjoyed the magnificent view of the Western North Carolina mountain range, taking photos of the scenery and personal selfies together. There is a drawing of the mountain range that identifies which mountains you are looking at. I found this very helpful since I could finally put names to the mountains in front of my eyes. After admiring the amazing view, we took the three hikes Jump Off Rock offers. The trails are fairly easy, ranging from 0.25 to 1 mile. They are easy to access, located on the left and right sides of the parking lot. The paths are simple to follow and not too dangerous for occasional hikers and their furry friends. While we were there, my family and I saw two deer on the path, which was really cool. Altogether, the three trails took us around 30 minutes at an average pace. Just a quick note--there are no restrooms or portable toilets at Jump Off Rock. I recommend stopping in Hendersonville or at a gas station before making your journey. If it's a nice day or you just want to get out of the house, I highly recommend visiting Jump Off Rock to enjoy the scenic overlook of the Western North Carolina mountain range and reconnect with nature.

super cute and small little park all centered around the bridge! I probably wouldn't go an hour out…read moreof my way to come, but if you are passing through, it's pretty neat. Make sure your kids wear clothes they can get wet! The little river under the bridge is unique with lots of smooth rock. FYI, it only gets mid calf deep, so it's not really a swimming hole.

The only remaining covered bridge in the State of South Carolina, this 38 foot long pine structure…read morespans Beaverdam Creek. The bridge and the area around it is part of a passive park owned by Greenville County. It was built in 1909 by Charles Irwin Willis (1878-1966) and is a four-span Howe truss, featuring diagonal timbers and vertical iron rods. It is named for Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836-1920) who owned and operated a grist mill here. The foundations of the mill and home site are still here to be explored. Ample parking and several picnic tables in the shade make this into a great stop for lunch. When the water isn't running to quickly, there's nothing wrong with dipping your feet into the creek to cool off. There are several signs about so that you can learn about the area. [Review 14940 overall, 442 of 2021, number 811 in South Carolina.]

Stumbled upon this cute little park area as we were driving around exploring side roads from Old…read moreFort to Asheville. What a gem! This little community center seems to have a lot to offer: - The playground is a lot of fun- both our kids, ages 4 & 7, loved it! A well-kept wooden playground with swings (3 regular & 1 baby swing), a seesaw, a tire swing, and a big plastic sea monster for climbing. - Short paved walking loop with some benches, picnic tables and grill, and 1 of those little exercise stops and a creek flowing by (great for kids to splash around in!) - Large grassy field - Basketball court (half court) - Community garden - Large picnic table area with covered pavilion - Leashed dogs allowed (please pick up after them - there are poop bags along the sidewalk) The community center appears to be closed right now and I haven't checked out the website yet but there's a board with some info by the playground. It seems like they offer yoga classes (Free maybe? Says "donations accepted"), there's an ad for reiki healing, and a whole calendar of events for children and adults. This center definitely seems to run on donations and volunteers. We were happy to contribute to the painted metal donation post by the playground. Peaceful, safe, beautiful park areas like this are hard to find these days. We're passing through, as we're just frequent vacationers to the area, but I hope the community keeps up this little local gem!

Another hidden gem in Pisgah National Forest is this place. To enter, you need to go through the…read moregated entrance which is currently unmanned until the tourist season begins which I believe is coming up soon. Then it will be $5 per person, not car. It was nice watching people enjoy the water.

This site definitely did not disappoint! We enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with the family. I was…read moresurprised that my granddaughters were not afraid to go down the rock slide. I was the family photographer. I certainly had lots to photograph! There was ever a great rock to lean against for taking pictures. My suggestion is that you bring along a change of clothes, wet shoes, snacks, a camera, sunscreen and life jackets for the little ones. I forgot my wet shoes and my son forgot a change of clothes. There is a rest room where you can change clothes. There are also lifeguards until 5 PM. They stayed open after 5, but did not charge admission. When we return we will go later in the afternoon. The lines are shorter and after 5 you don't have to pay the $5 per person admission charge. I definitely will return when we visit the area again. We enjoyed a great time!

My family and I decided to spend a weekend in North Carolina. Since we enjoy the outdoors we…read moredecided to spend a part of our time hiking. We went to Little Bradley Falls, located in Saluda, North Carolina. Due to a wildfire that happened a couple of years back some of the trials are restricted for hikers. However, you are still able to see Little Bradley Falls and explore the surrounding area. The trail is pet and kid friendly, with designated paths, so you do not have to worry about getting lost. The parking lot is more of "pull of the side of the road" style parking. It was tight, but I was able to park my SUV. Although the majority of Little Bradley Falls trail was closed, the rest of the trail was well kept, and you could visibly see the park staff was working on reopening the damaged trail. The waterfall was beautiful, there is an observation area where you can see the majestic waterfall, perfect for photos. Although the trail was well cleared, one dangerous part is you have to climb over rocks in the river to get to the other side of the trail. It wasn't that difficult, but should be considered when planning your hike to Little Bradley Falls. If you are in the Saldua North Carolina area, or want to take an easy hike with the family, I would definitely recommend taking a look into Little Bradley Falls. I hope to return in the future to complete the other trailhead that is adjacent from Little Bradley Falls.

Short trail with a beautiful waterfall at the end…read more Drive: 1.5hour drive from Charlotte Parking: the location on the google map doesn't take you to a parking lot. We arrived at the entrance of a side trail. Parking is available on the side street. Trail: about a 30 -45 mins trail but it is very tricky Overall, I enjoyed the short hike. The waterfall at the end was definitely worth the trip. Highly recommend a visit. 5/5

The Thomas Dambo Troll Exhibit brought me back to NC for the first time in decades. And the team at…read morethe Arboretum, and the grounds as well as the exhibit did not disappoint. Made it there on New Year's Day. Bright and early. Did get lost trying to follow GPS so map it as it reads on the website. Siri thinks she knows better and I ended up in the boonies without service. Backtracked and when I had cell service again, followed instructions and got there without a hitch. The staff, mainly in the Welcome Center was great. So friendly. Knowledgeable. Genuinely pleasant. Not only providing instructions on the exhibit but shared a few stories about the process. It was cold but the walk and sun, when it came out, helped me to not freeze. In fact, by the halfway point, I had removed my outer layer. I mentioned this because it wasn't all paved paths - eventually after you pass through the garden directly outside the Welcome Center - you wander onto the packed trail. Glad I got there early as by the time I left, the parking lot was filled up fast and cars were lining up at the entrance to the park. I didn't check out anything else at the Arboretum but judging from what I did see, it's a beautiful area and exhibit. If I happen to make a return visit, it'll definitely be when it's warmer weather.

We went there later in the day but still had plenty of time to walk the red trail. Not a lot is…read moreblooming at this time of year but it was still a really nice walk. It is a dog friendly place so I feel like it is a great place for locals to come with their pups. There was even a family taking advantage of the "golden hour" lighting for family photos. We sat for a bit on one of the many benches available along the trails to take in the mountain view. And a large area dedicated for families and children with natural things to climb on and through. They have children's nature programs available as well. I would definitely go back again! And they are part of the reciprocal program with other Gardens & Arboretums around the country!!