Great trails - not for beginners!…read more Rocky Knob is a beautiful, and extremely well maintained mountain bike park near Boone NC featuring winding, narrow and forested trails. Though I have some experience mountain biking, I would consider myself beginner/intermediate. I had a blast on the trails! But it was difficult for me, especially the inclines and the switchbacks and the declines had me pumping the brakes. I had to walk the bike at a few points but by the end I was able to complete a full trail without interruption! Reading other reviews and talking to some locals, I was told there is a Kindergarten track that goes around the parking lot that's suitable for beginners. Either I did not find the Kindergarten track or it's ironically named, couldn't see any one younger that 16 successfully navigating it. There was however a large playground that would easily entertain children, and covered benches for parents to supervise or have a picnic. The park also featured a small pump track suitable for all ages. I wasn't able to pump my way around the track but I had a great time pedaling around it!

April, 2025. We visited Abington, Virginia quite a few years ago. After discovering the Virginia…read moreCreeper Trail at that time, we promised that we'd return "someday" to bike at least part of the trail. This trail is a nationally-acclaimed Rails-to-Trails that extends for 34 miles and over 47 trestle bridges. While best known as a biking trail, it's actually a multi-use trail with bikers, walkers, stroller pushers, runners, equestrians, and more, especially near the access points. In the past, the trail started near Whitetop, went about 18 miles to the center point near Damascus, and ended in the charming town of Abingdon (or vice versa). Unfortunately, Damascus was hard hit by Hurricane Helene, and 18 trestle bridges were destroyed as well as many portions of the trail so the Whitetop to Damascus portion of the trail is currently closed. The 18-mile stretch from Damascus to Abington IS open. While there are bike rental companies, as well as shuttle services to take you to the trail's start, we brought our own bikes. We decided to ride the 8.5 mile segment from Abingdon (elevation: 2,020' to Alvarado Station (the old train stop at 1,750') and back. This "lower" section is considered a relatively easy to moderate stretch through rolling farmland and forests and over beautiful trestle bridges. As mentioned, our turning point was Alvarado Station, where we enjoyed our picnic lunch on a bench river-side. The stop also had drinks and snacks available for sale, a water refill station, restrooms, and a big, friendly dog eyeing our lunches! The trail is wide in most areas, and is very well-maintained. There are multiple access points with parking lots, information kiosks, regular mileage markers, benches, photo ops, and some restrooms. In a relatively recent development, e-bikes are now allowed on the trail. With its restaurants, breweries, shops, local theater, and more, make some extra time to visit Abingdon!

Love riding the Virginia Creeper Trail. Most people ride it from Whitetop Mountain down to…read moreDamascus, but it's just as enjoyable riding the section from Abingdon to Damascus, and back. Both routes offer beautiful scenery and make for a great ride. ‍

I haven't been skiing in forever, and because our holiday cruise fell through, we chose to do a ski…read moretrip that was within driving distance to Atlanta, GA. Little did I know, or maybe I just forgot, that my girlfriend frequented ski resorts growing up, but hasn't been in over a decade. Having done extensive research, I chose Beech Mountain. This is a resort town and the surrounding areas felt like we weren't in the U.S. The quaint village was so welcoming and relaxing and it was amazing to hear several different languages at this resort - Ukrainian, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and more. We arrived after it had snowed so it was the perfect winter escape. I recommend renting your equipment, if you don't already have yours. We chose White Wolf lodge to rent our skis, poles, and boots and the process was quick and the workers were friendly. Heading to the mountains, we decided to do the twilight and the entire resort and property felt like a real vacation overseas vacation. They had various buildings and houses that operated as standalone restaurants, rental shops, and more. Additionally, we were so excited to be there we didn't realize we got on the wrong lift that took us up to the very top for a black diamond slope. Because I haven't been skiing as much as my girlfriend, I took her lead and followed her, which was a big mistake. Let's just say I have never had more fun then wiping out face first in front of experience skiers and snowboarders. Once we eventually made it down the slope we found a more user friendly slope that we conquered with perfection and then we upgraded to intermediate slope. We continued skiing for several hours and the night time views from the lift were stunning. The pictures here don't begin to reveal how beautiful it was. SIDE NOTE: for any beginning skiers, it is not as intimating as you may think. Just be confident, listen to instructions, and by all means don't be afraid to fall.

Amazing experience thanks to lovely people. Our ski instructor, Peter Soria, was absolutely…read morefabulous today. He demonstrated the utmost patience and exceptional guidance with our children. He truly went above and beyond to accommodate our family and ensure that our kids had the best day possible on the mountain. It was a very chaotic day, and without Peter, I can't imagine how it would have gone. Skiing with four young boys is challenging, to say the least, but Peter handled everything with calm, kindness, and professionalism. He is phenomenal and deserves to be celebrated all year long at Beech Mountain.

My two boys took fly fishing lessons from Kelly at River Girl Fishing. She is amazing with kids…read more They love all things fishing and she was so great teaching them all things fly fishing. She taught them how to tie flies, where to stand in the river, when to fish, and most importantly how to be a good steward of the land. They supplied waders, boots and rods. It was a great experience and we can't wait to go back.

Pros: The town of Todd is small and easy to find. The staff was super friendly, helpful, kind and…read moreknowledgeable. The scenery on the New River was outstanding. The fishing was fantastic as well. (Trout, Chubb and Bass) Cons: the building is not clearly marked as River Girl Fishing Company. The Transportation vans were old. ( totally fine though) I wish we had been advised to only do the hour and a half trip as the three hour trip took almost 5 hours considering how low the river was, we spent much of our time dragging the kayak down the river rather than having a relaxing ride. That being said, I would DEFINITELY recommend this company and this experience when the river is high. I've tubed with 2 other companies and I loved this one!

Escaped to the mountains from Florida, work and all the crazy of the world for a few days…read more... to find The Bike Farm and we couldn't be happier. Guided Rides - Our guide Josh managed to make it all work perfect; for a mom who is truly a mountain biking beginner, the dad who seems to be able to handle anything and the son who really enjoys a challenge. My point is, they happily accommodate all skills levels. Rental Bike options - it's only first class here with beautifully equipped new Yeti bikes, you will leave wanting one of these babies for sure! Plenty of choices for all rider types/sizes/etc... Location - The Bike Farm is easy to find just outside Asheville proper then a short trip to unbelievable trail options. Your guide will discuss what you want to do, then plan the route accordingly. We originally chose one day then added a second because we just couldn't get enough. If we could have stayed longer, we definitely would have. We took this trip to have an escape and enjoy the outdoors and couldn't be happier that we chose The Bike Farm. When we return to NC, without a doubt we will book again.

Met with Cypress for a skills lesson, very knowledgeable and a very good teacher, was excellent at…read morereviewing the taught skills and breaking down and correcting the issues. Went for a ride after the skills and he knew the trails needed to practice the skills. Day 2 took a guided tour lead by Will, again an excellent part of the Bike Farm team, took us out to DuPont and shows us some amazing trails, even had chocolate chip cookies after the ride. I highly recommend The Bike Farm for all levels of riders. Thanks JP

Customer service is 10/10. Bill is a super kind guy that goes out of his way not only to make sure…read moreyou feel comfortable, but he goes above and beyond to ensure that you have the best experience. He knew we were coming from out of town so he emailed me a list of places to visit, which he didn't have to do! He also knew we were new to mountain biking so he made sure to teach us techniques until we were fully comfortable. Our mountain biking abilities improved drastically because of Bill. He suggested easy trails versus hard trails to make sure we were always enjoying our ride. He took us to see cascading waterfalls and even showed us secret trails to get us behind the waterfall! As if that wasn't enough he packed snacks for he, provided lunch, and came fully prepared with all of the gear that we need. I would absolutely recommend taking a tour with Bill. We will be back!

Absolutely an amazing day. My daughter and I enjoyed ourselves so much. It was challenging but…read moreChris was so encouraging that we felt confident and capable of doing everything. The scenery was spectacular. We really felt a sense of accomplishment while enjoying the natural beauty. Definitely recommend and will do it again!

This place is fantastic. Great waterfall hike with a fantastic playground and lake with canoes and…read morekayaks. Could spend a half day or more here with young kids. Will definitely be back.

Terrific recreation center. Numerous activities. Highly recommended! Very family friendly.read more