In the times of covid, we are not traveling as far or as often as typical. However as a lover of travel and adventure, it is hard to stay in one place for long, so my partner, Brandon, and I decided to rent a cabin a few hours away from home in the mountains of North Carolina. We spent most of our days hiking and visited a few socially distanced breweries (a favorite of my partner.) I thought it would be a good idea to share our favorite hikes and describe some which were busy making it difficult to maintain social distance.
For the most part we felt safe the entire holiday. Our airbnb was clean and by itself right next to a creek bed and we only went to the grocery store once, packing lunches to enjoy on the trail and cooking dinners at the house. We went with my parents, who we have been quarantining with, and who are in their 60s so none of the hikes were overly difficult. We also packed along our son in his Osprey Poco Plus backpack. We could not have done these hikes without a baby carrier, specifically a backpack carrier. Nathaniel loves being outside and the poco enabled us to walk along with him while both of us stayed comfortable. Another thing we used a lot was the all trails app. I would encourage anyone who is a hiker to download it. It is available nationwide and gives pointers, trail maps, distances, and parking options. We relied on it during our holiday.
The hikes we took are all fairly easy and scenic. We were able to do even the hardest in half a day with my parents, our two dogs, and the baby in tow. The most busy, by far was catawba falls, we went on a weekday afternoon. The trail was all flat, smooth surface, very easy walking. There were a lot of children, dogs, and people but the trail was about 8 feet wide through most of the hike and with effort, were able to keep distanced. The hike brought us to, as you probably have guessed, catawba falls. Fairly gentle water, falls over stones and rocks, which you walk beside for a while until the end of the trail. After we took a break for lunch and water, we turned around and started back to our car. Total hike length: 2.1 miles
The next hike we ventured on was Douglas Falls. We went out after a hard rain and the trail was difficult for us. There were several tress that had fallen and blocked some of the path. It took us about an hour to travel the few miles from where we parked to the waterfall at the end. The falls were very tall and we were able to walk behind them! Which I have never done before so that was a fun experience. Although the trail is only wide enough to walk single file, we only met one or two groups along the way and were able to find a place to scoot off the path and make room for them to pass. Definitely worth the visit but be careful on this moderate path! Total hike length: 1 mile (or so)
The last waterfalls we visited on our trip was looking glass falls. This was not a hike, just a beautiful huge waterfall right on the side of the parkway. Its hard to miss and we wish we brought our swimsuits along so we could jumped in the water and cooled off! Even without the swim though this is definitely a place worth stopping and checking out.
Our favorite hike is Black Balsam Knob. It is one of the more difficult hikes we went on but the views are absolutely worth the effort. The reason it was difficult is about halfway along the trail it changes from packed dirt/ gravel to mostly big slippery rocks and when we went it was somewhat wet conditions so we took extra time and ensured we were safe. It is a somewhat busier than the other hikes we took (with the exception of catawba falls) but the trail has many places to step off for passing others on the hike. When you reach the top you are rewarded with beautiful views of the blue ridge mountains and if you plan ahead you can enjoy a nice lunch break before you make your way back down the trail. Total hike length: 1.5 miles
Another nice hike is the one to Rattlesnake Lodge, Build at the turn of the last century (1800-1900) the hike ends at the ruins of an old lodge. The hike itself is through the forest surrounded by beautiful plants, trees, and nature. Mostly shaded this hike was nice on a bright sunny day. It was relatively easy and we were the only ones on the whole trail until the very end when we encountered a group of people who were all hiking together. Apparently there are two ways to hike there but we took the easy one. This was a lovely hike but one I think we could only do once as the scenery in the forest was nice but there were no grand views like the other we saw. The ruins were interesting but nothing monumentous. Total hike length: 3.7 miles
The best views were after the Craggy Pinnacle hike. This very easy hike began through a forest and ended with a very nice overlook. From the top you can see mountain peaks galore and it is a great place for photos of the blue ridge parkway. This walk was only a mile and although uphill was well maintained and easy. It was busy, because of how easy it was, but it is a very wide path and there were many places to scoot to the side to allow people to pass. The views are absolutely gorgeous from this overlook and it is one hike not to be missed. If you only do one, pick this one! Total hike length: 1 mile
The last hike we took was the Laurel River Trail. It is mostly shaded next to the River and almost completely deserted which was great! Although you could’ve gone further we went about 2.5 miles before turning back to our car for a total of 5 miles. Along the way there are beautiful wild flowers, trees, an interesting red train engine, and a very cute little cottage at the bend of the river. A very easy and flat path, this is a good choice for an easy walk! Total hike length: 7 miles
One final thing to do in Nature around Asheville is go the the North Caroline Arboretum. It is a beautiful and diverse garden full of interesting displays and of course plants galore! It is right off the parkway and makes for a lovely place to stop off between hikes for a break or make a day of it and bring a picnic lunch! (As you can tell a favorite activity of ours)
What I want my son to remember when he visits:
I hope he recalls being outside and the fresh air. I want him to be an outdoorsy type of guy like Brandon and I hope by taking him out into nature as much as we can while he is young, we will instill a love for our surroundings!