One of my most frequently asked questions in my Instagram DMs once September hits is always surrounding people coming to Asheville and wanting to know my recommendations of things to do, places to go, hikes, restaurants, etc. I figured it was time that I put all of this information into a blog post so I’m not constantly recreating the wheel with my response to people! And this way it is easily referred back to for anyone that might need it if they are making a fall trip to Asheville.
Please note I am in the thick of newborn baby life…so I tried to put this post together during her nap and while relatively sleep deprived myself, so there’s a good chance I did forget some spots! Also, let it be known I am not an Asheville native (although my husband is close, as he grew up down the road a bit in Hendersonville) and we have only lived here since 2021. These are also not an exhaustive list but rather the spots I either personally have been to and loved or know to be a good spot based on others’ recommendations. There are tons more not listed so just because it’s not listed doesn’t mean it’s not worth a trip!
Fall in Asheville – Things to Do, Places to Go, & More
Hikes
The options for hiking in this area are nearly endless…but below I will share some popular destinations and personal favorites.
- Black Balsam
- Craggy Gardens
- Graveyard Fields
- Lookout Trail (seen in picture above)
- Trombatore Trailhead
- Mount Pisgah
- Looking Glass Rock
- Bearwallow Mountain Trail
Things to Do
Aside from hiking, eating, & drinking, there are other options of things to do in Asheville as well!
- Biltmore Estate – house tours, wine tastings, restaurants, playgrounds, farm, horseback riding, trails, Land Rover experiences, & more. You can easily spend a day here.
- North Carolina Arboretum
- WNC Nature Center – great spot for kids & to see the animals
- Apple Orchards/Pumpkin Patches
- Stepp’s Hillcrest
- Skytop
- Grandad’s Apples
- Justus Orchard
- The Nix Pumpkin Patch
- Omni Grove Park Inn – go for sunset drinks or the spa
- Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway (lots of hikes off the parkway and overlook spots for picnics & sunsets)
- Pisgah Inn – stop by for views
- Waterfalls in DuPont (easy hikes to waterfalls)
- Looking Glass Falls (roadside waterfall)
- LaZoom Comedy Tour
- Fly Fishing
Restaurants
Asheville is quite a foodie town and while I can’t say I’ve had the pleasure of going to all of the spots out there, below are the ones I have been to and really enjoyed!
- The Admiral – one of our personal favorites and our go-to’s
- Ukiah
- Rhubarb
- Curate
- 12 Bones BBQ
- White Duck Taco
- Biscuit Head
- Montford Rooftop & Bar
- Sunshine Sammies (ice cream)
- French Broad Chocolate Factory
Breweries, & Wineries
Another category with nearly endless options! Again sharing my favorites and other popular spots. If you’re downtown there are so many really close together so you can easily walk around to them.
- Sierra Nevada
- Wicked Weed
- Asheville Brewing Company (love their pizza also)
- Burial Brewing
- Green Man
- The Wedge Brewing Company
- Hi-Wire
- Urban Orchard
- Burntshirt Vineyards
- Point Lookout Vineyards
- Biltmore Estate Winery – free wine tastings with your admission to the grounds. They are scheduled day of and are first come, first serve, so stop by there first to make your reservation for whatever time suits you best.
- Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards
- Marked Tree Vineyards
- Stone Ashe Vineyards
I hope this post has been helpful! If you’re looking for more, I highly recommend checking out Romantic Asheville…it is a wealth of information about basically every topic imaginable in this area! Also the Asheville tourism website is a great resource too: Explore Asheville.
Have you been to Asheville? What spots would you recommend? Leave them in the comments below.
xo,
Bess
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