Easily accessible from the Asheville area, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers a myriad of places to drink in fall’s beauty
Meandering for 469 miles through the rounded, indigo-hued peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Blue Ridge Parkway can’t be beat for fall leaf peeping in Western North Carolina. From Asheville, adjacent to The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, there are four main access points (Mileposts 382.5 through 393.6) to this ribbon of a road that connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. Designed to blend in with the mountainous topography, the Blue Ridge Parkway is punctuated by recreation areas strung along the route like beads on a necklace.
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN
MILEPOST 305 TO US-221
The 2-mile drive that snakes up to the top of Grandfather Mountain (5,946 ft) reveals spectacular scenery—no matter the season. Stop at overlooks along the way until the end of the road brings you to the Mile-High Swinging Bridge, America’s highest suspension footbridge. Spanning an 80-foot chasm, the 228-foot-long bridge affords a 360-degree view of the area’s peaks and valleys—a leaf gazer’s dream.
LINVILLE FALLS
MILEPOST 316.4
Beginning at its headwaters atop the steep slopes of Grandfather Mountain, the Linville River cascades through two falls as it tumbles 2,000 feet through Linville Gorge. In fall, white pine, oak, hickory, and birch trees wear a mantle of crimson and gold against the backdrop of towering evergreen hemlocks. Two trails lead from the visitor center to lookout points at different stages of the falls.
CHESTOA VIEW OVERLOOK
MILEPOST 320.8
Located 4 miles south of Linville Falls, this overlook peers out across the vast expanse of Pisgah National Forest.. Follow the paved path from the parking lot and take the left fork. A set of 32 steps will take you to a stone balcony on the east side of Humpback Mountain, where undulating peaks roll toward the horizon.
MITCHELL STATE PARK
MILEPOST 355.4
The highest peak east of the Mississippi River, Mt. Mitchell rises 30 miles northeast of Asheville. Its lofty elevation (6,684 ft) provides a cool respite to any lingering summer heat. On the drive to the summit, mountainsides dress for fall in a vibrant array of colors, while an evergreen fir forest covers the top of the mountain, threaded by easy trails through the woods.
CRAGGY GARDENS
MILEPOST 364
For breathtaking fall sunsets that are a quick (35-minute) drive from Asheville, head to Craggy Gardens. A short but steep hike through a rhododendron thicket from the Craggy Dome Parking Overlook yields big rewards 20 minutes later at Craggy Pinnacle. Here, the panorama sweeps over dramatic rock formations and mountain peaks that stretch all the way to Tennessee.
WALNUT COVE OVERLOOK
MILEPOST 396.4
Interspersed among the other hardwood trees, there is an abundance of black walnut trees with leaves that turn bright yellow in the fall. From the overlook, views of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove’s golf course and properties can be seen. The historic Shut-in-Trail, built in the 1890’s by George W. Vanderbilt, is easily accessible from here.
PISGAH
MILEPOST 408.6
An iconic landmark visible from downtown Asheville on a clear day, Mt. Pisgah is the perfect break along the Blue Ridge Parkway. In addition to being able to hike to the 5,721-foot summit of the mountain, you can stay overnight at the Pisgah Inn and revel in sunset views from your room’s windows.
GRAVEYARD FIELDS
MILEPOST 418.8
Despite its forbidding name, a reference to the skeletons of felled trees that once covered the grassy meadows here, Graveyard Fields is a hauntingly beautiful spot—and one of the first places to blush with fall color. A popular trail, an hour south of Asheville, descends into the ravine, crosses a bridge over the river, then traverses the fields and continues to Yellowstone Falls.
BLACK BALSAM KNOB
MILEPOST 420.2
A treeless, or bald, mountain top in Pisgah National Forest, Black Balsam Knob boasts a 6,200-foot elevation accessible via the 1.4-mile round-trip Art Loeb Trail. The trail traverses open meadows and aromatic stands of balsam firs before reaching the summit, where clouds seem to float over the blue peaks for miles as you drink in the magnificent cloak of color.
NORTH CAROLINA ARBORETUM
In any season of the year, beauty blooms at the North Carolina Arboretum. In addition to 65 acres of cultivated gardens, this 434-acre public arboretum, adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 383, encompasses a network of wooded hiking and biking trails where you can immerse yourself in the glory of fall. More than 10 miles of trails connect to area attractions, including Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Lake Powhatan, and Pisgah National Forest. Trails range in length from 0.3 to 1.2 miles and in difficulty from easy to challenging. Some trails are earmarked for foot traffic only, but all of them allow leashed dogs. This outdoor sanctuary is less than five miles from The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
This story was featured in Cliffs Living magazine. To see more stories like this one and learn more about The Cliffs, subscribe here.
