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A Fun Weekend Getaway In Asheville, NC With Kids

3 Day Itinerary in Asheville, NC With Kids

Asheville is our family’s “go to” for a weekend trip. It’s a fun, artsy town with great restaurants and what seems like a craft brewery on every block. Asheville is known as a great weekend getaway for couples, but it’s also worth visiting with the family. Between stops at family-friendly breweries and restaurants, your kids will find plenty of things to do whether exploring the city’s downtown or venturing out to nearby hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We share all the details in this 3 day Asheville itinerary with kids- where to stay, activities that both adults and kids enjoyed, favorite kid-friendly breweries and restaurants, short nearby hiking trails, and more!

Why Families Love Asheville, NC

It’s Not Like Other Southern Towns

Asheville, North Carolina has such a unique vibe compared to many southern towns. It takes pride in its hipster beer-brewing coolness with over 38 local breweries while offering an equally impressive dining scene and fun outdoor adventures.

It’s also an architecturally appealing town with beautiful Art Deco buildings, galleries, and an ever-evolving lineup of festivals. And to keep things interesting, you’re almost always guaranteed to be entertained by impromptu street performers and artists as you stroll its downtown streets.

Basecamp for Blue Ridge Mountain Adventures

Asheville is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, which offer family-friendly hiking trails and scenic vistas on the Blue Ridge Parkway. In town, you’ll find the French Broad River, perfectly suited for a lazy float past the famous Biltmore Estate. You can enjoy the outdoors by day and return to town for a cold beverage or a great meal.

Asheville’s breweries welcome families and most offer kids menus. You’ll find plenty of families enjoying afternoons together at a local brewery. It’s a lifestyle here, a place to meet the neighbors, enjoy a pint, and have some really good food.

A Great Downtown With Boutiques, Breweries, and Fabulous Restaurants

If hiking or paddling doesn’t appeal to you, you could easily spend your weekend strolling the streets and shops of downtown Asheville, exploring the artists’ studios in the River Arts District, or visiting the nearby Biltmore Estate. There is plenty to see and do. Don’t miss Malaprops Book Shop, the famous Mast General Store, art galleries, and a shoe store so large you might get lost in it.

Day 1 -Things To Do In Asheville, NC With Kids

Day 1-Lunch at White Duck Taco at Riverside Drive

Start your weekend at White Duck Taco to sample their tasty, creative tacos. They also have basic cheese quesadillas if your kids have a less adventurous palate. Their Bangkok Shrimp taco and their Thai Peanut Chicken taco are my favorites, but I’ve never had one I didn’t like. They are all so good!

They have 3 locations sprinkled throughout Asheville, but the Riverside Drive location is our favorite. Don’t let the line out the door deter you. It moves fast. If you can, arrive before or after the noon lunch rush. Order at the counter and they will deliver to your table inside or your picnic table outside.

A typical menu from White Duck Taco but it changes depending on fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Insider Tip: Consider takeout at White Duck’s French Broad River location and then head over to the Wedge Brewery down the street in the River Arts District. 37 Paynes Way. The kids can play cornhole while you enjoy an Iron Rail IPA with your yummy taco. The Wedge is an outdoor venue with very minimal indoor seating, so don’t go if it’s raining and check to see when they open. No food is served here, but they often host food trucks. Check their website for a schedule.

The Wedge Brewery

West Asheville Area. Map courtesy of openstreetmaps.org. Annotated.

Day 1- Stroll Downtown Asheville Along Biltmore Ave.

Strolling through Asheville’s visually appealing downtown is entertainment in itself with so much to see--street performers, a plethora of boutique stores, coffee shops, bookstores, and art galleries. Both Biltmore Avenue and S. Lexington Avenue are fun streets to window shop and people watch. We also like a peaceful stroll down Church Street to view the beautiful churches and large trees.

Make sure to stop at Mast General Store to browse and let the kids pick out candy from their endless candy barrels.

Also consider a stop at the old Woolworths, located at 25 Haywood Street, that now hosts the works of over 170 local artists. In addition to the art, you’ll also find a fully operational Old Fashioned Soda Fountain built to resemble the original Woolworth Luncheonette.

If you’d rather have a guided stroll, check out the easy 1.7 mile Asheville Urban Trail that leads you to 30 sculptures scattered throughout downtown with historical info. Allow about 2 hours for its entirety.

Day 1 Afternoon-Snack at Wicked Weed

We love this family friendly brewery. Wicked Weed Brewing is unique in that its food is just as excellent as its beer. Note, however, that it can be very crowded so expect a wait if arriving at peak times. You can eat outside on the patio, inside if it’s hot, or downstairs in the bier garden. It’s a great lunch or dinner option too. We are fans of IPA and Pale Ale beers, and our favorite beer here is their “Freak IPA.”

A Good Read: Serious Eats- Why Asheville is the Best Beer City in the USA
 

Outside Patio at Wicked Weed in Asheville. A great family-friendly brewery.

Day 1 Dinner-Asheville Brewing Company

Pizza is an easy sell for our family, so we often go to Asheville Brewing Company for dinner. It’s an easy walk and just a few blocks from the center of downtown.  You can dine under their huge covered patio and the kids can have fun playing cornhole. 

They have 3 locations in town, but they brew their beer here at their downtown 77 Coxe Ave. location. The pizza is fantastic, and we always enjoy a pint of their Shiva IPA.

Other downtown pizza options include Barley’s Pizzeria and Mellow Mushroom which have a wide variety of local craft beers on tap. Takeout pizza and an evening at the VRBO or hotel after a long day has been the perfect choice for our family on many occasions.

Day 2 - Things To Do In Asheville, NC

Day 2 Breakfast in Asheville

There are so many great options for a terrific breakfast and all are within walking distance when staying downtown.

Early Girl Eatery is a local favorite, located at 8 Wall St. Tip: Arrive early before the line out the door. On weekends, they open at 9am. They serve breakfast all day and it is also a great stop for lunch or dinner.

Green Sage Cafe located at 5 Broadway has great coffee and breakfast. It has saved us many times with early rising kids with its unique distinction of opening at 7am.

Day 2 Option 1- Short, Easy Hikes Near Asheville, NC

Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is close to some spectacular hikes along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. In just 45 minutes by car, you can escape to the mountains. The Craggy Gardens Trail and Craggy Pinnacle Trail are close to each other and can easily be combined in one afternoon.

Both are absolutely beautiful and have a lot of reward in terms of scenery and mountain views for such little hiking effort. They are perfect hikes for the family and are especially beautiful in the fall.

Short Hike 1- Craggy Gardens Trail (less than 1 mile walk)

The Craggy Gardens Trail is an easy (and popular) hike located 20 miles (about 35 minutes) from downtown Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway traveling north to Milepost 364. Enjoy the short but beautiful drive on the parkway and park at the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center.

Access the trailhead at the southern end of the parking lot. Tip: Restrooms are available at the Visitor Center.

This easy hike leads you to amazing views atop a mountain bald covered in fields of rhododendron. The first part of the hike is a gentle climb along a designated 0.3 mile nature trail. At the end of the nature trail, you’ll reach a trail shelter where you’ll take the spur trail on the left to reach the mountain bald for unobstructed views.

We generally just hike to this point and turn around for a less than 1 mile total round trip hike. It’s fun to meander along the top of the mountain bald; or, you can continue along the trail to its terminus at the picnic area for about a 2 mile out and back hike. See map below. It can be quite windy at this elevation, so bring a jacket just in case.

Tip: The rhododendron bloom in early-mid June and you may find blueberries during the summer.

Views from Craggy Gardens. Photo from NPS page. Taken by Jim Ruff.

Driving times: Downtown Asheville to Craggy Gardens Visitor Center is 35 min; Craggy Gardens to Craggy Pinnacle is 5 min; Craggy Pinnacle to Mount Mitchell State Park takes 30 minutes. Map courtesy of the National Park Service.

Short Hike 2- Craggy Pinnacles Trail

The nearby Craggy Pinnacle Trail is another popular and easy hike less than 5 minutes north of Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Leave the Craggy Gardens parking lot, drive through the tunnel, and take your first left into the parking area. The Craggy Pinnacle Trail offers an amazing 360 degree view at the summit after only 20 minutes of walking (1.4 miles roundtrip). If you only have time for one of these trails, choose this one. Both are amazing, but the Craggy Pinnacle Trip is our favorite even though it’s a bit steeper than Craggy Gardens.

View from the Craggy Pinnacle Trail

Short Hike 3- Visit Mount Mitchell State Park

If you have the time, continue north on the Blue Ridge Parkway an additional 30 minutes to Mount Mitchell State Park, the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Take the 3/4 mile Nature Trail to the Observation Platform. Smell the fir trees and enjoy this gorgeous trail. It will take 1 hour to drive back to downtown Asheville from Mount Mitchell State Park. There are no fees to enter the park, so go check it out!

Mount Mitchell State Park

Short hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville. Map courtesy of openstreetmaps.org and annotated.

Day 2 Option 2: French Broad River Kayaking

If you’re more in the mood for water than mountains, our family really enjoyed our float trip down the gentle, slow moving French Broad River. We rented two tandem kayaks, packed snacks, and enjoyed our lazy morning on the river. 

You can see part of the Biltmore Estate and the house from the river. It’s a 7 mile river trip through the shoreline of the Biltmore Estate and takes 2-3 hours. Tip: Mast General Store candies and a water shooting toy for the kiddos come in handy for this activity.

The Asheville Adventure Company, located a 10 minute drive from downtown, provides everything you need to take this self-guided trip. You’ll have your choice of kayak, tandem kayak, or canoe rentals.

Tip: If you don’t want a water activity and are more in the mood for aerial type pursuits, the Adventure Center of Asheville offers the Asheville Treetops Adventure Park- a challenge course in the trees that has over 77 unique climbing, rolling, walking, jumping, swinging, and rappelling challenges anchored to over 30 trees and towering poles tucked into a wooded park for ages 4 and over. They also have a KidZip Course especially designed for kids ages 4-10. Haven’t tried this one yet but it looks super fun!

Day 2 Lunch Options

Have lunch at New Belgium Brewery on the river. It has a great patio and food trucks all day.

Or, enjoy the tasty BBQ at 12 Bones Smokehouse (also on the river) and have a beer next door at the Wedge at Foundation. Both are located at 5 Foundry St.

Note: 12 Bones is only open for lunch Monday through Friday 11am-4pm with takeout available until 6pm.

Day 2 Afternoon-Bookstores In Asheville

Malaprop’s Bookstore is my daughter’s favorite stop in Asheville. It’s the kind of cozy bookstore that makes you want to linger. The staff is top notch. Tell them what you like and ask them for recommendations and they will be spot on.

Tip: The Chocolate Fetish is across the street from the bookstore if you need your chocolate fix for the day. 55 Haywood St.

After Malaprop’s, you can check out other fun, kid-friendly places in downtown like the Pinball Museum or the playground at Aston Park (see the description below under More Things To Do With Kids In Asheville).

Day 2 Dinner

So many good options! If you haven’t already, try Wicked Weed, Tupelo Honey, Buxton Hall BBQ, Early Girl Eatery, Salsa’s, Barley’s Pizzeria, or Chai Pani. All are conveniently located downtown.

Day 3 in Asheville, NC

Breakfast at Biscuit Head and Hit the Road!

Pack up and load the car. Grab brunch downtown at Tupelo Honey, or on the way out of town, stop by Biscuit Head in West Asheville. 733 Haywood Rd. The biscuits are amazing and they offer very creative options. My kiddo likes to order the plain biscuit and visits their impressive jam bar to customize each bite. Lots of fun!

If you have some time today before you have to drive home then see below for even more things to do in Asheville. Maybe a trip to Biltmore Estate or apple picking at an orchard if you are here in the fall.

More Things To Do With Kids In Asheville, NC

Kid-Friendly Free Entertainment

Asheville is famous for its Friday Night Drum Circle. It starts around 5 or 6pm in Pritchard Square Park during warm months. You have to see it to believe it.

Pack Square Park hosts “Shindig on the Green”, a free summer evening of outdoor music on Saturday nights. Take a picnic blanket and enjoy. As a bonus, the kids will love cooling off in the fountains at Pack Square Park.

Make sure to check out Asheville's event calendar before your trip.

River Arts District

An afternoon strolling the mile-long River Arts District where you can visit the working studios and galleries of hundreds of artists is another great option. Tip: The River Arts District’s “Second Saturday” features gallery walks with demonstrations, workshops, live music, wine tastings, delicious food, and more!

Y Travel’s recent Guide to the River Arts District is a good one for more info as well.

Apple Orchards Near Asheville

If you are visiting in September or October, take the family apple picking at a local orchard. There are many to choose from, but here are a few that we have liked. All are within a 40 minute drive from downtown Asheville and are well worth it.
Stepp Apples
Justus Orchard
Skytop Orchard

Playground Near Downtown Asheville

Aston Park Playground

Aston Park Playground near downtown Asheville

One of our favorite urban hikes is strolling from downtown’s Church Street with its beautiful trees to Aston Park located at 336 Hilliard.

From there, you can continue on to the River Arts District where the adults can enjoy a cold beer at the Wedge Brewery.

It’s about one mile from Church Street to the Wedge Brewery on Roberts Street by way of Hilliard Ave and Clingman Ave.

Asheville Indoor Activities With Kids

Just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate, here are some indoor activities to enjoy in Asheville.

Catch A Movie At Asheville Brewing

Pizza, beer, and movie at Asheville Brewing Company on 675 Merrimon Ave (not the Coxe Ave location).  They usually have an afternoon child-friendly film. Can’t walk here from downtown but it is super close. Drive, bus, or Uber it. It’s a 7 minute drive without traffic.

Asheville Pinball Museum

The Asheville Pinball Museum is located downtown near the Grove Arcade. For $15 adult and $13 children’s admission, you have unlimited play on dozens of machines.

Tops for Shoes Store

Tops For Shoes is the largest shoe store in Asheville, and it’s worth the visit just to ogle in its vastness!

Antique Tobacco Barn

If you like antiquing, the Antique Tobacco Barn has consistently been voted the best antique store in Western North Carolina. You could spend hours browsing through its 77,000 square feet of furniture and collectibles. It’s located just 2.5 miles from downtown. Corner Kitchen (southern) in nearby Biltmore Village are good options for lunch if you spend the morning here.

Grove Park Inn

The historic Grove Park Inn , built in 1913, is a truly grand and historic resort with amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consider booking a dinner reservation or having drinks next to the giant fireplace in the lobby. From late November to early January, it hosts the National Gingerbread House Competition which is open to the viewing public after 4:00 p.m. on Sundays or anytime Monday through Thursday, based on parking availability and excluding holidays. Note that it’s $25 to park during this time. Saturdays are reserved for guests of the Inn and those with dinner reservations.

Biltmore Estate Tour With Kids

Some people immediately think of “Biltmore House and Gardens” when you mention Asheville, and it’s definitely a huge attraction here. You could spend a full day here exploring the house, the trails, the gardens, the farm animals.....You get the idea. 

It’s a 10 minute drive from downtown. It’s not cheap though, and keep in mind there is no air conditioning in the summer. $75 adult peak season and 1/2 that for children. Tip: They offer a discount if you book 7 days ahead.

For us, it wasn’t really worth the money as the kids lost interest fairly quickly during the house tour despite the kid’s audio guide. They did, however, enjoy the farm animals at Antler Hill Barn and Farmyard. It also looks like you can rent bikes and bike the trails which look really picturesque.

Note though that you do need to have a day ticket to participate in any of these activities unless you are staying at the Inn on Biltmore Estate.

The grand Biltmore Estate in Asheville

Kid-Friendly Asheville Restaurants

Asheville is a foodie town. You will find something you love whether it’s a food truck at New Belgium Brewery or an amazing tapas meal at Curate (reservations needed). This is a short list of our “go to” restaurants with the kiddos.

Breakfast

Early Girl Eatery is a local favorite, located at 8 Wall St. Tip: Arrive early before the line is out the door. On weekends, they open at 9am. It’s a lively place, and they serve breakfast all day. It’s also a great stop for lunch or dinner.

Green Sage Cafe located at 5 Broadway has great coffee and breakfast. It also has the unique distinction of opening at 7am.  It has saved us many times with early rising kids.

Tupelo Honey is a downtown Asheville staple for their scratch-made southern cuisine. You won’t leave hungry believe me. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-4pm.

Lunch & Dinner

White Duck Taco is always on our dining list when visiting Asheville. With several locations in Asheville, you should take the opportunity to eat here. The Bangkok Shrimp taco and the Thai Peanut Chicken taco are favorites, but they are all good. Don’t let the line out the door deter you. It moves fast. Note: A downtown location is located at 12 Biltmore Avenue, but the vibe isn’t nearly as fun as their eclectic flagship restaurant located by the river.

Asheville Brewing Company is always an easy sell for dinner with the kiddos. Offering fantastic pizza and a huge covered patio where the family can play cornhole. We enjoy sitting at their outdoor picnic table with a pint of their Shiva IPA. They have 3 locations in town, but they brew their beer here at their downtown 77 Coxe Avenue location. Other great downtown pizza options include Barley’s Pizzeria and Mellow Mushroom.

Wicked Weed is probably our favorite food and beer stop if we had to narrow it down to one choice. It’s another family-friendly brewery with excellent beer but is equally focused on its food menu. For us, it is a must stop whether for a lunch or dinner or just a snack. Note that it can be very crowded. You can eat outside on the patio, inside if it’s hot, or downstairs in the bier garden.

But wait, there’s more! Our family loves all of these places:

Buxton Hall BBQ,

Early Girl Eatery

Salsa’s

Chai Pani

Curate- If you are a “foodie” family, this restaurant is for you. An open-kitchen Spanish tapas bar where every dish is amazing. Our favorite plates include jamón ibérico fermín, lamb skewers and piquillo peppers stuffed w/ spanish goat cheese served together, sauteed shrimp and garlic, and the fried eggplant with honey to top it all off. It is all crazy good and you can’t go wrong. Make reservations ahead of time. You can do this online on their website. Tip: Located across the street from the Fine Arts Theater for an after dinner movie.

Best Sugar Fix

Old Europa Cafe for European pastries

Kilwin’s downtown for yummy ice cream cones

French Broad Chocolate Lounge (expect a line)

Mast General Store’s Candy Bins - huge bins of all the kinds of candy you can think of. Grab a bag and fill it up as you pay by the pound (watch the kids on this one, it is very easy to get several pounds of candy. Good for the road trip home though!)

Our Favorite Kid-Friendly Asheville Breweries

With over 50 craft beer breweries, it can be difficult to narrow down the options in “Beer City.” You can’t go wrong with any brewery in Asheville, but these are a few that we consistently return to when we visit. Many of Asheville’s Breweries are located in the “South Slope Neighborhood” located just down the hill from downtown- most are a mile or less from Pack Square Park.

Walkable Breweries From Downtown Asheville

Wicked Weed stands out because it offers excellent beer and equally excellent food. You’ll find West Coast style hoppy beers, open fermented Belgians and barrel-aged sours. Head downstairs to their beer garden for outdoor tables or sit at the downstairs bar. We like the “Freak IPA.” Take not that this is a super popular destination.

Hi-Wire is a relatively small place with a laid back, relaxed vibe. Bottom line is that they brew incredibly good beer. Definitely worth a stop. Nice mix of locals and tourists.

Greenman Brewery is one of Asheville’s original breweries. Unlike Hi-Wire, Greenman’s brewery is a fancy and polished “brewtique”. Clocking in with 3 stories and 20,000 square ft., it has a very nice indoor/outdoor top floor taproom that overlooks production and the Blue Ridge Mountains. We enjoy their Wayfarer beer, and I like their prominently displayed Big Lebowski painting.

Burial Brewery is another favorite place to relax and enjoy a beer. We like the atmosphere and their beer is excellent as is their James Beard nominated chef. Lots of outdoor seating in their beer garden.

Breweries Just Outside of Downtown Asheville

Wedge Brewery (at Wedge Studios) in the River Arts District is a fun place to go on a nice afternoon. You can really feel the laid back Asheville vibe here. The kids can play cornhole while you enjoy an Iron Rail IPA. They offer peanuts to all and you’ll usually find a food truck there. The Wedge is primarily an outdoor venue with just a tiny indoor space, so check the weather and their website before going.

New Belgium Brewery’s tasting room is another interesting stop if you’re in the River Arts District on a nice day. Sit on the patio and enjoy watching the tubers float down the French Broad River. Check out their Voodoo Ranger series if you like IPAs. No food but food trucks are usually present, and you can take a free tour of the brewery. Reservations required for tours.

For another fun culinary destination about 30 minutes outside of downtown, Sierra Nevada Brewery is a tasty and fun place to visit. It’s a grand and beautiful place to spend an afternoon with a huge inviting patio with cornhole and bocce, a fantastic indoor restaurant, and tours of the brewery.

Bocce court at Sierra Nevada Brewing

Best Area To Stay In Asheville, NC

Our advice is to stay as close to downtown as you can afford. We like to stay downtown, park the car, and walk to interesting shops, breweries, and restaurants. You’ll find plenty of hotel options, but if you want more space and likely save some money, look for a downtown vacation rental.

Heads up: We are not sponsored in any way and have never received compensation at the behest of any organization or company. If you book one of our recommended properties from our VRBO or booking.com links, you won’t pay a penny more but we may get a small commission which helps support this website. Thanks! Disclosure Statement.

Our Favorite Vacation Rentals In Downtown Asheville

Sometimes downtown hotel prices get crazy expensive, and it’s actually cheaper to rent a condo. With the kids, it’s also nice to have some extra room. We have personally stayed at both the 51 College Street Lofts and S&W Lofts, because of their great location in the heart of downtown Asheville. However, you’ll also find plenty of additional vacation rentals nearby to these properties.

51 College Street Lofts

Asheville Urban Nest - Luxurious Retreat in the Heart of Downtown Asheville. VRBO 92019. 2 bedroom 1 bath sleeps 4. We have stayed in this condo complex multiple times. Great location with a bit more elbow room for the family as compared to a hotel room. Located in the heart of downtown, these condos are clean, quiet, and conveniently located across the street from the Rankin St. parking garage. Walkable to everything. The bedroom is located in the back of the condo so street noise isn’t a problem. Most one bedrooms have a pull-out couch in the living room for the kids to sleep on. Note that the 2nd bedroom is very small and has one twin single but there’s a pullout sofa as well. Keep in mind that you will pay $20 a day for the garage parking.

Very Special Downtown Asheville Loft. VRBO 218006. (sleeps 2-listed here for your next Mommy/Daddy weekend-have stayed here multiple times when it slept 4-before they got rid of the sleeper sofa!) Absolutely loved the loft and the location! 51 College St.

S&W Lofts Downtown
306 condo-Asheville 1BR/1BA Loft * 1,000 sq.ft sleeps 4. VRBO 780203. 1 bedroom with king and pullout sofa. Location is great and it’s a beautiful building right in the heart of downtown Asheville.

See more downtown Asheville vacation rentals here.

Our Favorite Downtown Hotels In Asheville

We have stayed at all of these hotels throughout the years, and they are all good. Aloft Hotel is my first choice if the price is right and Renaissance Asheville is usually my “go to” for price point. Fair warning: Asheville seems to have acquired New York City hotel rates!

Expensive Hotels:
Aloft Hotel is our first choice in lodging. It has a great rooftop pool for the kiddos but prices can be high. If the price is right, it can be worth it for the pool and rooftop seating areas. It is also a dog-friendly hotel if you want to bring the family pup along. The Aloft Hotel is conveniently located to all the shops and restaurants and is a short walk to the “South Slope Brewing District.

Hotel Indigo is super nice but a bit further walk from the places we visit. You can sometimes snag a good deal here.

Haywood Park Hotel has a super central location and the rooms are large. We stayed here when we had the porta-crib and baby gear.

Cambria Hotel & Suites is a new addition to the downtown lodging scene. It has fantastic views of the mountains and city and is in walking distance to everything.

AC Hotel by Marriott Asheville Downtown is yet another new hotel perfectly located downtown. Rooms come with a small refrigerator.

Moderately- priced Hotels:
Renaissance Asheville is a good location and usually a good deal. This is probably the best price-point hotel downtown. We have stayed here several times and most of the rooms have been nicely remodeled.

Sheraton Four Points Asheville is a bit further away from central downtown but is walkable to everything.  This hotel is usually the least expensive of the bunch.

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Camping Near Asheville

If you’re looking to camp near Asheville, Lake Powhatan Campground in Pisgah National Forest is located 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. This beautiful campground borders the 6,000-acre Bent Creek Experimental Forest. If you are a mountain biker, this is your place with numerous trails for all skill levels. The campground offers a swimming lake and beach to cool off as well as a fishing pier. If you’re feeling more urban, it is a great location to explore all the action of downtown Asheville less than 30 minutes away.

Campfire Lodgings, a privately run campground, is located just 10 minutes north of Asheville. It has great views but is perhaps better suited to RV camping with just a few tent sites.

Additional Information

Good Read for Children

Seraphina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty: A New York Times best-selling fantasy novel set in the Biltmore House and Gardens.  My 9 year-old daughter loved it!

Grocery Store

Harris Teeter located at 136 Merrimon Ave and Whole Foods at 70 Merrimon Avenue are within a 5 minute drive from downtown.

More North Carolina Mountain Town Destinations

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“Need a change of scenery from the hustle and bustle of life? Want the kids to unplug from their devices for a while and connect together as a family?

A family weekend getaway in the great outdoors can do wonders for everyone, kids and adults alike. Enjoy easy scenic hikes, float a river, try apple picking or antiquing, go mountain biking, pitch a tent, or explore the local shops along a charming Main Street.

The North Carolina mountain towns of Asheville, Brevard, and Bryson City provide the perfect combination of outdoor fun, terrific local restaurants and craft breweries, and charming downtowns. ”

North Carolina Mountain Towns--Family Weekend Adventures: Asheville, Brevard, and Bryson City

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