Peep This
Bright red, vivid orange, cheery yellow—no matter where you turn in Asheville, the trees are awash in the fiery shades of fall. But forget about the view from the car window: Adventurous leaf-peeping activities run the spectrum from flying high in the air to navigating steep mountain trails to riding through rapids.
Float Above the Trees
Float Above the Trees
Let someone else do the steering on a one-hour flight from Asheville Hot Air Balloons. Groups of as many as eight take off at sunrise and soar as high as 6,000 feet. The 360-degree views of the Blue Ridge and Smoky mountains and a mix of farmland and suburban Asheville are spectacular. “You’re just in this sea of waves and waves of blue moun- tains,” says Phyllis Barnard, the company photographer and office manager. “The colors are so wonderful this time of year; it’s just startlingly bright.” Make the ride even more bubbly with a private ride ($600/couple), which comes with a bottle of Chateau Biltmore champagne and can be taken during sunset. $225/person through Nov. 30; Candler, NC (7 miles from Asheville); www.ashevillehotairballoons.com
Go Two Wheeling
To hear Claudia Nix tell it, only two words describe the scenery in Western North Carolina this time of year: “beautiful” and “gorgeous.” Nix, co-owner of Asheville’s Liberty Bicycles, is no stranger to the local flora, which she admires whenever she hits the roads and trails on two wheels. One of her fall road-biking favorites is a 37-mile loop ride, which starts in Burnsville (36 miles from Asheville), hugs the North Toe and Cane rivers and then follows Jack’s Creek Road. “There are beautiful scenes of tobacco barns, suspension bridges, lots of old trees, the countryside—it’s just gor- geous,” she says.
For something a bit shorter—but a lot steeper—try the 3.6-mile Point Look Out Trail through Pisgah National Forest. This paved thigh-buster starts in the town of Old Fort (24 miles from Asheville), rises 900 feet and ends in Ridgecrest. About two miles in, riders will come to the trail’s crown jewel: the lookout. “It’s this gorgeous, quiet area where you have a wonderful view of the whole valley of McDowell County,” Nix says.
In fact, Pisgah National Forest is rife with trails that bring bikers to breathtaking, multicolored vistas. The Davidson River area (33 miles from Asheville) has a collection of routes suited for a variety of skill levels. And just nine miles from down- town Asheville, the much-loved Bent Creek Experimental Forest is home to mostly hard-packed trails. But don’t be too speedy: You don’t want the stunning colors to go by in a kaleidoscopic blur. www.mtbikewnc.com
Trek the Trails
From gentle strolls to strenuous climbs, hiking tops the area’s list of outdoor pursuits. One popular option is to hike a 2.4-mile portion of the Appalachian Trail on Max Patch Mountain, which is accessed from Hot Springs, NC (36 miles form Asheville), within Pisgah National Forest. Or, follow in President Obama’s footsteps on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, which will go from the Smokies in Tennessee to the Atlantic Ocean when complete. The First Family hiked the trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Craven Gap during their Asheville vacation last April.
Also accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail near Brevard (34 miles from Asheville). “It can be an easy trip or a full-day, 12-mile loop that goes over Black Balsam Knob and some other peaks,” says Joe Moerschdaecher, owner of Pura Vida Adventures, which offers hiking and other outdoor programs in the area. “And in addition to the leaves, the views of two major waterfalls (Upper and Second) are spectacular.”
Moerschdaecher also recommends the Looking Glass Rock Trail in Pisgah National Forest. While you won’t see any Cheshire cats or white rabbits, you will hike among rare Carolina hemlocks, wind in and out of small coves, and tackle steep slopes before emerging at the top of the cliff. There, enjoy the views of Pis- gah Ridge, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Black Balsam Knob, all aflame with color. www.pvadventures.com
Zip Through a Forest
Why merely observe the fiery flora when you can whiz right through the towering trees? Get your heart racing on a 3.5-hour zip-line tour with Navitat Canopy Adventures. The 5,731-foot course, situated in 240-acre Moody Cove, consists of 10 zip lines, two sky bridges and two rappels. The fifth zip line—which carries you from one mountain ridge to another over a vast valley 205 feet above the ground—is especially enthralling. “When you come into the receiving platform and you turn around, you get this long view to the Blue Ridge Parkway and can see the mountains from here to Asheville or further,” says Abby Burt, one of the company’s five partners. Throughout the course, you’ll zoom through a lush forest thick with yellow buckeye, tulip poplar and red oak. The adventure ends with a 900-foot-long bang—one of the course’s longest and fastest zips. “Guests typically zip at around 35mph through a tight tree corridor,” Burt says. “You’ll really feel deep in the forest as the trees, in their fall brilliance, become a colorful blur.” If you can tear your eyes away from the enveloping greenery (orange-ery?), you may spot white-tailed deer, gray foxes or American black bears. Open through Nov. 28; $85/adults, $75/children; 18 miles from Asheville; www.navitat.com
Scale a Mountain
You’ll be tempted to scurry up the 100-foot face of Vista Rock at Chimney Rock Park as fast as you can just to reach the pay-off: a dazzling array of vibrant shades below. “From the vantage point, as the name suggests, it’s a phenomenal view of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure, with the colors spreading down the mountain,” says Adam Fox, the owner of Fox Mountain Guides and a 20-year climber. The park has a part- nership with Fox Mountain Guides, which offers two-, four- or eight-hour clinics ranging from beginner to advanced, as well as 15-minute weekend “taster” courses. “What we offer is very unique in the world of rock climbing,” Fox says. “Usually you have to drive and then hike to a remote loca- tion; Chimney Rock is literally right here.” (Fun fact: The last 17 minutes of The Last of the Mohicans were filmed in Chimney Rock Park.) 25 miles from Asheville; www.chimneyrockpark.com; www.foxmountainguides.com
Get Wet ‘n Wild
If those lazy river waterpark rides float your boat, a guided whitewater rafting tour on the Nantahala River is the perfect autumn option. Sit back, relax and enjoy the lush, Nantahala National Forest views on the clear, relatively calm, Class I and II waters. “The boat does a lot of floating, so there are plenty of chances to sit and just look up at the mountainside,” says Mark “Pappy” Hedge, head guide at Wildwater LTD. But don’t get too comfortable: The ride ends with a raging Class III rapid. $45/person; Bryson City, NC (64 miles from Asheville); www.wildwaterrafting.com
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