10 Top Rated Things to Do in Asheville, North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway

#1 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 miles National Parkway known for its scenic beauty. The parkway runs through Virginia and North Carolina counties and it connects Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It runs along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers spectacular views of the mountain landscape. The parkway is popular and has been the most visited for its scenery.

Chimney Rock State Park

#2 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

Chimney Rock State Park is located 25 miles southeast of Asheville. The park is known for 315-foot rock formation and 404 foot Hickory Nut Falls waterfall. You can hike to the top of the rock via Outcroppings trail or just climb 44 steps to enjoy the spectacular views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. Park activates include hiking, rock climbing, and bird watching.

Biltmore

#3 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

Address: 1 Lodge St, Asheville, NC 28803

Website: https://www.biltmore.com

Western North Carolina Nature Center

#4 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a 42-acre (17 ha) zoological park. The center is home to 60 species of wild and domestic animals and hundreds of species of plants of Southern Appalachian Mountains. The Animals of the WNC Nature Center includes American Black Bear, American Red Wolf, American River Otter, Angora Goat, Barn Owl, Black Rat Snake, Bobcat, Corn Snake, Cotswold Sheep, and many more. It offers range of activities including daily animal programs, interactive Nature Play areas, and hands-on learning activities. The Nature Center also hosts a variety of family friendly special events throughout the year.

The North Carolina Arboretum

#5 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

The North Carolina Arboretum is a 434-acre public garden and arboretum located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest of the Pisgah National Forest. Surrounded by Southern Appalachian Mountains, the arboretum features 65 acres of cultivated gardens, including the Bonsai Exhibition Garden and the National Native Azalea Collection. Arboretum's Bonsai Exhibition Garden includes 100+ bonsai collection. The park offers 10+ miles of hiking trails.

Botanical Gardens at Asheville

#6 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

Botanical Gardens at Asheville is a 10-acre garden dedicated to the study and promotion of the native plants and habitats of the Southern Appalachians. The garden features a wide variety of wildflowers, flowering trees and scrubs that are native to the Southern Appalachians. Wildflower blooms in the gardens from April through May ranges from Trilliums, Spring beauties, Crested Dwarf Iris, Green and Gold, Wild Geranium, and Foamflower. The botanical garden also offers free Investigation Passport activities for kids that encourages to use their observation skills and senses while exploring the Gardens.

Pisgah National Forest

#7 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

Pisgah National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains is over 500,000 acres of hardwood forest. It includes whitewater rivers, waterfalls, and some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. The Pisgah National Forest is located into three districts: The Pisgah, Grandfather and Appalachian Ranger. The forest offers a wide variety of recreation opportunities: hiking, mountain biking, fishing, picnicking, and camping.

Folk Art Center

#8 in Best Top 10 Places to Visit in Asheville

Folk Art Center is a museum of American Craft with three exhibition rooms, and an American Craft library rich with archives. The museum collection includes works of over 300 Appalachian artists. The center featuring handmade crafts is the most popular attraction on the Blue Ridge Parkway.