Your Family Will Love These Mountain Getaways In North Carolina
The hot temperatures have subsided, the leaves have started to turn, the apples trees are ready for harvest, and the water cooler talk has turned to college football.
It must finally be fall! Now is a great time to get the family together to enjoy an easy scenic hike, go apple picking, pitch a tent, or stroll down Main Street.
These are the three North Carolina mountain towns that we return to every year. Each offers a unique mix of charm, outdoor adventure, excellent restaurants and breweries- everything you need for the perfect weekend escape.
Whether you’re hiking to waterfalls, kayaking, or simply enjoying a cold beer on a sunny patio, you’ll find plenty to love in Asheville, Brevard, and Bryson City.
So pack up the family and check out these 3 great fall getaways in the North Carolina Mountains!
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Asheville, NC- Craft Brews, Food Scene, & Mountain Views
Asheville is my family’s “go to” for a weekend trip. It’s an architecturally appealing, fun, artsy town with terrific restaurants and what seems like a craft brewery on every block.
Asheville might be known as a couple’s getaway, but it’s absolutely worth visiting with kids too.
In the fall, you’ll almost always find a weekend festival going on, and it’s surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains with plenty of easy hiking trails for the family.
You’ll find tons of things to do between stops at family-friendly breweries and restaurants. Whether you’re exploring downtown or venturing into nearby hiking trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville packs a lot into a weekend.
We love staying in downtown Asheville so we can walk to all the fun. The River Arts District and places like the Biltmore Estate are just a short drive away.
For outdoor fun, don’t miss floating the French Broad River. Asheville Adventure Company provides rentals and you float right past the Biltmore Estate.
Our favorite easy hikes off the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway include Craggy Gardens and Craggy Pinnacle trails which lead to fantastic views with minimal effort.
The food scene as well as the number of family-friendly craft breweries keeps Asheville on repeat for a quick weekend getaway.
We always stop at White Duck Taco on Riverside Drive and have enjoyed every meal and beer we’ve ever had at Wicked Weed Brewing.
See more of our foodie favorites in our Asheville With Kids Itinerary.
If the weather turns, head to the Pinball Museum or catch a movie with pizza at Asheville Brewing.
If you’re here in the fall, stop at an apple orchard like Stepp Apples or Justus Apple Farm, located just 40 minutes from downtown Asheville- both are well worth a visit.
For lodging, you should try to stay downtown so you can be within walking distance to everything and save the hassle of parking. There are lots of hotel options, and all tend to be fairly expensive. P.S. Brevard and Bryson City offer more affordable options.
Renaissance Asheville has a good location and is probably the best price-point hotel downtown. When traveling with our entire family (pup included), I like to stay downtown at the dog-friendly Aloft Hotel. Love the outdoor pool here!
For even more to do in this fun mountain town, see our Asheville Weekend Getaway Guide.
Bryson City: Whitewater Rafting, Trains & Trails
Bryson City is such a fun outdoor town. It’s a terrific base camp for all things outdoors (especially if you love the water), and its small downtown has quaint shops, breweries, enough restaurants to keep it interesting, and the Great Smoky Mountain Train Depot is right in the heart of it.
One of the best things to do during a visit to Bryson City is taking a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad which departs from downtown and offers scenic train excursion trips through the North Carolina mountains.
P.S. The train ride is absolutely gorgeous in the fall!
Within a 20 minute driving radius of town, you have beautiful lakes to swim or canoe, whitewater to raft (Nantahala Outdoor Center will hook you up), and hikes to waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Be sure to hike the Deep Creek Loop in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an easy 2.4 miles past three waterfalls. This area of the Smokies is also a popular spot for tubing.
You just can’t beat it. We’ve been coming here for years, and it never gets old.
I like staying downtown for convenience to restaurants (we always make it a point to go to Anthony’s Restaurant for its fantastic pizza, best enjoyed on their outdoor patio with a local craft beer.)
In downtown, we like Aloft in the Smokies or Calhoun House Inn, but I would also check VRBO listings for a cozy mountain cabin with views.
For even more to do in this fun mountain town, see our Bryson City Weekend Getaway Guide.
Brevard: Waterfalls, Bikes & Cozy Cabins
Brevard is yet another charming North Carolina mountain town with a walkable downtown filled with shops (including a great toy store- O.P. Taylor), restaurants, antiques, and art galleries.
It is just 33 miles from Asheville but offers a quieter, more laid-back vibe. It’s home to over 250 waterfalls, cold mountain streams, and some of the best hiking and biking trails in the region.
It’s home to Dupont State Recreation Forest where The Hunger Games movie was filmed at Triple Falls, the most recognizable mountain scenery in the movie.
Downtown Brevard may be small, but it’s packed with charm. You’ll find cozy cafes, locally-owned shops, art galleries, and a couple of great breweries- shout out to Oscar Blues!
We always head to Rocky’s Grill & Soda Shop with its authentic 1950’s old fashioned lunch counter. Enjoy a burger and an ice cream float or one their famous milkshakes.
Stay downtown if you want to walk to shops and restaurants. The Sunset Motel is a solid choice, or check out nearby vacation rentals.
For a mountain vibe, we liked this cabin in the Cedar Mountain area near DuPont State Forest. We stayed here and had a fantastic time. It’s close to all the trails, has a terrific restaurant (Cedar Mountain Cafe) closeby and is still close enough to town for restaurants and shopping.
If you have mountain bikers in the family, I would check out Pilot Cove. It offers upscale cabins with super convenient trail access into Pisgah National Forest.
For even more to do in this fun mountain town, see our Brevard, NC Weekend Getaway Guide.
