Asheville for the leaves
Asheville, NC · October 2026
3 days · 2 adults · packed pace · $$
Day 1
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06:00
Craggy Gardens sunrise
“Cold, dark on the drive up, and the best hour of the trip.”
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09:00
Mount Mitchell
“Highest point east of the Mississippi. Twenty minutes at the summit is enough.”
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12:00
Lunch at 12 Bones
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14:30
Graveyard Fields
“Busy by 10, empty at 2. The upper falls are the better walk.”
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18:00
Dinner at Rhubarb
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Cambria Downtown
Day 2
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07:00
Looking Glass Falls
“Roadside, two minutes from the car. Go before the coaches.”
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08:30
Sliding Rock
“Freezing and entirely worth it.”
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11:00
Hike Black Balsam Knob
“Bald summit, 360 degrees, two hours. The one to do if you do one.”
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14:00
Lunch at Sunny Point
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17:00
Sierra Nevada taproom
“Out of town. The grounds justify the drive.”
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20:00
Dinner at Cúrate
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Cambria Downtown
Day 3
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08:30
Breakfast at Biscuit Head
“The jam bar. Go early, it fills up fast.”
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10:30
River Arts District
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13:00
Lunch at White Duck Taco
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15:00
Drive the Parkway south
“No destination. That was the plan and it worked.”
Going to Asheville?
Start from this trip and it becomes your plan — your dates, yours to change.