We are planning a trip in June from the NC coast ( Calabash ).
We%26#39;d like to spend 4 nights and include:
Grandfather Mtn / Blowing Rock
Linville %26amp; nearby waterfalls
Mt. Mitchell
Biltmore
Gorges State Park %26amp; nearby waterfalls
Chimney Rock
Sunset boat tour on Lake Lure
We are not big hikers, but like to take LOTS of photos.
Would we be better off staying in Asheville and doing day trips from there, or splitting our trip into different segments with a hotel in each area ?
If you think the second option is the best....please suggest some division of sights and hotels/restaurants in the area. Also, has anyone gone to see the elk near Cove Creek or the Firefly display in mid-June near Gaitlinberg? Are they worth the trip ???
Thanks so much.
Asheville as a base for travels ??
Cade%26#39;s Cove is ALWAYS worth the trip!I%26#39;ve never seen any elk but I have seen deer, bear, turkey, etc..
Asheville is fine for most of the day trips you have mentioned - except for those around Blowing Rock - I%26#39;d stay there - at Chetola Lodge or Yonahlossee Resort.
Best wishes.
Asheville as a base for travels ??
I would look for someplace in Blowing Rock, Spruce Pine or Black Mountain...all will be less expensive and closer , in general, than Asheville. Better restaurant selection in Asheville or Blowing Rock, but also more expensive.
The fireflies are amazing but very hard to predict. The elk are a little skittish in June, with young calves and bulls in velvet, but they still come down at sunset to feed , at Cades Cove or, especially, Cataloochee Valley.
Your list is a lot to do in 4 days, too much IMHO. If you really want to do most of those things, I would plan a circular route and find a place to stay in the vicinity of each destination. If you decide on that approach, and you really like to take photos, consider taking the Blue Ridge Parkway from Blowing Rock all the way to the southern terminus at Cherokee. Spend about 7 hours on the BRP, stopping frequently to take photos, get lunch at the Pisgah Inn atop Mount Pisgah, catch a showing of %26#39;Unto These Hills%26#39; at the Cherokee outdoor theater and stay in Cherokee, then go up US 441 to Cades Cove the next AM
Mangonboat -
could you suggest such a circular route ?
I would leave off Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.
Day 1:Coming from Calabash, I would take the ';northern route'; up I-40 as far as Hickory then go north on US 321 to Blowing Rock and spend that night at Chetola Lodge in Blowing Rock and eat at the lodge or any of a half dozen VERY nice restaurants in Blowing Rock.
Day 2 I would take the Blue Ridge Parkway south from Blowing Rock, stop at Mt. Mitchell, at Linville Gorge and maybe even a short side trip to Grandfather Mountain, although it is an expensive side trip. Continuing south on the BRP, stop at Craggy Gardens to see rhodedendron in bloom in June, then drop down to Asheville, and refuel, reload with snacks, etc. If you%26#39;ve got the time and you%26#39;ve never been , you could even go to the Biltmore Estate, spend 3-4 hours there ( also an expensive side trip) or hit it on the way back, day 4. Get back on the BR Parkway, continuing south. From Asheville you climb to over 500O feet. Think about getting a reservation to spend the night at the Pisgah Inn. If the weather is good, it is breathtaking up there in June.
Day 3, Have breakfast in the Pisgah Inn dining room and watch the sunrise fill the mountain coves with light..WOW! Continue south, stopping to look at Cold Mountain, Graveyard Fields, Devils Courthouse, Waterock Knob, before you drop down to Cherokee. Even if you dont stay in Cherokee, have lunch,visit and spend a little while meeting some very friendly folk. Head north on US 441. You will have plenty of time to get through Great Smokies National Park to Cades Cove in time for elk at sunset and/or the fireflies, just ask a ranger when you get there. Spend the night in or around Gatlinburg.
Day 4: Have a pancake breakfast in Gatlinburg, then drive Hwy 321 and the Foothills Parkway east through the valley back toward Interstate 40. If you are really up for a photo opportunity, at Crosby Tennessee, about 25 miles from Gatlinburg, get on the 2 lane gravel road up and over the ridge to Cataloochee. Like Cades Cove, Cataloochee was a small, close-knit farming community that was vacated when the park was created and better-paying jobs were waiting to the north. It is both unsettling and remarkably peaceful to see the few buildings as if they had been abandoned recently rather than almost 100 years ago. Watch for elk...far more concentrated here than anywhere east of the Rockies. From Cataloochee, head SE on the 2 lane gravel road up and out of the valley toward Maggie Valley, and get on Interstate 40 heading east, back toward Asheville.
WOW !!! Thanks so very much. That was just what I was looking for !
Maybe we%26#39;ll save Chimney Rock and Lake Lure for another trip. You%26#39;ve added things I didn%26#39;t know about and would be very interested in doing. Thanks again.
You mentioned seeing the elk in your first post. They are normally seen at Cataloochee, just outside Maggie Valley, approximately 45 minutes from Asheville.
Take I-40 to the Hwy 276 exit toward Maggie Valley. As soon as you are off the off-ramp, Cove Creek Rd will be on your right. It%26#39;s a long, winding road that eventually turns to gravel with tight corners, so drive carefully! I prefer to visit early in the morning so I%26#39;m not trying to drive out of Cataloochee in the dark.
I%26#39;ve been several times, and it%26#39;s always worth it to me. Check my profile under ';videos'; to see a short clip I took of two bull elks locking horns this winter.
Hope you have a great trip!
Just wanted to add a note about the Blue Ridge Parkway--be aware that some sections between Asheville and Blowing Rock are closed right now due to rockslides. Check www.blueridgeparkway.org for updates.
Yep, and here, too.
nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm
THE BRP plans to have the road open all the way south from Blowing Rock by May 15, including the long section between Mt. Mitchell and Craggy Gardens that has been closed for a while due to rock slides. The section just north of Blowing Rock, between Deep Gap and Blowing Rock, is still closed for bridge work at Bamboo Gap.Otherwise, I would have suggested getting off I-40 at US 421 in Winston-Salem and driving up 421 to Deep Gap and getting on the BRP there. The stretch from Deep Gap to Blowing Rock , only 30 minutes worth, is one of my favorites in springtime. Long vistas and very pretty rolling high-mountain pastures. Check with the BRP before you leave and see if that section , milepost 285-291, has re-opened. (The section between 269 and 280 is actually north of Deep Gap, even though it is listed as ';Blowing Rock area'; on the BRP website).
I should caution that any travel itinerary that includes the BRP has to have a back up plan using other routes. Even in June, the BRP can be fogged in so bad you can%26#39;t see the front of your own hood, especially in the early part of the day, even when it looks like a nice but slightly hazy day down in the valleys...there is a 4000 foot elevation difference, between Asheville and Craggy Gardens, e.g.
Make sure that you check to see if the BRPKWY is open near Craggy Gardens. They have been working on the road there. I heard a rumor that they were going to open one lane there. Think that it makes a lot of sense to go to Blowing Rock first. Skip Boone, ick! If you don%26#39;t like curvy narrow mountain roads, I would stay off Shoals Mill Rd./Yonahlossee Resort at night. Beautiful place, but slightly off the main area. Give yourself a lot of time if you drive down the BRPKWY. Beautiful time to do it with the rhododendrons in bloom. If you want a slight detour, Roan Mountain will definitely be in bloom around the mid of June with the Catawba rhodys. Quite a sight. However, it is definitely one of my favorite drives down the parkway from B.R. Don%26#39;t miss the Linn Cove Viaduct near Grandfather Mountain. If clear, it is amazing! May take about 4 hours to drive from BR to AVL on the Parkway. Bring a picnic, not much food along the way. Have a great time!
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