Living in Richmond, VA I’m in a great position to create quick weekend trips to the mountains or beach. If I happen to have a long weekend, one of my favorite trips to consider is a visit to Asheville NC and it’s surrounding hiking spots. So if you have an upcoming Friday or Monday off and live in the mid Atlantic or south east region, check out my hikers version of a perfect Asheville NC 3 day itinerary!
I’ve been back to this region several times since hiking the Appalachian Trail there in 2013. And I’ll continue to return, striving to bring as many people with me as possible so we can all enjoy it.
I tend to complete this as a round trip. Being from Richmond, VA I can drive 64-W go through beautiful Charlottesville then hit I-81 S for Max Patch in western NC. After Max Patch, I head to Asheville then I venture northeast to the Blue Ridge parkway entrance for Mount Mitchell area. Then home the next day.
Or I can flip it, go to Asheville NC first from 85 S/40 W then to Max Patch to camp out for the night. After witnessing Max Patch’s sunrise, drive out to Roan Mountain Highlands in TN, camp there for the night and then head back home the next day.
Hiking Max Patch, NC
It is the start of a beautiful section on the trail that I’ve gone back to multiple times. The bald top allows for sweeping 360 views and plenty of spots to camp out and catches the sunrise/sunset. A fire road leads almost directly to the top of the bald so it’s pretty accessible if you don’t plan on hiking in. *Update – As of July 1, 2021 camping on Max Patch, NC is off-limits until June 30, 2023.
Pro Tip: If staying the night is the goal, get there early for a good spot. But if there ends up being a lot of people on top, slide down south on the AT to the tree line for some quieter/less crowded spots.
2nd Pro Tip: If staying the night during the main thru-hiker season April-July (give or take a month or two for the area), it won’t be quiet.
Check out Asheville after Max Patch. It’s about 1hr 20 mins west of Max Patch and well worth the visit if you love beer, unique food, and great coffee.
Asheville NC
I’ve been to Asheville 3 or 4 times. And always have a great time. Normally I’ll just cruise around town, checking out artwork, and visiting local coffee shops and record shops.
I’ll also find myself in the Mast General Store checking out all their clothing and gear. It’s a pretty cool hiking & outdoor gear shop located right in the middle of downtown.
Breweries are also another big thing in Asheville. They have a ton of them. You can even take a tour/ride on the Amazing Pubcycle to check out a bunch of cool spots. I did this back a few years back and had a lot of fun.
But then after the tour, we grabbed some Little Caesars pizza and bounced up to the mountains for the night. We had a DD, so no worries there. But he did like to take the mountain sharp turns kinda fast so we had to watch out pizza intake.
You can of course choose to stay in Asheville, especially after checking out all the bars, breweries and maybe even the Biltmore. But I haven’t since I’ve been down there. Always stay in the mountains nearby. And the Biltmore tours cost around $80 or $90 so I pass on that.
Blue Ridge Parkway
After your visit to Asheville, Blue Ridge Parkway is not far away and offers many beautiful hikes and views, including Mount Mitchell and Craggy Gardens. The route was busy when I went during early fall, but not horrible. There were plenty of scenic views right from the road if hiking is not totally your thing.
Craggy Gardens
I stopped at Craggy Gardens for a quick hike since it is near a pull-off with a parking lot. The views were mostly blocked by fog and the gardens were not very vibrant due to me being there out of season (October).
I came close to not including this in here, but I’ve seen many pictures of this area. So I recommend going in June for the beauty of rhododendron season.
Mount Mitchell
After Craggy Gardens I recommend going to Mount Mitchell as well. It’s the highest peak on the east coast and has a large viewing platform for full 360 views. If looking to stay the night and a challenge, you should look into Black Mountain Crest Trail as a camping spot. The trail connects to the parking lot at Mount Mitchell and the views are amazing, but it isn’t for the feint of heart.
I can’t recall the mileage to the camp sight, possibly 4 miles, but within that time the climbs didn’t stop coming. The sun was also going down so I was in somewhat of a rush to get to my campsite before dark.
Once the sun went down (I still hadn’t made camp) I was treated to an amazing view overlooking the valley below. The full moon lite it up perfectly while the clouds covering the ground made it look like a blanket of snow. Made it well worth the difficulty.
(Sadly for my readers) I was lost in the moment and decided to continue enjoying the moment so I chose not to bring out my camera for the shot.
Upon exiting the Blue Ridge Parkway the next afternoon, I luckily turned in the wrong direction. I say luckily because I came across a bridge that helped me set up my capstone picture for that specific trip.
Hiking Roan Mountain Highlands
About 2 hrs 30 mins north of Max Patch, is Roan Mountain Highlands. Also located on the Appalachian Trail, but in Tennessee, really close to the NC border. Roan Mountain Highlands consists of three balds, each allowing nearly 360 views. Rhododendron blooms here in June and appears to be quite breathtaking, but each time I have been down there I miss their peak season. I came close to traveling down to the rhododendron festival this year but had to abandon plans last minute.
If staying the night, hiking a few miles north on the Appalachian Trail its highly recommended to stay near what used to be the Overmountain Shelter, at Yellow Mountain Gap. It’s an old barn that had been converted into a sleeping quarters mainly used by AT hikers. But now due to failing structural integrity, you are no longer allowed to sleep in the barn.
But there are a decent amount of camping spots near the barn. Offering up beautiful views of the valley below. Making this a great endpoint for your Roan Mtn Hike before returning to your car the next day.
Wrapping Up
You can mix and match whatever works best for you. Whether you start at Max Patch and end with Mt Mitchell with Asheville sandwiched in between. Or start with Asheville then hit up Max Patch and Roan Mtn highlands. Whatever you decide, you’ll be surrounded by the beauty of Western NC (and a little bit of TN)