The spot where scientific forestry management was first attempted in the US, financed by George Vanderbilt back in 1895, is now a showcase for the Forest Service. Amid the original log cabins, 4 miles off Blue Ridge Parkway, a visitor center holds interactive exhibits targeted at children, including a scary simulation of a helicopter flying over a forest fire. Paved trails lead through the woods themselves.
Cradle of Forestry in America
North Carolina Mountains
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
18.27 MILES
Charmed by Asheville's natural beauty, shipping and railroad heir George Washington Vanderbilt II decided to build a summer home modeled after three…
23.32 MILES
The Upcountry's marquee natural attraction is Table Rock Mountain, a 3124ft-high mountain with a striking granite face. The 7.2-mile round-trip hike to…
21.17 MILES
The glass-fronted West Wing is a showstopping introduction to this downtown museum, which is looking sleek after a $24 million renovation that added 70%…
2.72 MILES
For a totally exhilarating stop on a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop off and strip down at Sliding Rock, 7 miles off the parkway. Propelled…
23.65 MILES
Part gallery, part store, and wholly dedicated to Southern craftsmanship, the superb Folk Art Center stands directly off the Blue Ridge Pkwy, 6 miles east…
26.67 MILES
With its weatherboarding, interior paneling and shingled gables, as well as its white exterior and jaunty blue trim, this frame house, built in 1906,…
21.08 MILES
A veritable time machine, this downtown treat transports gamers back to the much-lamented pinball arcades of yesteryear. With stock ranging from vintage…
18.93 MILES
Sometimes you want to earn your stunning view – with a 10-mile hike or an all-day bike ride. Other times you just want to step out of your car, walk 30…
Nearby North Carolina Mountains attractions
1. Sliding Rock Recreation Area
2.72 MILES
For a totally exhilarating stop on a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop off and strip down at Sliding Rock, 7 miles off the parkway. Propelled…
18.27 MILES
Charmed by Asheville's natural beauty, shipping and railroad heir George Washington Vanderbilt II decided to build a summer home modeled after three…
18.93 MILES
Sometimes you want to earn your stunning view – with a 10-mile hike or an all-day bike ride. Other times you just want to step out of your car, walk 30…
21.08 MILES
A veritable time machine, this downtown treat transports gamers back to the much-lamented pinball arcades of yesteryear. With stock ranging from vintage…
21.17 MILES
The glass-fronted West Wing is a showstopping introduction to this downtown museum, which is looking sleek after a $24 million renovation that added 70%…
21.33 MILES
An incongruous survivor of old Asheville, this downtown clapboard structure was the childhood home of Look Homeward, Angel author Thomas Wolfe (1900–38)…
23.32 MILES
The Upcountry's marquee natural attraction is Table Rock Mountain, a 3124ft-high mountain with a striking granite face. The 7.2-mile round-trip hike to…
23.65 MILES
Part gallery, part store, and wholly dedicated to Southern craftsmanship, the superb Folk Art Center stands directly off the Blue Ridge Pkwy, 6 miles east…