Come journey with us as we explore and highlight the people and places that make the Blue Ridge and Southern Appalachian Mountains special and unique
Favorite Family Friendly Spring Getaways
Spring is right around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. It is a season of new beginnings and a fresh start. Blooms are popping, nature is waking, and cold weather and short days will no longer hold us hostage. There is new life everywhere you look. It’s a perfect time to get out and explore!
Check out some of our favorite family friendly spring getaways in North Carolina and Virginia to prime your season of exploration!
It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! — Mark Twain
Bryson City, NC
A great little mountain town bordering the southern end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The downtown area is highly walkable. You can spend an entire day strolling through the downtown visiting ice cream shops, cafes, fly fishing outfitters, museums, breweries, craft artisans, and restaurants. The Great Smoky Mountain Railway is located in downtown as well.
Bryson City is surrounded by unlimited family friendly (and pet friendly) outdoor recreation opportunities for every budget. The closest and highly popular choice is tubing on Deep Creek which is located 5 minutes north of Bryson City. If you don’t want to tube there is an easy hiking trail that borders the length of the river and three great waterfalls to check out.
The Nantahala Outdoor Center, the nation’s largest outdoor recreation company, is just 20 minutes away from Bryson City. Our family loves the NOC and we’ve been vacationing there for over 20 years. It offers family friendly rafting (ages 7+ years or 60+ pounds) through a pristine gorge with plenty of land based activities and scenic drives too. One of favorite drives is the Cherohala Skyway in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest.
There are numerous places to set up your basecamp to enjoy all this area has to offer. Here are some of our favorites: Turkey Creek, Deep Creek Camping, Smoky Mountain Meadows.
Pisgah National Forest & DuPont State Recreational Forest
These two areas are listed together because of their proximity to each other. The southeastern border of the Pisgah Ranger District of the PNF snugs right up to Brevard, NC. The DuPont State Forest lies just 20 minutes east of Brevard in Transylvania County.
Two things we really LOVE about this area…
WATERFALLS & TRAILS
And they are so easily accessible!
You really cannot go wrong using either Brevard or Hendersonville as your base camp for this adventure. There are all types of lodging options (hotels, bed & breakfast, inns) in Hendersonville and Brevard. There are also numerous campgrounds in the area. Davidson River Campground is the most centrally located to Pisgah and DuPont.
Pisgah National Forest
As you head north on scenic Hwy 276 you will cut through the Davidson River Recreation Area. If you enjoy hiking, check out the 12.3-mile Art Loeb Trail, the 3.7-mile North Slope Trail or a 1.5-mile walking trail near the campground. Continue north on Hwy 276 and you’ll come to Looking Glass Falls, one of the most photographed waterfalls in the USA. Continue on 276 you’ll soon come to Moore Cove Falls parking area. This is an easy 1.4 mile roundtrip hike to the 50′ falls. Continue north for another mile and you’ll come to Sliding Rock, a 60′ long natural water slide that ends in an 8′ pool of water.
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DuPont State Recreational Forest
Start from the Hooker Falls parking area and you can easily visit four waterfalls on three miles of river. Follow the trail over the Little River Bridge and you’ll begin a 1,000 ft climb (not as bad as it sounds) and you’ll come to Triple Falls, three distinct cascades falling 120′. Hike upstream for 15 minutes and you’ll come to High Falls. Head back to the parking area and continue towards Hooker Falls. Bring your bathing suit – there is a great swimming hole just downstream of the falls.
Skyline Drive & Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
The Skyline Drive, a 105 miles stretch of highway running north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah National Park is actually part of the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). It is scattered with overlooks with unobstructed views of mountain vistas, ridges, wildlife and places to rest and picnic. Get details and driving directions to the park here. You can also download a nice map from the National Park Service here.
The Park is open all year, but some sections may be closed during the spring due to inclement weather. Most of the picnic areas – which have some AMAZING views and facilities – are open all year, but the campgrounds and other lodging facilities (lodges & cabins) typically open in March and May. See a complete list of operating hours and seasons here.
We love to camp at Loft Mountain which is located in the southern section of the Park. The campsites are private and have very clean restrooms & bathhouses. There is even a laundry room and a fully stocked general store.
You can find nice family friendly hiking trails with stunning views within the campground boundaries. Of course, hikers will want to explore some of the other 500 miles of hiking trails within the Park.
Virginia Creeper Trail
The Virginia Creeper Trail (VCT) is definitely one of the top 10 most enjoyable experiences I have had with my family in the outdoors. The VCT is a 35 mile trail located in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in southwestern Virginia. The trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop near the NC state line.
The history of the VCT dates back to the 1800’s. It was originally a railroad route where trains transported lumber from Whitetop Mountain to Damascus VA. In 1987 the abandoned rail was converted to a trail system for the public to enjoy. Today, cyclists, equestrians, and hikers all enjoy the trail which cuts through a deep narrow gorge bordering Whitetop Laurel Creek, crosses 47 trestles – some over 500′ tall, and through stunning scenery.
Our favorite section is the 17 mile, mostly downhill stretch, from Whitetop Mountain at 3500′ to Damascus at 1900′.
You can bring your own bike and arrange for a shuttle to the top of Whitetop Mountain, or you can rent bikes with included shuttles from one of the local bike shops.
By now you know we prefer to camp, and we recommend Grayson Highlands, although there are other lodging options like inns & lodges, B&B’s.
So there you have it. Four places that will hopefully get you primed for spring and summer exploring, discovering and making family memories.
We’d love to hear what your favorite family friendly spring getaways are too. Please share in the comments and let us know. We’re always up for a new adventure.
Happy Exploring!
