Asheville comes alive in the summer! Take advantage of everything our mountain town has to offer with my top suggestions for the best Asheville summer activities.
Biltmore Estate Home and Garden
The Biltmore Estate attracts over one million visitors every year, making it by far Asheville’s most visited tourist attraction. But don’t let the potential crowds keep you away, the hype is worth it as far as we are concerned. During the summer, the lush gardens are brimming with bright blooms and the house offers a perfectly times respite from the heat. If you can’t make it during the summer, plan a home tour during the Christmas season to see the estate dressed up in holiday finery. No matter when you visit, be sure to make time to explore the 8,000 acres of Blue Ridge Mountain landscape that surrounds the home. Head to Antler Village for sporting clays, bike rentals, the Biltmore Estate winery, restaurants, shops, and outdoor adventures. Our favorite way to enjoy an afternoon at Biltmore is to rent bikes from the Bike Barn and explore the trails. Then, close out your experience with a complimentary wine tasting- you might even find a new favorite wine to take home!
The North Carolina Arboretum
Located just south of Asheville, the arboretum is the perfect place for a wide range of outdoor fun: walking your dog, having a romantic picnic, going for a jog, exploring with your kids (or grandkids), and enjoying the diverse and well-catalogued flora and fauna. If hunger strikes, head over to the onsite cafe for fresh fare. With 64 acres of cultivated gardens and over 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, you can explore for an hour or an entire day! The main gardens, Education Center, and the Baker Exhibit Center are wheelchair accessible. You can pick up a wheelchair from the Education Center at no charge.
Trolley Tours
Gray Line’s nostalgic trolley tours provide a wonderful and relaxing way for you to cover more ground and soak up the history of Asheville. You can decide to complete your tour all at once, or purchase a pass that allows you to hop on and off at each stop (these passes are valid for two days). Either way, you will get to experience downtown, Historic Montford, The Grove Park Inn, the River Arts District, and so much more. This is a great way to maximize your time or introduce your out of town visitors to your city!
Asheville Tourists Game
Our local Minor League Baseball team,a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t573"> the Asheville Tourists, play at McCormick Field, located on the edge of downtown Asheville. The Tourists are a feeder team for the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball team. Make a night out of it with the Thirsty Thursday promotion ($1 regular beers, $1 Coke products, $2 craft beers) that runs all summer long. You can start your night on the South Slope, grabbing a beer or a snack, and then walk downhill to the stadium.
Museum & Gallery Hopping
Asheville is known the country over for its vibrant creative scene. In addition to nightly live music, our mountain town holds fine art galleries, museums, and craft fairs. If you are downtown, pay a visit to the Asheville Art MuseumaSHEville Museum, which is tucked away on Wall Street. Both have impressive permanent collections and a rotating roster of exhibits. Outside of museums, our downtown gallery favorites include; Blue Spiral, Haen Gallery, Bender Gallery, and Horse & Hero. If you are looking to make an afternoon (or a day) out of it, head tothe River Arts District. This artistic outcropping is the perfect place to see artists at work in their galleries.
Blue Ridge Parkway Picnic
Our final favorite Asheville summer activity is to plan a picnic along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can travel North or South from central Asheville on the Parkway and find an overlook to stop your car and take in the sweeping mountain views. Be prepared for cooler temperatures, as the parkway can be as much as 15 degrees cooler than Asheville itself! Check sunrise and sunset times and plan accordingly to really make the most of your picnic.