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Trail Running Big Creek Trail

Intro

The Big Creek/Spencer Gap/Shut-In loop is an excellent trail run in the heart of South Pisgah. The tour begins at the rim of the Mills River Valley and drops down into a forgotten corner of the North Mills area. A long steady climb up Big Creek culminates in a heart pounding grade to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mount Pisgah. The iconic Shut-In Trail leads back to the starting point with a gradual eight mile descent. This run has a little of everything: flowy singletrack, technical creek crossings, and big views from one of the highest peaks in the east.

What Makes It Great

Looking for a way to drop out for a few hours without spending much time behind the wheel? Bent Creek Gap is a short 20 minute drive from downtown Asheville.

Starting at 3500 feet, runners will appreciate a mellow warm up jog on Wash Creek Road. After side-hilling across the ridge for a few easy miles, the bottom drops out on one of Pisgah’s recently rerouted trails, Spencer Gap. Spencer Gap is one of the buffest trails in the area. Designed for mountain biking, it is a hoot to run down too.

After crossing the Never Ending Road, the trail returns to typical Pisgah terrain. Multiple creek crossings will leave even the most meticulous runners with sopping wet feet. The loop bottoms out around 2,500 feet at the confluence of Big Creek and Fletcher Creek. Then the climbing begins, gradually working up the Big Creek drainage. As the trail turns away from the river it cranks up the mountain, climbing to the Parkway at over 5,000 feet in just a couple of miles. The Parkway connects to the famous Shut-In Trail near the summit of Mount Pisgah. Masochists can add a 2.6 mile round trip out and back to the summit of Pisgah. All that remains is an eight mile, mostly downhill cruise back to Bent Creek Gap.

Who is Going to Love It

Runners looking for a classic course close to town will enjoy this loop. Elite runners seeking a challenging time trial can knock this run out in a few hours. Up and comers training for their first ultra-marathon will find it a great way to get a feel for the challenge of a long run. Anyone who wants to get away from it all will find the solitude and beauty of Big Creek rewarding.

Directions, Parking, & Regulations

From downtown Asheville take I26 east to exit 33. Follow 191 south to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the Parkway south to mile marker 400. Pull off on Wash Creek Road and park. This is Bent Creek Gap. Run down Wash Creek Road to Spencer Gap. Take Spencer Gap to Big Creek Trail. Run Big Creek up to the Parkway. Turn left on the Parkway to connect to the Mountains to Sea/Shut-In Trail. Turn right on the MST to get back to Bent Creek Gap.

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Featured image provided by Adam Herzog

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10 Family-Friendly Summer Adventures Around Asheville

Summer days are long and should be filled from sunup to sundown with adventures and enriching outdoor activities. Now is the season for children to get their hands dirty, to chase frogs and climb trees, to hear songbirds and eat freshly picked berries. Asheville and the surrounding mountains are brimming with family-friendly summer adventures that will keep the little ones engaged, entertained, and asking for more. Here are our top 10 picks for an active excursions filled with rivers, sunshine, and delight.

1. Explore the Botanical Gardens

With free admission, plenty of parking, and stroller-friendly trails, Asheville Botanical Gardens may be the easiest and most convenient way to introduce your children to the beauty and diversity of Asheville’s great outdoors. The gardens include over 600 species of trees, wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and sedges that are native to the Southern Appalachian mountains, including many that are rare and endangered. Guided tours are available or simply let the little ones splash in the creeks, dash through the meadows and explore the wildflower coves.

2. Go Star Gazing

Explore the night sky with the help of Star Watch Night Vision Tours.
Explore the night sky.
Christian Reusch

Here’s a compelling reason to keep the kids up past their bedtime. Plan a family stargazing session and prepare for one of the most memorable evenings of the summer. Getting started is easy and inexpensive.

3. Fly Through the Trees

Asheville Treetops Adventure Park offers kids off-the-ground thrills.
Asheville Treetops Adventure Park offers kids off-the-ground thrills.
Loco Ropes

Climb, jump, swing, fly, and rappel through the woods at Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, a wild and elaborate outdoor jungle gym just five minutes outside of town. Where else could you kayak through the canopy or snowboard through the sky? The park features five separate adventures trails, each with their own set of obstacles that will appeal to a wide variety of ages, experiences and comfort levels. Kids are guaranteed to have a blast and discover the adventurous side of physical fitness, all the while being kept safe and secure with the latest “smart belay” technology. This will be one of the most fun and active afternoons you’ll have all summer — just don’t be surprised when they ask to go back the next day.

4. Meet the Butterflies

The Hop'n Blueberry Farm features a butterfly house that kids love.
The Hop’n Blueberry Farm features a butterfly house that kids love.
Nick Page

The Hop’n Blueberry Farm  is a water-and-sun powered sustainable family farm located outside of Black Mountain, North Carolina. The farm’s unique array of specialties range from medicinal herbs and hops to butterflies and blueberries. Take a hands-on tour of this innovative Blue Ridge establishment, which dates back for seven generations, and learn about sustainability, permaculture, and pollination. Children will love the butterfly house, where you can reach out and have a friendly monarch land on your hand. During the summer months, you can observe every stage of these beautiful creature’s lives: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. You can even purchase all things butterfly to bring home, including nets, butterfly grow kids and plant seeds.

5. Beat the Heat at Splashville

Splashville is a great way to beat the heat in downtown Asheville.
Splashville is a great way to beat the heat in downtown Asheville.
StacyVann

Splashville, a brand new interactive water fountain in Pack Square, is by far the coolest way to beat the heat in downtown Asheville. Children never seem to tire of chasing the jets of water that leap out of a tiled surface in this bustling and historical section of the city. Their shrieks and laughter mingles with live music of street performers and the chatter of shoppers, museum-goers and patrons dining outside of the many restaurants that surround the square. For an extra-special summer afternoon, treat the kids to an ice cream from nearby French Broad Chocolate Lounge.

6. Slide down Sliding Rock

Kids and adults will both be thrilled by this 60-foot natural waterslide.
Kids and adults will both be thrilled by this 60-foot natural waterslide.
William Whyte

Sliding Rock is a popular natural water park located 8 miles outside of Brevard, North Carolina. Children of all ages love the thrill of this exhilarating summer adventure, which includes lifeguard supervision during the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between Memorial Day and Labor Day. After you slide down a 60 foot face of smooth, steep rock, fueled by 11,000 gallons of water, and land with a splash in a deep, icy pool at the bottom, you’ll only have one thought: “I have to do that again!”

7. Visit the WNC Nature Center

This 42-acre wildlife park has plenty of critters and interactive exhibits to enjoy.
This 42-acre wildlife park has plenty of critters and interactive exhibits to enjoy.
anoldent

This 42-acre wildlife park and sanctuary is home to more than 60 native species of animals, including bobcats, black bear, red wolves and cougars. The Western North Carolina Nature Center provides a refuge for animals that have been imprinted, injured, orphaned, or otherwise rendered unable to survive on their own. Children of all ages will enjoy the interactive exhibits, such as touching reptiles, identifying songbirds, and observing the animals’ daily feeding. A highlight of your visit will be Otter Falls, a newly designed collection of pools and waterfalls chock-full of curious, playful river otters.

8. Have an Orchard Adventure

The Appalachian Heritage Center features live music, barn dances, mountain art and other cultural programs in addition to apple picking.
The Appalachian Heritage Center features live music, barn dances, mountain art and other cultural programs in addition to apple picking.
jchapiewsky

If you’re looking to take the family on a daytrip, The Orchard at Altapass  should be on the top of your list. Located 55 miles north of Asheville off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, this 105 year old orchard has been converted into an Appalachian Heritage Center, and features live music, barn dances, mountain art and other cultural programs in addition to apple picking. Children can listen to stories of the land’s remarkable history as they enjoy an orchard wagon ride, play an old fashioned game of checkers in the kids corner, hike on the nature trails, or participate in any number of hands-on art programs. Take home a jar of local jam to remember your idyllic day in the countryside.

9. Go Whitewater Rafting

The Nantahala Outdoors Center is the longest continually operated outfitter on the French Broad River.
The Nantahala Outdoors Center is the longest continually operated outfitter on the French Broad River.
Donald Judge

The French Broad River — the third oldest river in the world — is the perfect place to introduce your children to the world of whitewater rafting. A river trip is one of the most enjoyable ways to experience the outdoors on a hot summer day. The Nantahala Outdoors Center is the longest continually operated outfitter on the French Broad, and will provide your family with a safe and thrilling day of class II and III rapids while keeping you entertained with stories of the river’s dynamic history. The full-day trip even includes a plunge down a class VI drop, something your family will be telling stories about for years. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife such as kingfishers, bald eagles, and even black bears as you glide through a remote section of the Pisgah National Forest.

10. Go For a Hike

The Pink Beds Loop Hike is about 5 miles in total, mostly flat, and surrounded by water,
The Pink Beds Loop Hike is about 5 miles in total, mostly flat, and surrounded by water,
Bad Kleinkirchheim

Pink Beds Loop Hike is a great trail for sturdy young adventurers who already have a bit of experience on nature trails. The hike is 5 miles in total, but mostly flat and surrounded by water, including creeks to cross, streams to splash in, mountain bogs to explore and beaver dams to observe. A series of bridges, boardwalks and foot-logs keep the hike fun and dynamic, and an optional waterfall offers an additional reward. The abundance of pristine water and bogland creates a rich habitat for aquatic species and endangered plants, so keep a sharp eye out for critters.

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Originally written by RootsRated.

Featured image provided by Jessica Reeder

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5 Refreshing Trail Runs Near Asheville

The days are starting to feel a little shorter, and the copper-hued afternoons of autumn loom just around the corner. You know you should be logging some mountain miles and soaking up the last leg of summer, but we get it—finding the motivation to run through soaring August temperatures is not easy. To help you get going, we’ve found five of the most refreshing trail runs in the Blue Ridge. Get ready to slosh through streams, run alongside the river, and quench your thirst for summer adventure while you still can.

1. Warren Wilson College River Trail

The peaceful, pastoral campus of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina, is home to one of the most charming trails in Buncombe County. Carved into the banks of the Swannanoa River, the River Trail is a flat, 5 mile out-and-back ramble through idyllic countryside. The gentle current and clear water flowing beside you will prove tempting in these last dry weeks of summer, and there are plenty of pebbly shoals and deeper pools to take a post-run dip.The varied terrain of the River Trail includes working farmland, swathes of pastel meadows, shaded forest and even a small bamboo grove. The path is foot traffic only, and you’re likely to encounter a handful of fellow runners and barefoot college students out for a stroll between classes. Dogs are welcome but must be kept leashed at all times, a policy that is strictly enforced. Trailhead is located at Charles D. Owen Park, 875 Warren Wilson Road in Swannanoa, NC. 

2. Vineyard Gap and Riverside Trail

For more experienced runners, the Vineyard Gap Trail in Pisgah National Forest climbs 2.3 miles up and over Forge Mountain, then descends into the South Fork of Mills River. Here you will meet up with the Riverside Trail, which will eventually loop back to the parking lot, totaling 7.4 miles of sweet mountain running. As always in Pisgah, roots, rocks and ruts will keep you on your toes, but the remote landscape and cool, quiet forest make for a pleasant and absorbing experience. The trail crosses the river several times, and these invigorating interludes will cool you down and keep you running strong. The water is knee-deep at times, so be mindful of slippery rocks and river levels, and do not attempt to cross at high water.

Access from the Turkeypen Gap Trailhead Parking area on Turkeypen Road (FS 297).

3. Reasonover Creek Trail to Lake Julia

Lake Julia awaits at the end of the Reasoner Creek Trail.
Lake Julia awaits at the end of the Reasoner Creek Trail.
Melina Coogan

This beautiful singletrack trail rises and falls over moderate hills for 3.27 miles, all within the shade of a dense hardwood canopy. Toward the beginning of your run, make your way carefully across a wide creek by hopping across twelve neatly positioned rocks, or wade through the shin-deep water for an initial cool down. You will splash across the creek a few more times before getting your first glimpse of Lake Julia, smooth as glass and glinting through the trees. Although accessible by forest roads, Lake Julia is remote enough that it remains relatively quiet and calm, a novelty for most DuPont swimming spots. You may share the lake with other runners, mountain bikers, and stand up paddlers, but there is generally a corner of solitude to be claimed. When you’re ready to turn for home, head back on the same, scenic trail that you came in on. As always in DuPont, be on the lookout for bikers.

Park at the Fawn Lake Access area on Reasonover Road. On foot, turn right after the gate for 0.1 miles. The trailhead is located at the intersection of Conservation Road.

4. Stone Mountain Falls

The view from Stone Mountain.
The view from Stone Mountain.
bobistraveling

Nothing epitomizes the beauty and grandeur of the Blue Ridge Mountains like a waterfall, and nothing could be a more welcome and refreshing site at the culmination of a hot summer’s run. The Stone Mountain Loop trail in Stone Mountain State Park is a super fun, 4.5-mile adventure that will lead you to a 200-foot granite monolith of cascading water on Big Sandy Creek. Explore the pool at the base and exult in the mist before tackling the man-made staircase that climbs the east slope of the Mountain to the top of the falls.

Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, NC, spans across Wilkes and Alleghany counties. Access the trail at the park’s lower trailhead, 2.5 miles down the road from the visitor center.

5. Bent Creek Trail

Azaleas in bloom alongside the Bent Creek Trail.
Azaleas in bloom alongside the Bent Creek Trail.
Erin Brierley

This is a perfect option for beginners, or anyone looking to sneak in a run before work. Bent Creek trail meanders on even ground for 1.3 miles through the North Carolina Arboretum , alongside the diamond clear waters of its namesake creek. It even passes through a portion of the National Native Azalea Repository, making for a brief but stunning loop that is guaranteed to make your short-list. The trail parallels Bent Creek Road, where you will find several intersecting trail and road options to explore beyond the Arboretum and the adjacent Pisgah National Forest.

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Originally written by RootsRated.

Featured image provided by Julia Pethtel

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5 Summer Things to Do in Western North Carolina

Our little corner of the world offers amazing access to the outdoors, music and art, picturesque mountain main streets, and the best friends and neighbors anyone could ask for. While you may be headed to the beach or out of town for a summer vacation, there’s plenty of local adventure to occupy a weekend or an afternoon in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Grab your kayak, lace up the hiking boots, and make your summer bucket list.

May

While May technically falls within spring, Downtown After 5 serves as an unofficial start to summer in the city. Celebrating its 29th year, this monthly concert series from the Asheville Downtown Association began as a way to draw locals into a largely abandoned city center in the late 1980s. The first DA5 concert featured a Mardi Gras theme and, in a nod to that history, the May 19 concert features dynamic New Orleans funk and RnB band the High & Mighty Brass Band and local opening the Josh Phillips Big Brass Band. Why not make a day of it and explore the city’s history on the Asheville Urban Trail, stopping at galleries and public houses along the way?

June

Summer officially arrives on June 21. What better way to celebrate than by participating in the Great American Campout? The National Wildlife Federation has tools that can help you host a public campout in your neighborhood or community. Buncombe County Recreation Services is planning a June 24 campout in Lake Julian Park with guided hikes, stargazing, morning yoga, s’mores, and campfire stories. Even if you don’t take a pledge to join the GAC, heading out with a group of friends is a great way to unwind and reconnect. Lake James State Park is just under an hour away from Asheville and offers scenic vistas of the Appalachian Mountain range, hiking, boating, biking, and hot showers.

Courtesy of RomanticAsheville.com

July

Thru-hiking for months on end is out of reach for many of us. Luckily, the Appalachian Trail offers plenty of shorter hikes that offer the same experience. Art Loeb Trail is just west of Asheville. This 30-mile-long footpath is a highlight reel of the Southern Appalachians with rhododendron tunnels, waterfalls, swimming holes, 360-degree views, and much more. There are plenty of spots to set up camp – or pick a spot in one of the shelters. Three to four days offers ample opportunity for side trips off the main trail. You can also beat the July heat with a stop at Sliding Rock on the way back.

August

Parts of WNC are uniquely positioned to witness the contiguous United States’ first total solar eclipse in 38 years on August 21. Graham, Macon, Swain, Jackson and Transylvania counties are a handful of places in the world that will be plunged into total darkness as the Earth, moon, and sun line up so that the moon completely obscures the sun for about two minutes. Mountain towns are bracing for ten times the number of guests as usual and Clingman’s Dome is hosting a special ticketed viewing, so it’s best to reserve a campsite or cabin as early as possible. Depending on where you end up watching the eclipse, it’s a perfect chance to explore towns like Murphy, Cherokee, or Brevard. Events are also planned at UNC Asheville and in Pack Square Park, but Asheville will only see a 99% eclipse.

September

Just as summer begins with a festival, it comes to an end with the Asheville Outdoor Show on September 17. Diamond Brand Outdoors and Frugal Backpacker host outdoor experts and leaders at this annual event that showcases everything new in hiking, camping, kayaking, outdoor clothing, and technology. With workshops, music, and the chance to chat with representatives from top brands like Patagonia, Prana, Mountain Hardwear, and Kelty, it’s a reminder that even as fall comes to the mountains, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors in comfort and style with your favorite folks.

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WNC Trail Triple Crown Challenge

April is Hiking Month at Diamond Brand Outdoors, and we want you to hike, run, bike, and explore the outdoors! We’ve partnered with our friends at Asheville Trails for the WNC Trail Triple Crown Challenge.

Visit any Diamond Brand Outdoors or Frugal Backpacker location to check out the awesome new Asheville Trails kiosks with dozens of local trails. We believe the outdoors are for everyone of all abilities, so you’ll find lots of good stuff at the kiosk, like directions and insider tips on easy, moderate, and difficult hikes of varying distance. Find a trail you like, and then snap a picture of the info sheet with your phone. And then visit the Asheville Trails website to get driving directions and more trail info.

Hit any three trails from the displays during April and we’ll give you 20% off up to five items, plus a free Asheville Trails sticker! Just post a pic to Instagram while you’re on the trail, tag both @diamondbrand_outdoors and @ashevilletrails, and use the hashtag #WNC3C.

Once you’ve hiked three of the trails, return to any Diamond Brand Outdoors or Frugal Backpacker location to receive your discount. A team member will take a look a look at your tagged photos — which we’d probably like to share on our feed if you give us permission!

Discount cannot be used for gift cards, boats, or special orders. See store for any other exclusions.

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