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Outdoor Activities in Asheville Give Residents a Natural High

From rafting and biking to hiking and yoga, you can fill your weekends (or any day!) with the abundant outdoor activities in Asheville.

By Rich Bailey on August 11, 2023

Namaste in Nature Yoga Hiking Tour in Asheville, NC
Namaste in Nature

Whether you are looking to spend a day out on the water, have your heart set on a hike, or really need to get your bike wheels going round and round, Asheville, NC, and its surrounding areas offer a multitude of ways to keep you active and entertained.

“Asheville would not be the town it is without all these outdoor opportunities,” says Sam White, general manager at Liberty Bicycles, which has helped keep cyclists rolling in Asheville since 1980. “We have absolutely amazing outdoor activities with very outdoors-minded people. That’s a big part of our identity. It’s the place to be for anything and everything outdoors.”

No matter the activity or whether you’re in the city or the woods, make sure to plan ahead and be prepared. Have the right equipment and a water bottle. Consider elevation changes that might make a hike or ride more strenuous than you realize. And remember, conditions can change quickly.

Whitewater rafting on the French Broad River in Asheville, NC.

On the Water

Ready to get soaked? You can find plenty of water-related outdoor activities in Asheville, including swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, tubing, whitewater rafting and paddleboarding.

“Right within the city limits of Asheville, there are ample opportunities to get on a kayak, in a canoe, go fishing, go tubing,” says Christine Elyseev, outdoor programs coordinator for Asheville Parks & Recreation. “The French Broad River runs right through the heart of downtown.”

Beaver Lake is just north of downtown, Lake Lure and Lake Powhatan are a quick car ride away, and the Pigeon River is about an hour away.

Of course, what you want to do will influence the body of water you choose, so be sure to confirm what’s allowed. For example, Lake Powhatan is great for fishing or swimming, but power boats are not allowed, while power boats are welcome on Lake Lure.

Paula reed and Aaron Grau painting under tree along the French Broad River on the Wilma Dykeman trail in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC. Stephen Cohen walks by them with his dog, Hank.
Lynne Harty

Walk This Way

There are hundreds of miles of pathways in and around Asheville, from a strenuous hike to a quick walk. A few options include the Botanical Gardens at Asheville, Reed Creek Greenway, French Broad River Greenway, the trail around Lake Tomahawk and Craven Gap Trail.

“We have trails within the city, and we’re surrounded by the Blue Ridge Parkway and two national forests,” Elyseev says. “The most popular hikes tend to be to waterfalls or swimming holes off of the main access that require you to walk in to get to those areas.”

One of the most popular waterfalls, Sliding Rock in the Pisgah National Forest, reopened in 2022. This natural 60-foot water slide that ends in an 8-foot-deep pool of water was closed for months after Tropical Storm Fred caused flooding that left hazardous debris.

Richard Norris rides his scooter with his son, Lyndon norris, on the Wilma Dykeman bike path in the River Arts District in Asheville, NC.
Lynne Harty

Pedal Power Play

From mountain biking and road biking to family bike outings on a greenway, there are trails and roads and pathways for all levels of experience and difficulty.

“Bent Creek in Pisgah National Forest is probably the most popular area for mountain biking,” says Elyseev. “The Blue Ridge Parkway is popular for road biking in winter when traffic is a little slower, and sections are closed because of winter weather. In the city, the greenways are a great opportunity to get in a couple miles going from park to park along the river.”

Speaking of greenways, it’s no accident that you’ve heard so much about them. Because they are one of the more popular outdoor activities in Asheville, and they are growing.

The city’s most recent expansion of the greenway system began in 2021 with the completion of the 2.2-mile Wilma Dykeman Greenway, running along the east bank of the French Broad River as it cuts through town. It was created as part of the River Arts District Transportation Improvement Project (RADTIP), a construction project designed to improve car traffic flow and enhance pedestrian and bike mobility.

“We now have parallel greenways on each side of the French Broad River. It’s really a transformational project that has brought the river to the public in a way that we haven’t been able to do before.”

Lucy Crown, greenways coordinator for the City of Asheville

Then in 2022, the city completed the final phase of the French Broad River Greenway along the river’s west bank.

“We now have parallel greenways on each side of the French Broad River,” says Lucy Crown, greenways coordinator for the City of Asheville. “It’s really a transformational project that has brought the river to the public in a way that we haven’t been able to do before.”

Crown says additional connectors are on the way, including the three-quarter mile Nasty Branch Greenway, a still-unnamed project along the Swannanoa River and extensions to the existing Reed Creek and Wilma Dykeman greenways. It is all part of the city’s comprehensive Close the GAP initiative, which focuses on pedestrian- and ADA-friendly projects, such as improved sidewalks and road-safety features.

“We’ve spent many years planning these projects, and now, they’re coming to fruition,” Crown says. “Making features where you can walk and ride your bike safely affects people of all ages and abilities, and it’s one of the most important things a city can do.”

Enjoy sunset yoga tours in Asheville, NC.
Namaste in Nature

Find Your Inner Peace in Asheville

In addition to connecting places, Asheville also is connecting people when it comes to outdoor recreation. For example, Liberty Bicycles is the usual starting point for Claudia’s Tuesday Road Ride, a weekly group excursion named in honor of Claudia Nix, who founded the store with her husband, Mike.

Jus’ Running hosts a weekly track workout and holds local races. The Carolina Mountain Club organizes approximately 200 hikes each year. Plus, French Broad Outfitters offers SUP (stand-up paddleboard) yoga. Clothes and equipment for many of these activities can be found at Second Gear, an outdoor adventure gear consignment shop.

And for something slightly different, Namaste in Nature organizes group hikes to either a waterfall or a scenic overlook, followed by a yoga and meditation session.

“It takes being outdoors to another level,” says Miranda Peterson, owner of the yoga/hiking business Namaste in Nature, who received her yoga training in India and has backpacked in Asia and South America. “Connecting with nature and then adding the mindfulness aspect of yoga and meditation is a great way to feel better. We have such wonderful outdoor areas here, and a great wellness community. It makes sense to combine the two.”

Industry Nine Keeps Cyclists in Motion

One of the top bicycle component manufacturers in the world is based in Asheville.

Industry Nine makes wheels, rims and other components for mountain bikes as well as road, gravel, dirt-jump and e-Bikes. The company supplies its wheels, axles, bearings, spokes, stems and other parts to some of the big-name manufacturers in the bicycling industry, including Santa Cruz, Ibis, Specialized and Pivot.

“Asheville is one of the well-known bicycling spots in the world for mountain biking as well as all other kinds of biking,” says Clint Spiegel, Industry Nine’s owner. “Our company has grown to 120 employees, and the city is a great place to find top employees because cyclists like to work for cycling companies. Cyclists love to move to Asheville and live in Asheville.”

Spiegel says his father, Harvey, started a machine shop company in 1969 to make parts for a variety of industries, and that company was called Turnamics. Today, Turnamics remains the name of the machine shop at Industry Nine that now specializes in producing high-tech bicycle parts.

“When I got out of college in the early 1990s, Turnamics also started machining parts for a big bicycle company called RockShox, and that introduced me to the bicycle world,” Spiegel says. “Then in the early 2000s, I got passionate about cycling to get in better shape, and it led to the launch of new wheel systems and Industry Nine as a company in 2005.”

Spiegel says the Asheville company continues to innovate.

“We’re planning to launch another new component sometime in 2023,” he says. “Most big-name bicycle manufacturers build the bike frames and then buy the wheels and components that go on it, and Industry Nine is a top company that makes many of those wheels and components.”

Cary Estes and Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.

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