Alexander Pope

1.   

Andrews Geyser (6 minutes): The man-made Andrews Geyser was constructed in the late 1800s as part of a resort hotel. Rail passengers could see the Geyser at least five times as their train took a series of switchbacks up the mountain. The hotel burned in 1903, but the Geyser was repaired and moved to a park, a very short distance away from its original location. The Andrews Geyser typically shoots water 80-100 feet in the air, and the water comes from our property, approximately two miles away. Our property contains the dam constructed by the railroad to create the water reservoir, as well as the valve that turns the Geyser "on" and "off".

2.   

Biltmore Estate (20 minutes): Biltmore is often called America's Largest Home. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt, the house has four acres of floor space surrounded by another 8,000 acres of grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, creator of New York's Central Park. The Estate includes the house, several gorgeous gardens (our favorite is the Spring Garden), a bass pond, a winery, restaurants, and the River Bend Farm, a tribute to the Vanderbilt/Cecil family's tradition of self-sustainability. George Vanderbilt opened his home to friends in 1895, and visitors have been coming ever since.

3.   

The Blue Ridge Parkway (20-35 minutes depending on the entrance used): Authorized in the 1930s as a public works project, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the nation's first and longest rural parkway, connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina [Source: www.blueridgeparkway.org]. Nearby stops on the Parkway include Mt. Mitchell, the Orchard at Altapass, Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mountain to the north, and Mt. Pisgah and the NC Arboretum to the south. The closest entrances from the Inn on Mill Creek are via Asheville,  or scenic Highway 80 in McDowell County.

4.   

Catawba Falls (20 minutes, plus 30 minute hike to the Falls): The Inn on Mill Creek is just over a mile from the Eastern Continental Divide. Nearby are the headwaters of the Catawba River that starts in McDowell County and makes its way to the Atlantic Ocean, providing water to residents in the Carolinas along the way. Foothills Conservancy recently purchased land to allow access to Catawba Falls, which cascades more than 300 feet to the river below. The Catawba Falls Trail is open for day hiking to the lower falls. Bring your camera and be prepared to cross over shallow water a few times. 

5.   

Chimney Rock Park (30 minutes): Located off of Route 9 south of the town of Black Mountain, Chimney Rock Park was created in the early 1900s by Dr. Lucius B. Morse. The Park was recently sold by the Morse family to the State of North Carolina, to be the centerpiece of a new state park under development in Hickory Nut Gorge. It is truly a Park for nature lovers of all ages: several great nature trails of various degrees of difficulty (some of which are dog friendly), the Chimney that offers miles of views over Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure below, guided hikes, educational programs, and more.

6.   

The Folk Art Center (20 minutes): Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Asheville, the Folk Art Center opened in 1980 as a cooperative effort between the Southern Highland Craft Guild, the National Park Service and the Appalachian Regional Commission. The Folk Art Center has galleries featuring regional artists, a craft shop and a permanent collection containing Appalachian craft work. From March through December, you can visit the Folk Art Center and see artisans at work and educational demonstrations. Our favorite crafts are the beautiful quilts hanging in the walkway to the galleries.

7.   

Mt. Mitchell State Park (50 minutes): Named after UNC science professor Dr. Elisha Mitchell who gauged the height of the Black Mountains in the mid-1800s, Mt. Mitchell in the Black Mountain range is the highest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet above sea level (and in fact, six of the ten highest peaks east of the Mississippi are located in the Black Mountains). The climate of Mt. Mitchell State Park is more like that of Canada than the American south, so be prepared for cooler temperatures. The park is accessed via the Blue Ridge Parkway.

8.   

North Carolina Arboretum (35 minutes): One of our favorite spots in Western North Carolina is the North Carolina Arboretum, a 434-acre site that focuses on "education, economic development, research, conservation, and garden demonstration with respect to landscape, architecture, and plant sciences." The Arboretum has several nature trails (dog friendly!) and beautiful garden collections, plus a bonsai collection containing 100 specimens. The Arboretum also offers guided walks, educational workshops and demonstrations throughout the year.

9.   

Old Fort Railroad Museum and the Mountain Gateway Museum (15 minutes): The town of Old Fort, just a few miles from the Inn on Mill Creek, has a diverse history. Native American tribes lived off the land several thousands of years ago, and white settlers built communities in the early 1700s, making Old Fort the westernmost outpost of Colonial America until the Revolutionary War. [Davidson's Fort used during the War is currently being reconstructed.] The Mountain Gateway Museum pays tribute to early settlement, while the Railroad Museum in the Old Fort Depot features artifacts from the 1800s during the period of the town's rich railroad history. In the 1930s, a chiseled granite arrowhead monument was unveiled just outside the depot to honor peace finally achieved between pioneer settlers and the Cherokee and Catawba tribes.

10.   

The Appalachian Artisan Society Gallery (15 minutes): An important piece of Old Fort's history is in the Appalachian tradition of handcrafted items. Nowhere is there a better place to check out the work of local artisans and craftspeople than The Appalachian Artisan Society Gallery. The gallery features a variety of handmade items for sale by more than 60 regional artists. We've found beautiful glass sculpture, wood furniture and fine art for the Inn while browsing the many displays.

1.  

Fire Road #1 (0.2 miles from the Inn): This is the first in a series of caches hidden along the Forest Service road that runs along the ridge above our orchard

2.  

Jacob's Ladder (0.7 miles from the Inn): The hunt for this cache will bring you to Point Lookout along the new greenway near the Inn

The view from a spot near the "Jacob's Ladder" cache

3.  

Cross Creek Climbing Cache (1.1 miles from the Inn): This cache is expertly hidden off the old stagecoach road, which brought travelers from Old Fort to Asheville before the railroad was constructed...it does involve climbing up a ridge and crossing Swannanoa Creek!

4.  

Old Faithful McDowell County (1 mile from the Inn): An Earth Cache at Andrews Geyser

5.  

The Cache of Kitsuma Peak (1.6 miles from the Inn): Hike beautiful Kitsuma to get to this cache and see a fantastic view of the Black Mountains from a rocky outcrop

6.  

Hemlock Cove Cache (1.8 miles from the Inn): Learn about the endangered hemlocks while searching for this cache in the Old Fort Picnic Grounds in Pisgah National Forest

7.  

See Spot Run (2.4 miles from the Inn): If you're going to hike to Catawba Falls, this cache will get you started on the trail

8.  

101 Dalmatians #70 (3.9 miles from the Inn): Part of the 101 Dalmatians cache series; this is  a great little cache at the Black Mountain visitor center

9.  

Sandlin Memorial Park (4 miles from the Inn): Heading to Old Fort? Pick up this cache at a great little park along Mill Creek

10.  

Sometime Ago (4.3 miles from the Inn): This multi-cache will teach you about the history of the town of Old Fort by having you look for clues inside one of the town's historic buildings

1.  

Catawba Falls in McDowell County: Just a 20 minute drive from the Inn, the Catawba Falls trailhead leads you through a forested area along the Catawba River, which begins right here in McDowell County. Part of the trail was privately owned until the Foothills Conservancy recently purchased it from the landowner and opened it to the public. 

Expect to cross the river a few times (the water is fairly shallow since you're at the headwaters at this point; a heavy rainfall will make it more difficult). You'll pass by an old dam used for hydroelectric power in the early part of the 20th century. The lower portion of Catawba Falls is a moderate hike; the trail to the upper portion of the falls is noticeably more strenuous and challenging. 

View some great photos and more details of the hike at the following website (an awesome resource for waterfalls in our area): www.ncwaterfalls.com/catawba1.htm.

2.  

Parris Creek Forest Service road/trail off our road: This trail is a dirt road in Pisgah National Forest owned by the U.S. Forest Service and as such, is often called Fire Road on maps due to its use by the Forest Service in case of forest fires. It is approximately 100 yards from the Inn on Mill Creek. A brown barricade prevents vehicles from using the road, and it has thus become a trail used for hiking, horseback riding, geocaching and mountain biking. The road is just over three miles and where it ends, a smaller trail continues toward Montreat. You'll have several opportunities to photograph the Black Mountains once you're about a mile down the trail. In fact, the gorgeous photo above was taken from this road by our guests, Perry and Heather.

3.  

Tom's Creek Falls: Between the town of Marion and the Blue Ridge Parkway is Tom's Creek Falls Trail, a two mile easy loop to Tom's Creek Falls. Heading north of Marion on US 221, you make a left at Huskins Branch Road and travel another 1.5 miles to the parking lot/trailhead. The Tom's Creek Falls trail will fork, at which point you go left along the creek to the base of the falls, which spill gently down 60 feet to the rocks below.

Beautiful photos and description: www.ncwaterfalls.com/tomscreek1.htm

Another description of the hike:
http://hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah/grandfather/guidedhikes/tomscreekfalls.html 

4.  

The Four Seasons Trail at Chimney Rock Park: This is one of several trails at Chimney Rock Park, about a half hour south of the Inn on Mill Creek. The trail is just over a half mile in length and is great for viewing springtime plants and flowers and discovering why the Park is such a special place. More info is available here:

www.chimneyrockpark.com/park/interestpoints/fourseasons.php

5.  

The walking trail at Asheville Botanical Gardens: Spring is a perfect time for taking in the 600 species of plants native to Southern Appalachia at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. The 10-acre Gardens have a half-mile walking loop that takes you through several plant habitats, including a wildflower cove. From the Asheville Botanical Gardens website:

"April through May is peak for spring blooms throughout much of the Gardens. During this time, the slopes are covered with thousands of flowers such as Trilliums (Trillium sp.), Spring-beauties (Claytonia sp.), Crested Dwarf Iris (Iris cristata), Green and Gold (Chrysogonum australe), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) and Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia). (Our spring flush of Trilliums is - honestly - pretty hard to beat.)"

6.  

Looking Glass Rock : The hike to Looking Glass Rock north of Brevard is a little over six miles long and is a moderately difficult trail. You'll be climbing several switchbacks along the trail which leads to beautiful views of  Black Balsam Mountain and the peaks along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Great hiking guide for Looking Glass Rock:
http://hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah/pisgah/guidedhikes/lookingglassrock.html  

7.  

Triple Falls at Dupont State Forest: Transylvania County, home of Dupont State Forest, is one of the counties in North Carolina that sees the most rainfall, and it boasts hundreds of waterfalls as a result. Dupont State Forest has more than six waterfalls, and Triple Falls is one of the most scenic, in our opinion, because it's actually three falls in one. The hike itself is less than a mile.

For an excellent description of this hike: www.ncwaterfalls.com/triple_dupont1.htm 

8.  

Hickory Branch Falls Trail: North of Old Fort in McDowell County is the Hickory Branch Trail, a 4-mile roundtrip hike that leads to a pretty 20-foot waterfall. From Old Fort, turn left onto Curtis Creek Road (a scenic route to the Blue Ridge Parkway) and travel four miles to the U.S. Forest Service's Curtis Creek primitive campground. The trailhead will be to the right of the campground. Note that the campground opens in April.

Nice description and photos: www.ncwaterfalls.com/hickory_branch1.htm 

9.  

The Woods Walk at Grandfather Mountain off the Blue Ridge Parkway: Grandfather Mountain is not only known for its mile-high swing bridge and gorgeous mountain views, but also for the important conservation efforts of the late Hugh Morton, who took ownership of Grandfather in 1952, and made it a wildlife sanctuary and globally recognized nature preserve. The Woods Walk is one of the easy nature trails at Grandfather (they have more strenuous backcountry hikes as well). From their website:

"Circumscribing the attraction's picnic area on the lower slopes of the mountain, the Woods Walk offers visitors a leisurely 4/10 mile loop through mature Appalachian forest. The trailhead is located in the picnic area (first right after you enter the Gate). With very gradual grades and wide paths, this path will appeal to guests who are looking for a casual encounter with nature. At least 64 different flower and plant species grow at trailside, as well as 19 tree types." 

10.  

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (the portion near the Folk Art Center/Blue Ridge Parkway entrance in Asheville): The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a series of footpaths, back roads and bike routes that cross the entire state of North Carolina, from the Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. A portion of the Trail is located just off I-40, exit 55 at the Folk Art Center in Asheville (about 20 minutes from the Inn on Mill Creek). This part of the trail starts at Mile Post 382 along the Blue Ridge Parkway and heads over five miles to Mile Post 377.4 (Craven Gap), paralleling the Parkway. Follow the white trail blazes to keep on the right path.