Guided Hiking near Asheville, North Carolina

Top three reasons to go hiking near Asheville

An extensive range of trails to choose from — only 30 minutes away
View-packed mountain summits, lush forests, and beautiful waterfalls
Enjoy the vibrant culture and great breweries at the end of the day

Discover the mountains, parks, and natural preserves near Asheville, NC, and explore the numerous stunning trails along verdant forests and wildflower meadows, view-packed summits, and stunning waterfalls. Scramble up the chutes and ladders or take your time and smell the roses — the options are endless. Climb the highest mountains east of the Mississippi or even hike the legendary Appalachian Trail! Put on your hiking boots, grab your poles, and prepare for an adventure. After a day of hiking, retreat to a local brewery and enjoy all the perks of this eclectic city!

Season

April through October

Nearest city

Charlotte, NC, is just over 2 hours away

Duration

Full day

Skill level

Beginner to advanced

Choose how you spend your day

Every day is fully custom. You and your guide will discuss how to tailor your day to your experience and objectives. Here are some examples of the most popular itineraries to serve as a starting point:

Hike from five to ten miles though the beautiful scenery and let your guide tailor the day according to your skill level and terrain preferences. Take in the epic 360˚ views, enjoy a scenic stroll through beautiful trails and rhododendron meadows, explore the Land of the Waterfalls or enjoy the high-elevation meadows and forests. Some of the most famous hikes include the Graveyard Fields, Art Loeb Trail, DuPont Forest or Grandfather Mountain nature preserve.

Thanks to the vicinity of trails, you can accomplish a lot with a half-day of hiking near Asheville! Explore some of the closer short trails and discover all the beauty of the area with your family and friends. Let your guide plan out the perfect day according to your needs and wishes. Your options are endless!

Explore some of the favorite local trails in the area with a group of people with a similar skillset! Hike a trail passing stunning waterfalls such as Dupont, Deep Creek, or Graveyard Fields, enjoy the view from the Blue Ridge Parkway or get a taste of the Appalachian Trail — some of the popular trails include Lovers Leap, Rich Mountain Firetower, and Max Patch. Discover wildflowers, historical building remains, or epic mountain vistas that the Asheville area is known for.

Spend the evening with a guide as you enjoy a wonderful North Carolina sunset! Accompany your guide for a short hike to a west-facing location near town and enjoy an epic view over the surrounding meadows as the sun disappears into the horizon. After taking some photos and making memories, return to Asheville under the gleaming moonlight!

Meet your guide

With a network of over 5000 guides, we match you with the best local certified guide for your adventure

Blue Ridge Hiking Company

Blue Ridge Hiking Company's mission is to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable for everyone. They strive to provide a safe experience with knowledgeable, engaging, and trained guides. All of Blue Ridge Hiking Company guides are certified in Wilderness First Aid (or higher) and CPR. They have permits to guide in Pisgah National Forest, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mount Mitchell State Park, Dupont State Forest, all along the Blue Ridge Parkway, 120 miles of the famed Appalachian Trail and more.

Reviews (4)

Read what happy 57hours clients have to say about adventuring with their guide

Spectacular Catawba Falls hike

324ruthannet about Blue Ridge Hiking Company

My wife and I really enjoyed the guided trip with Tracey, #survivorhopefull, who gave historical information about Catawba Falls and also took pictures of us for our memories. The view was spectacular and the 1.2 mile hike was easy to moderate.

Ten stars!

Matthew K about Blue Ridge Hiking Company

I really would give this company ten stars if I could! Every interaction I had with them was top notch, from booking our hike to shopping in their cozy store. Our guide made sure our experience was a memorable one and tailored every aspect to our needs and ability level. Our 11 year old son was treated with respect and came away from the experience more confident and better equipped for future adventures! You can’t go wrong with choosing the Blue Ridge Hiking Company for either a guided tour or to get you geared up for your next outdoor adventure!

Private half day hike

750jennifers about Blue Ridge Hiking Company

This was the best experience I’ve ever had on a vacation. Everything was better than I could have ever expected. The booking process was easy, and our guide, Jenn, was wonderful. She customized the hike to whatever we needed, took great care of us and was so friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this company and our guide, Jenn. We’ll definitely do this again on future visits.

Great day hiking

Melissa P about Blue Ridge Hiking Company

We did a private half day hike with Lindsey today. She contacted us ahead of time, asked our preferences for snacks and where we wanted to go. Directions we received were great, telling us where to park and meet to sign forms at the downtown location which was very helpful. She then waited in front of our parking garage so we could follow her and we were able to with no problem. Once we parked we started hiking and she gave us information about the area, went at a good pace and gave us snacks. Because we finished the first part a little earlier we had time to stop and do another shorter hike to see a really good view. 10/10 would do again!

Things to know

Answers to the most common questions people have about this trip

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Asheville, NC, please refer to the North Carolina official website.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get on this adventure:

- An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- A half or full day of hiking depending on your chosen itinerary
- Snacks for the half-day tours, lunch for the full-day tour
- Transportation to the trailhead for group tours
- Headlamps for the sunset hike

What’s not included:

- Transportation to Asheville
- Transportation to the trailhead for private tours — can be provided for an additional fee
- Accommodations

The best thing about hiking in Asheville is that there are incredible options for all skill levels. For beginner hikes, if you can walk for four to six hours with little elevation gain, you are good to go! Intermediate hikes will see a little more change in elevation and hikes will start to increase in length, hiking anywhere between four to eight miles. Advanced hikes are full day treks with steep descents and challenging switchbacks. Keep in mind, the weather in summer can be very hot and you’ll also be packing a daypack filled with water and other things you’ll need throughout the day.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

- Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 25-40L bag)
- Hiking poles — optional
- Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
- Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
- Spare clothes for layering
- Waterproof rain jacket
- Sunhat
- Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
- Headlamp or flashlight
- Sunglasses
- Camera — optional (but recommended)

Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

Group sizes and prices:

- For the private adventures, the usual client to guide ratio is 5:1. The cost per person decreases as the group grows, so it’s the perfect opportunity to hike with friends and family!
- For the group adventures, the usual client to guide ratio is 6:1. It takes a minimum of 2 people for a tour to operate. The cost does not decrease as the group grows.
- Hiking in Asheville can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Asheville, NC, most people fly to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, NC, just over 2 hours away. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle to Asheville.

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet. You will typically meet your guide at their downtown location or at the trailhead. Getting to the trailhead usually requires a drive of 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the itinerary.

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Hiking Tours Near Asheville