With winter here, colder temps and clearer skies offer great opportunities to get outside and enjoy our mountains in a whole new way! Here are a few of the best winter activities in Western North Carolina:
–Winter Sports at Cataloochee Ski Area – 40 miles from Asheville, Cataloochee offers skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. With 100% snowmaking, it boasts 5 lifts on 18 slopes, and even has a terrain park for more advanced skiers. Tubing is open to kids 42” and taller, and the “Wee Bowl” area provides safe and snowy fun with inner tubes for children who do not meet the height requirement, so there’s fun for everyone! Here is a link to Cataloochee Ski Area’s website.
–Relax and rejuvenate at one of Asheville’s spas – For a relaxing break, head over to the Japanese-inspired Shoji Spa & Retreat, just minutes from downtown Asheville. Here, you can unwind in their private outdoor salt tubs overlooking the National Forest or explore many other offerings using locally sourced products. Alternatively, The Omni Grove Park Inn boasts a “43,000 square foot subterranean spa with cavernous rock walls, arches and tunnels” and includes several amenities such as a mineral-based relaxation pool, a lap pool with fiber-optic stars and underwater music, two therapeutic waterfall pools, private men’s and women’s inhalation rooms, saunas, and eucalyptus-infused steam rooms. Due to extensive damage from Hurricane Helene, the popular Hot Springs Resort & Spa with mineral water that’s piped directly from the hot springs, is closed until further notice.
–Birdwatching at Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary – This 8-acre wetland habitat is home to dozens of bird species and is open from dawn to dusk in North Asheville. The boardwalk offers easy accessibility for people of all abilities as well as strollers. Don’t forget your binoculars and be sure to leave your canine friends at home for this little adventure. Be sure to enjoy the trail around Beaver Lake! Managed by Blue Ridge Audubon, you can head on over to their website to learn more information about the lake, keep up with special events, or find out how you can donate or volunteer to help them restore native wildlife post-Helene.
-Visit Pisgah National Forest – The iconic Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest is one of the most popular and beautiful waterfalls in North Carolina. It also happens to be one of the only roadside waterfalls in the area, making it highly accessible! The name “Looking Glass” comes from Looking Glass Rock, where water freezes on its sides in the winter and then glistens in the sunlight like a mirror or looking glass. You can enjoy 60′ Looking Glass Falls from the road or by taking a short walk down a staircase for a closer look. After a day of hiking, put your feet up just down the road in one of the cozy cabins at Pilot Cove, where you can enjoy private, modern luxury and connect with nature in forest lodging.
–Enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway with no cars! – During winter, many higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Parkway are closed due to snow and ice. Winter is a perfect time to enjoy the roadway free of cars on a bicycle or on foot. This is also a perfect time to enjoy stargazing in the crisp winter sky! Due to damage from the hurricane as well as wintry weather, it is advisable to check the current closures for the Blue Ridge Parkway before planning your route for the day.
