Mountain road trip ideas: Waterfalls and mountain picnics

The coronavirus has changed a lot of summer vacation plans. But you can still enjoy a trip to the mountains and maintain social distance.

Posted 9:00 a.m. Jun 11, 2020 — Updated 1:24 p.m. Jun 11, 2020

Kathy Hanrahan, Out

and

About editor

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The coronavirus has changed a lot of summer vacation plans. But you can still enjoy a trip to the mountains and maintain social distance.

Explore Asheville has a list of six waterfalls that you can easily see from your car.

Here are three of those waterfalls:

Bridal Veil Falls, located on US Highway 64 near Highlands, is known as the only waterfall in North Carolina you can drive behind. The road has been closed recently to allow people to walk behind this 60-foot waterfall in the Nantahala National Forest.

Just a mile past Bridal Veil Falls on Highway 64, you will find Dry Falls. And just like Bridal Veil Falls, you can walk behind this 75-foot waterfall or just view it from an observation deck.

Looking Glass Falls, located inside Pisgah National Forest, is a popular spot for photos. It has an observation deck and stairs that go down to the base of the falls.

And who doesn't love a mountain-top picnic?

The Blue Ridge Mountains has a few great spots for picnics.

The Max Patch at Pisgah National Forest offers views of Mt. Mitchell and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Max Patch, located near Hot Springs, is a very popular spot for Asheville locals to visit on weekends - for picnicing, relaxing and admiring the incredible views. Here, friends and Asheville residents Sara Kate Eubanks and Amanda Godino enjoy a late afternoon picnic with Zeta the dog. (ExploreAsheville.com.)

Combine waterfalls and picnics at Triple Falls at the DuPont State Forest. The forest itself is home to three waterfalls - Hooker Falls, Triple Falls and High Falls. Explore Asheville writer Mark File suggests checking out Triple Falls and taking the stairs to the large smooth rock area between the second and third cascade. And if DuPont State Forest looks familiar, it was used for the films "The Hunger Games" and "The Last of the Mohicans."

Mountain views and beautiful flowers are part of the allure of Craggy Gardens, but right now the picnic areas are closed due to the coronavirus. When they do open back up, this is a great spot to see the pink and purple rhododendrons, which are now in bloom.

Get more ideas for picnic spots in the mountains.

Suggest A Correction