Asheville is a beautiful city located in the North Carolina mountains. With plenty of outdoor adventure, you can spend your vacation enjoying nature. Go camping, mountain biking, hiking, whitewater rafting or just sit on a lake or river bank and enjoy the beautiful views.

Asheville has a diverse population. The city is known for being Gay friendly and for its nightlife. There are festivals and events happening most of the year. Party in the streets at the Belle Cher festival every July or experience the diversity of downtown anytime.

Asheville is most famous for the Biltmore House, the largest private home in America.  The Biltmore Mansion was modeled after a 16th century French Chateau. At one time, the Biltmore Estates was about 125,000 acres and included Mt. Pisgah. Much of this land is now part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. See the spectacular gardens and taste the fine wines at the winery. Memories of a tour of Biltmore House will last a lifetime.

The best time to visit Asheville is anytime. There is always something to do in or outside of town. Due to the vivid color of Autumn leaves, Fall seems to be the most popular time to visit Asheville and is therefore the busiest tourist season. Although Fall offers the most spectacular views of the mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway, other seasons can offer equally breathtaking views.In the months of June and early July, rhododendrons blanket the mountainsides with vivid shades of pink at Craggy Gardens and other locations along the Parkway. Take a picnic and enjoy the view. Then, hike trails that will leave you literally breathless. In the Spring, see the beautiful flower gardens of Biltmore Estate. Winter is also a wonderful time to visit the NC mountains. After a winter storm, sunlight glistening off ice crystals hanging from trees atop mountains form a beautiful indescribable picture. Visit Wolf Laurel ski resort which is about 30 minutes from Asheville or popular Boone to go skiing. Consider visiting Asheville during the holidays. Christmas time brings holiday cheer to the Biltmore House and the Grove Park Inn resort. Both of these Asheville attractions are worth visiting over the holidays for the beauty of their Christmas decorations alone.

Find a list of Asheville attractions to help plan your visit to the North Carolina mountains. With this list of local attractions find golf courses, restaurants, museums, recreation, parks, campgrounds and more. View mountain pictures or find information on surrounding areas too. If you are planning to relocate, you can find information on real estate listings, jobs, and churches.

View or install our free mountain screensaver created from pictures taken of the North Carolina mountains surrounding Asheville. This is a beautiful screensaver of Autumn leaves with spectacular views. There are also pictures of leaves changing in the mountains throughout the North Carolina section.

Outside of Asheville, you can take a trip back in history and see how pioneers once lived at Vance Birthplace in Weaverville. Vance was the governor of North Carolina during the American Civil War. Journey to an Indian reservation to witness how Cherokee Indians once lived long ago. You can even play the slot machines at Cherokee Casinos.Cherokee is also known for the best trout fishing. Western North Carolina has many lakes, rivers and streams to fish. Catch bass, crappie, trout, carp and other freshwater fish.

There are many smaller towns near Asheville.  These towns offer some sort of recreation, festival, college, historical landmark or just a break from the hustle of the big city. Visit Hendersonville, Fletcher, Flat Rock, Black Mountain, Mars Hill, Enka, Canton and Lake Lure.