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    Craggy Gardens

    4.7 (46 reviews)

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    The vista at Craggy Mountain Visitor Center.
    Aesha E.

    As of July 2021, the little ranger station here was not open. But that didn't matter; the important thing is that there's parking, there's a view, and there are trails if you want to wander them. This was just a quick trip along a small portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so I didn't stay here very long. I'm not much of a hiker but I might have done a little bit of wandering if I'd been in the mood. As it was, I stopped to take just a couple of photos of the breathtaking sight that surrounds the BRP.

    Jess B.

    The only downside of this beautiful place is finding the starting point (Google and Apple maps do not take you directly). Wow, the view is amazing! My husband and I wanted to make it to the Pinnacle and we absolutely loved it. It wasn't a long hike (about 45 min) and the views are well worth it.

    Courtney Z.

    We went on a hike here and it was stunning. The views are beautiful, the trail is clean, and there are restrooms at the end which is always a plus.

    Keith F.

    Beautiful views everywhere! Wow, what an amazing hike! The path is sort of narrow so passing people or getting passed is a little bit of a risk. Each time we just stopped and stepped to the side. There are also a ton of dogs. If you are fearful of dogs, this is not the place for you. Most but not all were on leashes. Many of the picnic tables are eroded concrete versions of their former selves. I would closely look over one before I sat down or had a kid get hurt. It was peaceful and beautiful. I would certainly come back.

    Group Photo!
    Yvette C.

    Hadn't hiked in a while but... We came! We saw! And CONQUERED! Honestly the hike is very doable. There were families with small kids that had absolutely NO trouble hiking up to the top haha ***Just note that if you're out of shape(like me) then just take small breaks. Enjoy and take in all the views! You'll eventually get to the top. Just definitely pace yourself, don't over do it and stay on the trails heading all the way up and you'll get there just fine Hike time 20-25mins tops

    Pinnacle
    Jordan S.

    Craggy gardens is by far one of our favorite (quick) hikes in the Asheville area. If you are lucky enough to catch it on a clear day the views are incredible. The hike is fairly easy with a few steep stretches. As long as the weather has been decent the day before the trail is usually super manageable... if it has recently rained... make sure to wear some shoes you don't mind ruining. TIP: Right before making the final climb to the peak--take a right and walk through the small opening in the bushes--there is a second clearing with some killer views.

    Sarah F.

    Nice hike, beautiful view! Would not recommend for elderly people but fun for anyone with good balance who enjoys a nice view.

    Craggy Pinnacle Trail

    Well-marked trail that climbs to a beautiful overlook with views all around. It was a nice hike in early May, and I can only imagine how beautiful it would be when the flowers are in bloom.

    Super easy to hike this pathway and very clean
    Mishi V.

    Convenient parking location to the start of the trial. The trail is gorgeous. There were tons of bees feasting on all the flowers lining the trail. There's lots of shade and the trail is clean. Most of the trail had stepping stones and conveniently placed rocks making a pathway for you as you ascend to the top. The views are so worth it! Tons of viewing space at the top with a few benches. You'll get unobstructed views as long as the sky is clear. The clouds were rolling in and it's so nice to experience to it all.

    View from the parking lot
    Stephanie B.

    Gosh, we went on a rainy cool day, just before the rhododendrons bloomed - and it was spectacular. The walk to the gardens was lush and filled with tiny little flowers, and the "heath bald" opened up - like I imagine the craggy coastline of England & Ireland. The clouds flew by and revealed bits of the view -- it was tantalizing, and I'm sorry we couldn't see the view in all its glory -- but this was worth visiting even in bad weather. The gift shop was lovely & had some nice Craggy-Gardens-specific magnets & postcards not available in the larger shop elsewhere on the Parkway.

    Trail was iced over. I slipped and fell on my ass shortly after this photo was taken.
    Daniel B.

    I wanted to do a short excursion to the Blue Ridge Parkway on our recent trip to Asheville. We stopped by the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at 195 Hemphill Knob Road (https://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-ridge-parkway-visitors-center-asheville) and I asked a staff member where the best place, within reasonable driving distance (under an hour), to take pictures is. He told me Craggy Gardens. It was a great suggestion. Craggy Gardens is only about 20 miles north, up the Blue Ridge Parkway, from the visitor center. The drive took about 30-40 minutes. There were several optional stops along the way with nice views. We stopped at three: Tanbark Ridge Overlook (elevation: 3,175 feet), Bull Creek Valley View (elevation: 3,483 feet), and Lane Pinnacle View (pinnacle elevation: 5,230 feet; stop elevation: 3,890 feet). Not only is the destination scenic, but the drive up and back down is as well. I recommend pulling over and enjoying some of these viewpoints if you have time. Craggy Gardens has its own visitor center with restrooms, but it's older and not nearly as nice as the aforementioned Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. The Craggy Gardens Visitor Center is open seasonally. It was closed when we visited during the wintertime as were stretches of the parkway north of the visitor center. Check the National Park Service's map for real-time road closures at https://www.nps.gov/maps/full.html?mapId=e212fcb5-4ff9-4787-bbe4-3d40cc0d0daa#8/36.767/-81.098. Google Maps and Waze are pretty good about Blue Ridge Parkway road closures too. Since we visited during the winter, we presumably did not have to deal with traffic and crowds. The best time to visit Craggy Gardens is early to mid June when the pink and purple Catawba rhododendrons bloom. However, elevated views of the mountain ranges are beautiful year-round. Note that temperatures are 10-20 degrees (Fahrenheit) colder at Craggy Gardens than they are in Asheville so bring a jacket or dress accordingly. We got to experience the really cool visuals of ice and rime at high elevations. The completely iced-over rock walls were neat to see. If you don't like hiking or have limited mobility, Craggy Gardens is great because the visitor center has a relatively spacious parking area, sidewalks, and fantastic picturesque mountain views both to the east and to the west. You don't have to walk far from your car to enjoy these stunning views. To the east, there's a serene view of a lake which is the Burnett Reservoir. To the west, facing Western North Carolina and Tennessee, there are views of the Blue Ridge Mountains as far as the eyes can see. There are a few trails and hikes you can do starting at the visitor center. Two of the hikes are short (less than 2 miles roundtrip) with great payoffs. They are the Craggy Flats (elevation: 5,680 feet) and the Craggy Pinnacle (elevation: 5,892 feet). My girlfriend and I made a quick, impromptu hike up to the Craggy Flats despite not being hikers, not being particularly fond of hiking, and coming ill-equipped. We found the trail to be easy which means for real hikers, it must be really, really, really easy. Significant portions of the trail had completely iced over and I must admit I slipped and fell on my ass on the way down, but I didn't get hurt and it was quite funny. The Craggy Flats is a bald area. It's open, remote, and peaceful. Under non-icy conditions, I estimate it takes about 15 minutes to reach the Flats from the visitor center. It was very cold up there during our visit. It was so cold that my phone shut down due to sub-freezing temperatures. How am I supposed to Yelp under those conditions? ;) At one point, I took off one of my gloves and felt my phone with my bare hands. My phone felt like a block of ice. No wonder why it turned off. Anyway, the hike up to the Flats was worth it. If I ever came back to Craggy Gardens, I'd go check out the Pinnacle. In the end, if you're looking for a simple Blue Ridge Mountain vista to drive to from Asheville that does not involve a lot of (or any) hiking, Craggy Gardens is a terrific option.

    Stephanie J.

    We did not do the Craggy Gardens trail, instead we did the Craggy Pinnacle Trail which is past the visitor center. Unfortunately our views were too foggy so we did not get the amazing views. This hike was moderate and took less than an hour to complete.

    Michael M.

    We stopped here on a weekend visit and just loved the views. The visitor center has lots of parking and was very busy, and if looking for a bathroom they have plenty of port-a-pots. But come here for the view and then if brave enough head up to the top. We then drove to the parking area near the top and make the hike up. We visited in November and it was cold, plus the ground was very damp. Like so many others we wandered our way to the pinnacle and found a stunning view. Here you can really see the Blue Ridge Mountains and appreciate the beauty. Make your way here if you can handle the ascent, as there are plenty of strides to take going up the trail over the rocks and dirt. But we loved the time here and would return again.

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    The drive up is beautiful and then the top has awesome views. It's a fun hike for a family with elementary aged kids and our lab.

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    Review Highlights - Craggy Gardens

    I really liked being able to visit Craggy Gardens off of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

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    Upper Creek Falls

    Upper Creek Falls

    5.0
    (3 reviews)
    34.6 mi

    Loved it!! Beautiful falls and swim hole. I can't wait to be back. Water shoes for when you get…read moredown to the water hole are recommended. It's a nice hike with lots of roots in the way so you need to be careful. But definitely worth it!

    It is my absolute pleasure to introduce UPPER CREEK FALLS to Yelp!…read more If you are a hiker and lover of waterfalls, then you just might want to spend an entire weekend in the Newland, NC area. The mountains surrounding this area are a treasure trove of sights and sound for your soul to behold. Amongst them is the highly popular Upper Creek Falls. Now let me be honest, you're gonna burn some calories on this trail so don't let the short 1.5 miles round trip distance fool you! There is SIGNIFICANT elevation gain that will surely bring a little heavy breathing to your lips and sweat to your brow. However, the payoff is tremendous. **** The creek consists of multiple waterfalls, cascades and swimming holes, but the largest waterfall requires venturing to one of the lowest points on the trail to fully view. It will require detouring off the main yellow blazed trail and mountain-goating it down a steep side trail, then back up to the main trail before continuing the loop back to the parking area. According to ALLTRAILS, the loop starts at an elevation of around 3,215 feet and drops as low as 2,790 feet for a gain of approx. 425 feet in 3/4's of a mile. My personal trail tracker logged 436 feet of gain. The lowest point of the trail leads to a wonderfully exposed area of stone that almost acts as a raceway for the creek. The topography is such that you can walk on an island of stone that splits the creek in two for a short distant before rejoining and continuing its descent. I can only imagine how many more waterfalls are below this point as the creek continues its slide down the mountain another 460 feet over the following mile according to topography maps. *** FEATURES 1) There are two trailheads, but each links to the other. The trailhead on the left side of the parking area behind the information board leads first to the top of the main waterfall before crossing the creek and descending towards the base. You can get some terrifying pics on the dry stone near the crest, but don't drift too close to the edge! 2) Once you cross the creek, look to the left to spot a faint trail leading back up the mountain. Follow it and you will be rewarded with a gorgeous 15 foot waterfall. Here locals us the fall as a slide, complete with a rope to help you get back up to the top of this ultra-smooth cascade. 3) There is a fairly deep pool of water here and opposite of the climbing rope is a tire swing to launch into the pool. 4) Continue down the trail until you see side trails leading to the base of the largest waterfall. WARNING: The side trail is steep, but worth it to view the larger fall in its entirety. 5) As you continue down the trail it will once again cross the creek. This crossing is most likely tricky in high water and probably not advisable. It was only at average flow when I visited and I still got my feet wet doing my best jump. It is here you will discover another small pool of water and a large area to camp out on the stone outcrop. Even though this is the lowest point on the trail, it is actually an overlook of the mountains below. Very open and majestic. 6) Once across the lowest creek crossing, the trail switchbacks up the mountain OR you can find the shortcut trail that goes straight up the center! But fair warning, it's a leg burner! This portion of the loop will return to the parking lot on the opposite side of the upper creek trail. In total I logged 1.5 miles after visiting the sliding falls, main falls and lower raceway/overlook. *** FINAL THOUGHTS Upper Creek Falls in my opinion is 5+ stars despite its difficulty because of the multiple points of interest along the loop. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this waterfall to avid hikers! While I personally would have thought it to be too much for kids and elderly... we saw SEVERAL older couples in the area above the main falls as well as a school bus load of 6 to 12-year-olds trekking along the lower falls trail well ahead of their parents. There was also a very large family of about 20 members (all age ranges) picnicking at the lower overlook, so I guess its safe to say its doable for all ages and skill levels. If you have any energy left, to the northeast are: - Grandfather Mountain - Big Lost Cove Cliffs - Harper Creek Falls - Gragg Prong Falls - Huntfish Falls And to the southwest are: - Linville Falls & Linville Caverns ENJOY! 2021 / 116

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    Upper Creek Falls
    Upper Creek Falls
    Upper Creek Falls

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    Douglas Falls

    Douglas Falls

    4.3
    (3 reviews)
    4.5 mi

    This hike is NOT for the inexperienced. The hike itself deserves the highest rating- ONLY FOR those…read morewho are into high intensity, steep, rocky terrains. I'd suggest this for someone who enjoys camping between the return hike or is very experienced in outdoor endeavors. The falls are beautiful, although not in my opinion worth the 7.6 miles of uphill battle. There is a separate way to get here (0.5 hike from it's own parking lot) The trail connects to a beautiful "Greyson's Overlook" for an additional 2.2 miles. Overall- I made it and I'm still alive.

    We had so many options to choose from when hiking yesterday that we just decided to pick one. How…read moredid we miss that this was rated hard?! I'm going to give you my most honest review possible because I think we did not have a clear vision of what to expect. Based off of other people's shoe choices at the top, I decided to wear my tennis shoes. Big mistake. My husband wore his hiking boots. Definitely ate crow on my choice of footwear. Wear hiking boots! The trail was overgrown much of the way. There were a few little rocky river areas to cross over. I managed those with the help of my husband. But my shoes were not appropriate for all of the rocky, muddy, slick areas. And there were many! There were a few trees to go over that had fallen into the pathway. I am a short girl, 5'1", and getting over them on the steep, slick trail was a feat! Also needed my husbands help for that. The trail was very overgrown in some areas, to the point that we weren't sure if we should continue, but we pressed on. There was some uphill in the beginning that had us begging for a little downhill relief. We got that... for awhile. Then, we paid the price for it on the way back. A whole lot of uphill on the way back! My knees, legs, and back were killing me on the way back and I definitely thought about bringing a child back pack to ride on my husbands back for our next hike. We aren't out of shape or inactive people. We enjoy hiking and try to do it often. We have a peloton at home that we do actually use. But this trail was 100% hard and more than we bargained for. I guess we figured that we made it on an accidental 9.5 mile hike the last time we were in town and would be fine. Wrong! Yeah, I'm old. 38. And my husband is 35. We aren't old old but we aren't 18 anymore either. (Thank goodness--that would make him 15! And no thanks to that.) At one point on the hike, we asked a couple that passed us if we were almost at the falls. They said about 15 minutes. I would guess it took us probably another hour to hour and a half to get there. We had to be very careful with my tennis shoes and the slippery rocky trail. Plus, climbing over the downed trees. I'm hoping maybe they were just high and time was confusing for them. I don't see any way they could've gone the mile and a quarter in 15 minutes. Regardless... we made it. The fall was beautiful. The hike kicked our asses. I would not do this hike again. Ever. But if you're down for a difficult, rocky, overgrown, steep hike.... Have at it! I will 100% stay out of your way. The waterfall was a nice treat. Be prepared to pray for the existence of an Uber Air to get back up. (Except those of you who are clearly far more trail savvy than us. I'm sure you will find it much easier than we did. And also... kudos to you!) Apx 7.8 miles of pure torture. Done and done!

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    Douglas Falls
    Douglas falls
    Douglas falls
    Douglas Falls

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    Graveyard Fields

    Graveyard Fields

    4.7
    (14 reviews)
    36.8 mi

    Of numerous stops available along the parkway, the Graveyard Fields are one of the more…read moreinteresting. An ecologically distinctive valley with trails leading to an impressive waterfall, this offers plenty of places to experience nature. The altitude is sufficient that even on a summer day it is likely to be quite comfortable. There are a lot of stairs to get down into the valley and I do not recommend it for people with mobility limitations. There is a parking area which I have never seen overflow that has restrooms.

    My kind of hike! It wasn't too difficult when it came to physical exertion, but lots of rocks to…read morewalk around. I was thankful for my hiking shoes although I did see many people out there in sandals. Personally I wouldn't have been able to make it in sandals, but kudos to them. The reward was a beautiful waterfall at the end where my husband and I sat around for 30 min or so enjoying both the beautiful view and weather. The trail wasn't marked perfectly, but there are plenty of people to ask on the way where to go so we made it there and back with no issues. We moved at a steady pace and each way took us about 45 min. The parking lot was pretty full when we got there (around 11am on a week day), but people were coming and going so we found a spot. I got off the hike hungry for lunch so we stopped nearby at a store where we were able to grab a snack, but not too much to eat in the area so eat before or bring something with you.

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    Graveyard Fields
    Graveyard Fields
    Graveyard Fields

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    Craggy Gardens - hiking - Updated July 2026

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