This park came up as one of the top 5 beautiful spots to watch the sunset in Hendersonville NC . …read more . which was incredibly disappointing, due to the surrounding landscape mostly blocking the entire skyline. Also too many power lines & cars on the road to snap a decent picture. There are several businesses & lots of customers traveling in & out. Overall turned out as an unfavorable sunset experience. NOTED: Nice place for kids to play at the park & a really nice basketball court.

Great park, stopped here while traveling to let my son run off some energy. The park has plenty of…read morethings for kids and a nice covered picnic area.

This has been our favourite walk forever. Do not let the couple of bad characters hinder you from…read morethis beautiful hike, because getting to the top is its own reward with sheer beauty. This property was donated to the state park and open to all. Very clean and well-kept trails, dog friendly, and a nice place to rest and relax, including restrooms at the science centre.

I discovered this place through my daughter. She has gone here twice- once through her middle…read moreschool, and once through a local camp. She raved about it, and we finally got a chance to check it out. So happy we did! Purchase Knob was generously donated by the McNeil-Gilmore family to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is 535 acres of land that rises ultimately to 5,086 feet at the knob. In the meadow below the knob, at 4,850 feet, there are two buildings housing offices, a lab, a classroom for fifty students, and housing for up to eight scientists. Views are 180 degrees. You can hit the Cataloochee Divide Trail here, too. A refurbished cabin originally from the 1870s is nearby, which I will get to in a bit. When you get to the park, you will be blocked by a gate with a sign to the left identifying the park. It is open once in a while for scheduled visits/field trip students. It is easy to get your vehicle locked within the park. (People cannot get locked in.) Park your car on the sides of the road. Just walk around the gate if it is locked. Bring water, and a jacket in the spring or fall. The 2.5 mile round trip trail is basically a wide, dirt road that will eventually lead up to the main buildings. It is well maintained. When you get a glimpse of the building at the top, you will also see a grass trail leading upwards. I would take that trail. It is a shortcut. If you like to walk, just keep going, and the road will eventually lead to the building as well. On the way up, you will see many types of wildflowers. We heard (up) and spotted a hawk (down). I got a photo of nightshade, all the while with my body centimeters from a hidden cliff edge. Be careful on grassy edges! The open areas and tree-filled areas were of equal beauty. In early September I saw purples, greens, grays, and yellows, all framed by a clear blue sky graced by fluffy clouds. Your soul will take this in, and it will hold on to it. When we got to the top, we relaxed. We did not go to the knob proper. We used the very clean bathrooms, and laid down in the field right in front of the buildings. There is a water fountain. You are allowed on the deck, but not in the buildings unless you are with a scheduled group. There are picnic tables grouped close together, and bear-proof trashcans and recycling bins. You can check out the outside of the weather station that is a bit away. I would not traipse around the adjacent fields. I saw tagged plants and left that area so that we would not screw up any data. If you decide to go to the actual knob, you have to blaze your own trail. As of two days ago, the footbridge leading to Cataloochee was out. There is a sign warning of that; be careful crossing creeks. Anyway, that trail is easy to find; just look for signs. Check out the bulletin board for lists of the types of birds and butterflies that you can see there. I saw (possibly) a Cloudless skipper. It was fluorescent yellow! My first. To get down to the restored Ferguson cabin, just leave via the "grass carpet" trail. Make an obvious right and hitch your horse, or kids. This right will lead you to the cabin. The Fergusons were the first farmers to have an elevated farm. Their apples are still there. Do not pick anything. Do not get in the boar trap. Do not get near bears. Do not bother the cow spirits. Call to make sure horses are indeed still allowed. Bears and boars can hurt you. We leave all snacks in the car. You never know. Call the general number to see if bear activity is intense before going to this park. Middle school and up teachers, call this number to schedule a visit: 828-926-6251. This park welcomes wimpy and tough hikers mid-March through November. Call if you have a desire to hike in the deep winter. Remember to check out the Purchase Knob WebCam online for weather and views. To get to this park, take Exit 20, stay on 276 South for five miles. Get on Hemphill Road and stay on Hemphill Road for four miles. This review is dedicated to my daughter Sophie, a quick, beautiful trailblazer.

This is a short diversion of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the windy road down to Brevard. Having…read morepassed through the area many times, it was not on my radar; my knowledge of forestry is slightly greater than zero, but it is certainly not my forte. This place is federally owned, and they do charge admission. A national parks pass resulted in a discount down to $4 a person for me. I did receive a warm welcome. The well-produced introductory movie tells a story of the Biltmore mansion that I did not get a sense of when I actually visited Biltmore. It emphasizes a group of people who pioneered a form of stewardship of the surrounding forests well before the modern environmental movement. It sounds hagiographic at times and I'm sure there's more to the story, but when the film concludes, one can't help but notice that the surrounding forest, which was apparently logged extensively at one point, looks awfully good today. Several paved trails lead one through various exhibitions, including a tunnel under the road that I didn't even notice driving in. The plant life is diverse, and the terrain is easier to cover here than elsewhere making it a good choice for travelers with mild mobility limitations. I couldn't help but find it a uniquely interesting aesthetic experience.

Great place for kids and adults alike. Good for a family outing. All trails are loops and…read moreapproximately one mile long so do as many as you like. Historical forestry buildings with descriptive signage are located along the various trails. Take the Forest Discovery Trail less traveled. I suggest taking it down from the old locomotive, as up from the visitor center has a longer uphill trek.

This was a surprise for me that there was a sweet little waterfall so close to my sister's new…read morehometown. It's located in a park, yet there's no where to picnic. It's just the falls, unless I missed some hidden walking trails. Nonetheless, the falls are calming, and not at all congested like Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Park.

Undoubtedly a beautiful & scenic location as two creeks (Carson Creek and Batson Creek) separately…read morefall into one of North Carolina's mini-gorges to form a third waterfall known as "the silver slip". The formation of the falls collectively is a "Y-shape" as Connestee Falls meets Batson Creek Falls to form Silver Slip Falls. It is one of the most unique waterfalls I've ever come across and would be much better photographed with a drone. There is an overlook on the Batson Creek side that faces Carson Creek, however, it is only accessible from a private trail in nearby Connestee Falls Subdivision. Thusly, the best view you will get as a non-resident will be from this nicely constructed boardwalk. The boardwalk hangs over Connestee Falls, so your view is very limited. Batson Creek Falls is visible, but not in its entirety as trees block most of the upper half of this nearly 100 foot tall sliding beauty. Topography maps show the elevation around Connestee Falls dropping roughly 65 feet before merging with Batson Creek Falls. Sliver Slip Falls is nearly impossible to see with the exception of the crest. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] A staff member from our hotel told me about this waterfall and I'm so happy he did. It was our very last stop on a waterfall chasing weekend that included Upper White Water Falls, Toxaway Falls, Gorges State Park, Looking Glass Falls & Skinny Dip Falls. While it isn't a destination waterfall and rather difficult to properly view, it most certainly is a nice add-on when touring the area. 2021 / 67

Such an incredible home with a ton of local history. Our tour guide Bob was extraordinarily…read moreknowledgeable on the area. You could truly see the passion the staff has for the property and the preservation of the home. If you're a history buff like myself I highly recommend taking a visit.

I love history, especially when it relates to homes. I had a blast going through the Biltmore…read moreHome, but it was very expensive. This house is a huge bang for your buck! For $5 each (as opposed to the $50 each at Biltmore) we got a good look at a home that was built in 1815 & added to in 1840. It was so interesting to see the different wood, building techniques, and even the configuration of the home as it survived these past 199 years! There was a wonderful docent, I believe her name was Dotty ( but I'm not good with names so forgive me if that's not right.) She was a terrific guide and so attached to the place. It really is a great little house to tour and would be a terrific educational outing for kids. We drove past it twice as the town's brochures just state that "its on Hwy 280" - great guys, thanks. It is on 280, just past the Walmart look for the Taco Bell, turn left after the Taco Bell up into the pine trees on the gravel road. The website will give more details: http://www.tchistoricalsociety.com THANK YOU FOR SAVING & SHARING A LITTLE PIECE OF AMERICAN HISTORY, Transylvania County Historical Society!

The fish hatchery offers self gu8ded tours all day long and closes at 4 on daily…read more The drive to it is absolutely stunning, a picturesque road that turns into fish hatchery drive which is narrow and full of hair pin turns. Take it at the speed limit that they say, especially if it's unfamiliar terrain. Next door to the hatchery, sharing a parking lot is a picnic area and hiking path. The picnic area is really over grown, there are signs that wood has recently been cut, but the grass is high and covering the grills making them useless. Some of the tables too, are beyond useable. There is one covered structure that seems in good repair, but the path up to it is over grown az well.

Very nice place. You'll see chickens, goats, and even friendly cat here. Friendly and polite staff…read more Definitely worth taking a tour of the house. Very interesting!

Nice historic property, informative self tour of the property. Chickens and goats! You can go visit…read morethe lady goats and brush and pet them. Pretty nice place with friendly volunteers to give you the details of the historic property. All the lovely goats are descendants of Mrs Sandbergs Goats!!!

Beautiful falls but only gave it 4 stars because it's the kind of place that you get to it, take a…read morepicture, and leave. After walking down wooden stairs, you end up on a viewing deck. The waterfall is in the distance. It's a fairly easy hike. Getting there is easy but after you do have to walk back up the stairs but there is a bench at the halfway point to take a rest. We did this along with Silver Run Falls, 9 miles away. Both of these hikes are fairly easy and would be good for small children and/or dogs. I recommend doing both of these falls on same day because you can easily do both within 90 minutes.

The area is a very complicated series of different jurisdictions; this is federal land under the…read moreFish and Wildlife Service. A parking lot has self-pay stations for a small fee (national parks passes can be displayed in your car instead). The walk to a first view is short, but if you can handle a stair workout, the resulting platform is eminently worthwhile. I've done my fair share of waterfall viewings, and you could hardly imagine a better sight than this complex cascade and the fall color show I arrived just in time for. A separate trail ran down into the valley, with signs saying there were no more waterfall views; and thus presumably no way to get to the falls directly.