Pisgah National Forest: the Forest Heritage Scenic Byway

Route description

From Asheville join the Blue Ridge Parkway south near the French Broad River and climb for about 45 minutes to Mount Pisgah at milepost 407, once part of George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore estate. The summit trail is short but steep, with a view over the forest to Cold Mountain. The Mount Pisgah campground sits at nearly 5,000 feet, one of the coolest places to camp in the South in summer.

Continue south on the Parkway to Graveyard Fields at milepost 418, named for fallen, moss-covered trunks that once looked like gravestones. Easy loops lead to Second Falls and Upper Falls, and in August the valley is full of wild blueberries. The Parkway here is often closed from late autumn to spring because of snow and ice, and has had storm closures, so check the park service road status map before you go.

Turn back to US-276 at Wagon Road Gap and descend through the forest along Looking Glass Creek. The Cradle of Forestry in America, the first forestry school in the country, has a visitor center, easy paved trails and an old logging locomotive. A few miles on, Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide with lifeguards in summer; the line moves fast, but the water is cold even in July.

Looking Glass Falls is right beside the road, with steps to its base, and there are more waterfalls on short trails nearby, including Moore Cove Falls. The byway ends in Brevard, about 90 km from Asheville. US-276 is well paved but full of curves, fine for RVs driven slowly. The Davidson River campground near the forest entrance is among the most popular in the national forest, so book ahead.