Outdoor Recreation in Asheville, North Carolina is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. With its stunning natural beauty, diverse landscapes, and mild climate, the city offers a plethora of outdoor recreational activities. Whether you’re seeking thrilling adventures, peaceful hikes, or water-based fun, Asheville has something for everyone. Get ready to embrace nature’s playground and explore the outdoor recreation opportunities that await you in Asheville.
Asheville’s unparalleled natural beauty and diverse landscapes make it a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you’re seeking thrilling adventures, peaceful hikes, or water-based fun, the city offers a wealth of outdoor recreational activities. From hiking the scenic trails to cycling the winding roads, from whitewater rafting to rock climbing, Asheville has something for everyone. So, pack your gear, lace up your boots, and get ready to embrace nature’s playground in Asheville.
Guiding is our passion. Sure we love catching fish on our days off, but sharing the experience is far more rewarding. We are guides and instructors who enjoy helping both beginners and advanced anglers alike. Being a professional guide requires a diverse set of skills, not just being able to put people on fish. A professional guide is patient under pressure, a teacher and coach to their clients, has excellent work ethic in all situations, has a keen sense of awareness and the ability to adapt to different learning styles, fishing styles and personalities. All AFFC guides are endorsed by multiple gear companies which allows us to provide you with the best gear available. We are dedicated to giving you the best service you have ever experienced, and to always enjoy as much river experience as possible while putting fish in the net. We are problem solvers who enjoy the connections and process just as much as the pull. We push each other to be innovative, aware of the fine details and to always anticipate the next move gracefully and with respect. Our first time out with you, we take note of the details that make a difference to you. From the moment we meet you onward, we go the extra miles so you are right where you want to be, fishing better and laughing louder.
We love the hip vibe, down-to-earth people and breathtaking scenery of Asheville! Our full-service bike shop provides the ultimate cycling experience with an Asheville feel. MustAsheville offers bike rentals and carries new and preowned, high-quality bikes and all of the gear you need to make every ride awesome. Our dog-friendly bike store offers products to help rescue dogs in need. We are part of Rags To Royals Bulldog Rescue.
Meet the man behind MustAsheville. Jeff is a bike matchmaker extraordinaire who pairs each person with the best bike for a fun and long-lasting relationship. His love began at the young age of 13 during his first triathlon. Jeff quickly became passionate about road, cyclocross and mountain competitions. Now, he rides for enjoyment and to maintain his sanity. Jeff’s dream is for all of his clients to become hooked on bikes too.
Cataloochee Ski Area, located high in the mountains of Western North Carolina is the home of “Great Skiing in the Great Smokies!” One of the first areas in the region to open each season, Cataloochee is committed to making your skiing and snowboarding experience the best it can be by utilizing one the most advanced snowmaking systems in the Southeast. With 100% snowmaking on 18 slopes and trails including the Cat Cage Terrain Park, 3 aerial lifts and 2 moving carpet lifts, and over 4,000 sets of snowsports equipment, the Cataloochee experience offers something everyone.
We feature a PSIA and AASI member Ski and Snowboard School with instruction for all ages and abilities, and offer our HEAD Kids Adventure Center with ski and snowboard programs for kids ages 4-12 and a variety of terrain for beginners to experts alike. With our new Terrain-Based Learning programs, you will learn quicker and easier than ever before. Group and corporate meeting space is available. In the lodge, a fireplace and cozy atmosphere await you along with our on-mountain restaurant offering three ala carte meals daily and a lounge with full ABC permits. Round out your day on the mountain with a visit to The Shop at Cataloochee, featuring signature gifts and apparel. Down the hill in Maggie Valley, we offer Tube World, a snowtubing hill with up to 12 lanes of tubing fun!
Cataloochee Ski and Sports, our rental and clothing shop in Maggie Valley allows you to rent your ski or snowboard equipment at a discounted rate, purchase your lift ticket and get everything you need for a day on the slopes. Bib, jacket and helmet rentals are also available at the shop as well. Best of all, you can pick up everything you need the night before and be ready to go straight to the snow on the day you plan to ski or snowboard with no waiting! The sports shop sells goggles, gloves, hats, sunglasses and other accessories to complete your visit. Cataloochee is located only 35 miles west of Asheville with easy four lane access.
The O-RIGINAL Motion Makers was founded by Norm and Dianne Harrell in 1986 when their son, Benji, was riding skateboards and BMX bikes. Norm was good at helping Benji’s friends with their wheeled fun and opened Motion Makers on Hwy 107 in Sylva, NC as a way to provide this sport to the Sylva market. Around 1993, they moved into a 1920’s building in the heart of downtown Sylva, which was just starting to revitalize from many years of vacant buildings.
In 1997, Dave and Sandy Molin purchased the store. They had moved down from Vermont to escape the winters. Dave, a practicing Pharmacist, worked at several pharmacies in the area until he noticed that Motion Makers was for sale. An avid cyclist, it looked like the perfect job to relax and enjoy his sport and get out of the corporate world of pharmacy.
In 2007, “Surly” Dave convinced Kent Cranford to consider buying the shop.
Kent started racing and working on bikes as a BMX kid in the late 70’s. Spurred on by his father’s love of riding and tinkering with bikes, he quickly learned the basics of flat changes and converting coaster brake hubs into freewheels and other BMX mods of the day.
At age 16, the local bike shop, Bicycle City, offered him some work during Christmas building bicycles, then during summers. While in college, he worked at Harper’s Schwinn in Knoxville, TN, then at Skedaddle Bicycles in Murfreesboro, TN.
After graduating from MTSU, Kent headed out to Colorado to visit his brother who was in school at CSU. While there, the call of the Rockies sent him job hunting where he found a job at Keystone ski resort for the rest of the winter. Near the end of the ski season, he took a job at the Knorr House in Breckenridge, CO assembling their fleet of rental bikes for that summer. Later that spring of 1991, a stop in Crested Butte, CO led to a two-year job at The Alpineer, one of the original Mountain Bike shops of the late 70’s.
An annual pilgrimage back East to the Tsali trails led Kent to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, where he took a job working in the “original” store and tasked with creating a real “Bike Shop” in NOC’s new outfitter’s store that was built in 1994. In 1995, he accepted a job with Litespeed Bicycles in Ooltewah, TN and worked as Marketing Director for two years. The job took him all over the US and Europe to attend shows and events helping to grow this small company. It was a dream job getting to rub elbows with all the cycling greats and seeing so many of the legendary cycling destinations.
The mountains of NC have a strong draw and in 1997, Kent came back to NOC to continue growing NOC’s biking program and interest in cycling in Western NC.
In 1999, Kent had tired of the tourism retail trade and decided to pursue his newest love in computers. After two years in that industry, with the “dot-com bust” looming, Kent saw a listing for the Territory Manager position with Specialized Bicycles covering the Southern Appalachian region, home of the greatest cycling anywhere and where he happened to live.
Over the next five years, Kent enjoyed his 1000-mile weeks on the road and spending half the weekends of the year at events representing Specialized. His 2005 marriage to Sarah and impending birth of their daughter, Beverly, in 2006, sent Kent into the booming real estate industry to stay home with his new family. This job allowed him to spend a lot of time in Sylva and Jackson County, re-kindling his belief in what a great cycling region WNC is. Little did he know that Dave asking him to come look at Motion Makers would save him from another Bust!
In 2009, the opportunity to open a second store 45 minutes away in the cycling mecca of Asheville, NC, could not be ignored. Kent had frequently asked his sales reps why there was only one large bicycle store in the booming town. One of those reps was Ben Hinker, who also wondered why someone hadn’t opened a big store in Asheville. He immediately signed on as Manager of the store as soon as he learned of Kent’s plan and was involved from the early stages of deciding where to put this new store. Another key person, Sara Jarrell, a Cullowhee native, had moved back home to WNC from California a couple of years earlier. She had quickly become a trusted source of knowledge at the Sylva store but had been making the commute from Asheville to Sylva to work. This gave her plenty of reason to help make this new store a place that people could trust with her skills as Service Manager.
Calling on the design expertise of the Specialized Retail Services team, the Motion Makers crew signed on to become an Elite Store with Specialized. This allowed for a quick opening in March of 2010 with a very clean and professional look that the team knew they wanted for Asheville while allowing it to remain a locally owned store, not just a factory footprint. The store is one of the largest in the region and has, we believe, the best selection of bikes and equipment so you can always find what you need.
Randall Glen is a hundred-acre farm with its own mountainside, creeks, and wildflower meadows. Here you can experience the simple Smoky Mountain lifestyle that Southern Highlanders have known for hundreds of years. You can celebrate an unforgettable North Carolina mountain vacation. You can also just plain have fun. Spend your day with the animals at our interactive farm, mining for gems and gold in our creek-side sluice, or hop on a horse and enjoy the mountain views from a whole new perspective. For extra adventure and a truly memorable mountain experience, we offer deluxe overnight trail rides.
The North Carolina Arboretum’s 434-acre campus is nestled off the Blue Ridge Parkway minutes from downtown Asheville and offers beautiful gardens and natural areas, including the Bonsai Exhibition Garden, 10 miles of forested hiking and biking trails, garden tours, nature activities for families, changing science, art and cultural history exhibits, an on-site bistro and gift shop.
Daytime admission into the Arboretum is free; however, a $16 parking fee applies for personal vehicles. To view full listing of parking fees and hours, click here.
Wildwater Adventure Centers wants to share their 42 years of rafting and outdoor leadership experience with your family, group, high adventure trip or team building retreat on four Southern rivers: the Chatooga, Nantahala, Ocoee & Pigeon. Wildwater offers the best in outdoor adventure in the Asheville area with attention to detail both on and off the water. Wildwater also offers their exclusive Quality Service Guarantee! In addition to great whitewater adventures, join Wildwater for scenic Jeep and train excursions combined with your rafting trip. Elevate your vacation and take flight on one of their 5 zipline canopy tour adventures including the newest right in the heart of Asheville. Only Wildwater can provide unique Raft & Rail, Rails & Trails, or Float & Fly packages. Wildwater is a family owned and operated business focused on providing a unique Western NC outdoor adventure vacation experience. They create memories and family traditions that will last a lifetime. Please join them!
Whether you’re a first-timer or an experienced horseman, enjoy an unforgettable guided expedition through beautiful woodlands on a horse chosen to match your skill level. Call for details and reservations. Enjoy a western-style guided ride on a horse chosen to match your skill level. Travel with fellow guests along beautiful trails through the woodlands and meadows of the estate.
Whether you’re riding for the first time in years, or are a seasoned racer, our goal is to help you! Our enthusiasm is contagious. We focus on high quality service in a timely manner and freely share our experience and knowledge. Our shop sells a broad selection of bikes and a wide variety of bicycle accessories to accommodate your needs.
The owner, Youngblood Haske, comes from a road racing background and has decades of experience as a professional bicycle mechanic. Our service manager, Chris Randall, and lead mechanic, Eric Ernst, are dedicated professionals who live cycling. They have years of maintenance experience and have both completed extensive training from Cannondale, Shimano, SRAM, Fox and Bosch e-bike systems as well as other brand partners.
Youngblood Bicycles is located in the heart of the cycling paradise, Asheville, North Carolina. Ask us about local routes on the road or trail. Trail maps are available for purchase. Ride recommendations are free!
Explore the estate via more than 20 miles of biking trails, access to which is free for all guests! Choose from our well-marked, single-track woodland dirt trails for a challenging ride, or our flat, paved trail along the French Broad River for a more leisurely ride. Bring your own bike or rent one from us. We offer two primary types of bikes: mountain bikes and hybrid bikes. Trail-a-Bikes (also called tag-alongs) and trailers are also available.
Biltmore’s Bike Barn, located on the second floor of Antler Hill Barn, is your one-stop location for all things biking. Please contact the Bike Barn directly with all rental inquiries. Rental bikes, trail-a-bikes, and trailers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No advance reservations are offered or required. We recommend guests who bring their own bikes check in for a trail map and current trail conditions.
Bike Barn hours vary seasonally; please see Estate Hours for current hours. Bike Rentals availability is weather-dependent and are sold through the Bike Barn and Outdoor Adventure Center only.
Prices are in addition to estate daytime admission, Biltmore Annual Pass, or overnight stay that includes estate daytime admission, and are subject to change and applicable tax. Passholders enjoy a 10% discount for themselves and one additional guest. Military and overnight guests enjoy a 10% discount. Reservations are not available or required, with the exception of guided group bike rides. Please visit the Bike Barn on the day of your visit for bike rentals. Bike rental availability is weather-dependent. Helmets are required.
Mountain Fly Anglers is a full-service guided fly fishing company. Creating an enjoyable and immersive experience is our goal. We achieve that through our professionalism and contouring our customers needs to create a unique experience on and off the water.
Located in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, we offer wade and float fly fishing trips that are geared towards education, conservation, river awareness, and of course leaving you with an unforgettable outdoor experience in these beautiful mountains that we call home.
Whether you’re a novice or expert angler, our fly guides can personally customize a trip and create an unforgettable fly fishing experience.
I am a lifelong cyclist, enjoying the aspects of both road and mountain bike culture. My entire adult life has been in bicycle retail. Beginning my career in 1974, I began as a bicycle mechanic, moved on to manage a high end shop, then opened and operated my own pro shop for over 25 years. Throughout this period I never lost interest in the mechanical development of cycling: I very much enjoy building wheels, complete frame builds, and restoring both mountain and road bikes.
BikeWorks in Sylvania, Ohio was my life for the past 28 years. The shop expanded and changed with the times from a small retail space to a larger location that made space for custom bike and fit studio, establishing BikeWorks as northwest Ohio’s premier bike shop.
Through the decades, I was witness to the monumental advancements in cycling technology that have revolutionized bikes and the way people ride them: new frame materials, electronic shifters, disc brakes, and carbon fiber advancements to name a few.
Through these same decades, I was at the forefront of fit training and technology: FitKit, Pro Bike Fit, Trek School of Fitting, Paul Swift and since 2009, 3D Motion Capture by Retul. It is with the advancement of fit technology that my career has taken shape from a retail store owner to a custom bike and fit expert.
Having the knowledge, expertise and tools to connect a customer to a one of a kind custom bike has been the most satisfying aspect of my years in the bicycle world.
My collection of personal bikes ranges from restored vintage race bikes to cutting edge road and mountain bikes, custom road, mountain and randonneur bikes and tandems. My enthusiasm as a cyclist, collector and purveyor of fine cycling products has only grown over the years and continues to fuel my passion as a business owner. It is with great excitement that I bring my experience to Asheville, North Carolina as Tangent Cycles.
