Category: Day Hikes

Shining Rock wilderness is our guide's favorite day hike. Offering multiple summits over 6,000’ with panoramic views and a quartzite capped summit that can be seen for miles. Shining Rock Summit is the best day hike in Western North Carolina. We will start out our morning with a rendezvous in Asheville or at the trailhead; whatever is more convenient based on your location. We start our hike with a short ascent to Black Balsam Mountain at 6,214’ in elevation with 360° views. From there we will hike to Tennent Mountain at 6,065’ in elevation with mountain vistas ranging as far away as 60+ miles. Tennent Mountain also offers an interesting perspective on Black Balsam, Shining Rock Wilderness and Looking Glass rock. From Tennent Mountain it’s a short hike to our picnic location, Ivestor Gap. After lunch we will continue on to Shining Rock for exploration and a well deserved rest. This will take us to the most remote and scenic mountain top you may ever get to experience. Not to mention the geological rarity that is Shining Rock. We will spend ample time here relaxing, refueling and most importantly taking in the amazing scenery. Following up our break on Shining Rock we will be taking another trail back to the trailhead.

This package gives you the power to make your hike a once in a lifetime opportunity. With guides who have grown up exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, we can take you to the most remote peaks or a crisp and clear mountain swimming hole. We want this hike to be exclusively for you! Tell us what terrain, scenery, distance and difficulty you are looking for, then leave the rest of the work to us! If you have a particular destination you're wanting to hike to, please let us know! Examples are: Pisgah National Forest, Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail, and many more. With the most accommodating and knowledgeable guides in the Southeast, there is an excellent chance we can get you to your destination.

This package gives you the power to make your hike a once in a lifetime opportunity. With guides who have grown up exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains, we can take you to the most remote peaks, iconic waterfalls, remote swimmin' holes or a short exploratory hike around Asheville. We want this hike to be exclusively for you! Tell us what terrain, scenery, distance and difficulty you're looking for, then leave the rest of the work to us! If you have a particular destination you're wanting to hike to, please let us know! Examples are: Pisgah National Forest, Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachian Trail, and many more. With the most accommodating and knowledgeable guides in the Southeast, there is a good chance we can get you to your destination. In style, with a picnic lunch! Are you chasing the SB6K? This hike is for you, with multiple South Beyond 6,000 summits within our reach we can help you accomplish these remote and unforgiving peaks. To include the off-trail peaks, which Evan will argue is the best hiking in the Appalachians. We also offer overnight trips into these remote area and recommend that for the longer, off-trail peaks. Not sure what SB6k is, its well worth a google search if your an adventurer or aspiring adventurer. Please don't venture off-trail without expert knowledge, a map, compass, GPS, backpacking and survival essentials as well as a cell phone!!! This is why we're here, let us take you into these remote areas (that the park service does NOT service) if you have the slightest doubt of your abilities you shouldn't be going there with out an expert!

This experience is not for the faint hearted. We will start out our morning meeting up an hour before sunrise starts at the base of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Typically sunrise is around 6:30am eastern time, this time fluctuates depending on the time of year. Your guide will double check you have the required gear and that your head lamp is functioning. We keep spare lamps and batteries on us if you have a malfunction or need a headlamp let us know. Upon verifying all gear is in working order and everyone has their supplies we will start a short, 30 minute, drive up the parkway to the trailhead. We will hike a total of 1.5 miles round trip with the initial ascent only taking us 20 minutes or so. Your guide will verify everyone is in a safe location and proceed to make fresh coffee as you enjoy the sunrise of your life with your loved ones. Once the sun has risen and the colors have dissipated we will hike out and be able to enjoy the 360° views we missed on the way up the mountain in the dark.

We will start our morning meeting at your hotel or one of several central bakeries in Asheville that provides our guides favorite breakfast biscuit sandwiches. Once we have all met and gone over the days itinerary, procured breakfast if you're hungry, we will hop on the world-famous Blue Ridge Parkway and start our adventure. We will stop at multiple overlooks on the way to the trailhead. Once we reach the trailhead it’s a short climb to our first summit, Black Balsam Knob at 6,214’. This view offers an astonishing 360° view of endless valleys, ridge lines, cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Including views of the famous Shining Rock and Shining Rock Wilderness. After soaking up the views and exploring the summit we will adventure on towards Tennent Mountain at 6056’. This part of our hike will boast Rhododendron thickets, Balsam Fir Groves, Blueberries and Blackberries during late summer, and an amazing plethora of plant life.  Tennent Mountain offers amazing views of Black Balsam and the surrounding landscape to include an interesting birds eye perspective on Looking Glass Rock and Shining Rock. After time to soak up the views from Tennent Mountain we will hike down the mountain to Ivestor Gap and enjoy a Backcountry Picnic Lunch in a high elevation meadow. Following lunch we will take another route back to the trailhead.

We will start out our trip meeting approximately two hours before sunset at the base of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Sunset time fluctuates heavily depending on the time of year in the Appalachian Mountains. When you book this trip we will confirm the meeting time and location. Your guide will double check you have the required gear and that your head lamp is functioning. We keep spare lamps and batteries on us if you have a malfunction or need a headlamp let us know Upon verifying all gear is in working order and everyone has their supplies, we will start a short 30 minute drive up the parkway to the trailhead. We will hike a total of 1.5-5 miles (custom location and distance for every trip) round trip with the initial ascent only taking us 20 minutes or so. Your guide will verify everyone is in a safe location and proceed to make sure everyone has a cold, locally-sourced, beverage in their hand. At this point the sky is getting colorful and you're set-up for an epic Appalachian sunset. If seeking to take in a more remote and solitude sunset we have additional options requiring 2-5 miles of hiking. This is treated as a half day hike and will be priced accordingly due to the amount of time it takes to complete. $290.00 for 3 hikers with an additional $40.00 per hiker. We will be meeting approximately 3.5 hours before sunset in Asheville for this adventure.

Just like the title says, views and then brews. That's the agenda for this hike, in that order. We will start out the morning meeting locally in Asheville or at the trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a short 20-40 minute drive from town depending on the scenery of your choosing. This hike will take you to a fire tower, remote rocky crag with sweeping mountain views or a large cliff face with sweeping high mountain vistas. These hikes range in distance from 3-5 miles. Following the hike we will meet back in town at a local brewery and enjoy a cold brew on us.