Nearby Attractions

The Birthplace of Forest Conservation in America, Forest Discovery Center, Pisgah National Forest

Cradle of Forestry

The Cradle of Forestry (20 miles) in America is the site of the first forestry school in America – the Biltmore Forest School, founded in 1898 by Dr. Carl Schenck, chief forester for George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate.

 

Triple Falls in Dupont State Forest, North Carolina

Dupont State Forest

The DuPont State Forest (15 miles) is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Hendersonville and Brevard, North Carolina. Its 10,400 acres of forest feature four major waterfalls on the Little River and several on the Grassy Creek.

 

Forest Fighting Exhibit; Holmes State Educational Forest, North Carolina

Holmes State Educational Forest

Holmes State Educational Forest (10 miles) is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. With rugged terrain, numerous rock outcroppings, and scenic vistas, it also offers a rich mixture of mountain hardwoods, rhododendron, flame azaleas, and a variety of wildflowers.

 

Looking Glass Falls in the Pisgah District of the Pisgah National Forest

USDA Forest Service

The Pisgah District of the Pisgah National Forest (20 miles) is a mecca for vacationers, naturalists and adventurers, offering a wide range of options for your recreating pleasure. Enjoy hiking and back-packing, camping, fishing, biking, horse-back riding, swimming, rock-climbing, car-touring, waterfalls, wildlife viewing, historical areas, and a variety of special programs. The main season runs from Memorial Day weekend through the change of the leaves in November.The mild southern climate means that most areas are accessible year-round, although since elevations go up to over 6000 feet, there is a high degree of variability to the weather. Summertime daily temperatures average in the 80's in the lower elevations to the 70's to near 80 on the ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

 

Smith-McDowell House Museum, Asheville, North Carolina

Smith-McDowell House Museum

Discover Smith-McDowell House (30 miles), Asheville’s first mansion and oldest surviving structure, now restored as a history museum.

Built by one of antebellum North Carolina’s most influential citizens, this National Register property was once the home of mayors, a Confederate Major, and friends of the Vanderbilts at nearby Biltmore Estate.

 

Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site, Asheville, North Carolina

Thomas Wolfe Memorial

Thomas Wolfe left an indelible mark on American letters. And his mother's boardinghouse in Asheville, North Carolina—now the Thomas Wolfe Memorial (30 miles)—has become one of literature's most famous landmarks. Named "Old Kentucky Home" by a previous owner, Wolfe immortalized the rambling victorian structure as "Dixieland" in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. A classic of American literature, Look Homeward, Angel has never gone out of print since its 1929 publication, keeping interest in Wolfe alive and attracting visitors to the setting for this great novel.

National Park Sites Nearby - located within a two hour drive of the park
Blue Ridge Parkway - 30 miles
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 50 miles
Cowpens National Battlefield - 55 miles
Kings Mountain National Military Park - 74 miles

Local Travel Information and Attractions
Henderson County Travel and Tourism

Nearby National Forests and North Carolina State Sites
Pisgah National Forest
Holmes Education State Forest
Dupont State Forest
Chimney Rock State Park
Thomas Wolfe Memorial
Vance Birthplace