Do you ever wonder if those cute little towns in movies exist? For all you Lifetime movie, nature junkies, I have the perfect town for you!!! Brevard, North Carolina has more charm than one of those bachelors vying for a rose every week. 🙂 We were blessed a couple years ago to receive a Young Life camp assignment at Carolina Point, which is right outside of this gorgeous little town. We got to spend three and a half weeks soaking up the breath taking scenery and good eats Brevard had to offer.
Outdoor Junkies
Brevard is nestled in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This town is surrounded by beautiful waterfalls. This place is a hikers dream! If you’re thinking “I am NOT a hiker!”, don’t fear! There are waterfalls that require little to no hiking! My favorite waterfall was Triple Falls. One part of the Hunger Games was filmed here.
We also visited Sliding Rock. This is a rock that has naturally made a slide that flows right into some very cold water! I hope that we can return here. The day we went it was overcast and began to rain, so the water was freezing. All I remember is sliding, thinking this is fun, and BAM! I got the wind knocked out of me. I hit the water and it was so cold that I questioned whether they trucked this water in from Antarctica. Thank the Lord above that the exit was only a couple feet from where I landed because I was gasping for air telling myself “just keep swimming”. As I get out, I see people running back to the line to go again….CRAZY…
We were able to hike to several other waterfalls and mountain tops. Every waterfall and mountain was gorgeous and a reminder of how amazing our Earth is. Here are more pictures!
- Slick Rock Falls
- Twin Falls
- Looking Glass Falls
- Hooker Falls
- Sassafrass Mountain
- Pisgah National Forest
- Dupont State Forest
- Gorges State Park
Downtown
After you enjoy the great outdoors, you must head in town and wander around the downtown! It has the cutest boutique stores and restaurants all located in walking distance of each other. We ventured into the cutest toy store, O.P. Taylor’s, that had a great selection of toys new and old. We even saw some amazing Ghostbuster collectibles! Victor had the great American barber experience at West Main Barbershop. It looked like it came straight from the 50’s. My favorite shop was Theophilus. It had the cutest things which included household items and clothes. I must have had so much fun downtown that I honestly didn’t snap that many pictures. Aren’t these the cutest little girls around. 😉
Amazing Eats
We had a variety of great foods during our stay! While downtown, Rocky’s Soda Shop is a must! When entering you feel like you have traveled back in time to the 50’s. They serve awesome shakes, burgers, specialty hot dogs and much more! We also enjoyed The HobNob, Marco Trattoria, and The Square Root. I loved that most downtown eateries had outdoor seating. The majority of our stay, we had gorgeous weather so we opted for outdoor eating most of the time. Being from Texas we are pretty picky about our BBQ but you can’t visit North Carolina and not eat their version. They had great pulled pork. Their BBQ sauce is vinegar based which is different that what I’m usually accustomed to, a tomato base. They have a tomato based BBQ sauce but I’ll tell ya to stick with what they are experts at. 😉 Our most frequent stop was Dolly’s Dairy Bar! They had the most amazing ice cream options. I tried something different every time and was never disappointed!
Places to Stay
Brevard has a variety of places to stay. They have chain hotels, local inns, houses, camping, or cabins. Prices range from super affordable to luxury. It just depends on what needs you have. Questions you may want to ask yourself, “What do I want to be near?” “Do I want the option of cooking for myself?” “Do I want to get the entire outdoor experience?” “How large is my group?” “Continental breakfast?” The biggest thing I would suggest is do not wait to book. We had friends come visit us last minute and the prices became outrageous. I would recommend doing your research and checking a variety of booking websites like AirB&B, Vibro, Hotels.com, and Home Away. Check this website for your camping options.
Surrounding Towns and Adventures
Here is a list of more adventures in Brevard
- Crystal Mountain Gem Mine
- Silvermont Mansion
- Sherwood Forest Golf Club
- Headwaters Outfitters, river rentals
- Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education (feed the fish!)
If you want to venture outside of Brevard you have great options! Hendersonville is about 30 minutes away and has it’s own amazing tourist options such as Flat Rock Play House, Hands on Children’s Museum, and many hiking options. If you continue another 17 miles past Hendersonville, you can visit Chimney Rock. This is one of the most iconic travel sites in the state and has been featured in movies! We weren’t able to make it over there but I am anxious to go back and hike to the top of this rock!
Another option is to head north and spend some time in Asheville. This is a larger city and is home to the famous Biltmore Estates. They offer tours but in my opinion, they are a little pricey. For an adult it is 40 dollars. No matter what you decide you will have an amazing trip!
Visit Brevard’s tourist website for more information! Here are more pictures in case you are questioning whether this place is amazing! 😉
Barrons on the go... 