Things To Do
Hiking
There is limitless amounts of hiking around Asheville! Most trails you will have to drive at least 30 minutes to get to. Some popular ones nearby: Bearwallow Mountain, Waterrock Knob, Max Patch, Craggy Pinnacle, Catawba Falls, Graveyard Fields, Black Balsam. Or you can simply hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stop at the many overlooks to take in the mountain views!
Live Music
Tons of live music to explore around town! For ticketed events, check the calendars of Orange Peel, Asheville Yards, The Grey Eagle, Eulogy, and Orange Peel's new outdoor venue opening the weekend before our wedding: Hellbender. For casual spots with live music, check out Jack of the Wood, One World Brewing, Highland Brewing Company (our wedding venue!), French Broad Brewing, and Fitz and the Wolfe.
Restaurants
Asheville has a ton of great restaurants! We have Nine Mile listed here separately but some other favorites are Curate, Zambra, Mother, Plant (all vegan), Liberty House Cafe, Ukiah, Xico, Good Hot Fish, Haywood Common, Red Ginger...there's too many to name!
River Arts District
The River Arts District was one of the hardest hit areas during Hurricane Helene. It is still recovering but lots of shops and businesses still stand or have reopened. We highly encourage wandering this area, plus there's the greenway walking path along the river. Stop in Stephanie Ellis Jewelry (who designed our rings), newly reopened Marquee which has lots of art stalls and a bar, and much more. Plus, The Wedge is always a good spot to get food from a food truck or a beer. Anoche is one of Rylee's favorite bars in town focused on mezcal and tequila drinks.
Nantahala Outdoor Center
If you want to go whitewater rafting while here (we recommend it!), check out NOC. They offer trips on the iconic Nantahala River (about 1 hr 15 min from Asheville) as well as on the French Broad River just north of Asheville (30 min). Their Nantahala location also offers ziplining.
Davidson River Outfitters
If you want to try out fly fishing, check out Davidson River Outfitters in Brevard. It'll be about a 45 minute drive from Asheville. We've had great experiences fishing with them (plus they support the breast cancer fly fishing retreat Rylee has gone on). They have private sections of the Davidson River. It's peaceful and fun! Plus, there are multiple waterfalls like Looking Glass Falls, Sliding Rock, and more in nearby Pisgah National Forest to explore.
Nine Mile
This is one of our all time favorite restaurants and was where we shared one of our very first meals together. There are three locations so check what is closest to you. Get the Reggae Mylitis Big Up for an appetizer and thank us later.
The Hop Ice Cream Cafe
The Hop has been the backdrop to many memories and family and friend visits for us. They make all of their ice cream locally, often have unique and local ingredients, and have tons of non-dairy options. We'll have The Hop as dessert at the wedding!
Biltmore Estate
If you've never been to the Biltmore Estate, it is worth checking out! Don't have time for the full house tour? The grounds are well worth it with stunning gardens, green house, and tons of easy trails and river front walking paths.
LaZoom Tours
If you see purple buses around Asheville, that's LaZoom tours! They have a couple of options for a comedy tour (intermixed with Asheville history) and a music tour with a live band on the bus + more brewery stops. Fun Fact: Kevin has drummed on LaZoom before. It's a lot of fun and a great way to see the city. If you have kids, check the age restrictions.
DuPont State Recreational Forest
Dupont is a great place to go hiking! Easy to moderate trails but multiple waterfalls. About a 50 minute drive from Asheville.
Sliding Rock
Sliding Rock is a natural waterslide in the Pisgah National Forest. It's super fun to check out. It will definitely be busy on the weekends so if you're able to swing by on a weekday, it should be less busy.
Breweries & Cocktails
Asheville is known for having more breweries per capita than any other US city. Kevin notes that many of the breweries carry locally made Devil's Foot N/A beverages like sparkling lemonade or mocktails that he enjoys. Some favorites are The Wedge, New Belgium, Highland Brewing (our venue!), Burial or Forestry Camp. Some of Rylee's favorite places to get a cocktail are Anoche, Sovereign Remedies, The Times Bar, or Antidote.
