Craggy Gardens Trail
Located off of a spur road off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville , this is a moderate hike with great long range mountain views , open balds and options to explore . The hike begins at Craggy Gardens picnic area and heads up through changing scenery and a series of gnarled trees on a beautiful , rocky trail before gaining a beautiful view of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains after about half a mile . Along the way hikers can look for short spur trails branching off to the left to a wooded mountain view . Hikers can continue on to find additional overlooks near the grassy bald where there is a large wooden picnic pavlion . Beyond the grassy area near the pavilion there is an additional overlook that peers down toward the Swannanoa Valley below with views of the Blue Ridge Parkway . The forest features a unique ecosystem with numerous wildflower species and large trees that have been shaped and twisted by the strong winds . Seasonal highlights are the rhodendron blooms of late spring and the fall foliage of early October .
Getting There : From downtown Asheville head to the Blue Ridge Parkway via the route of your choice and proceed to the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area . Numerous picnic tables can be found , as well as trash receptacles and bathrooms . The trailhead starts at the far end of the parking lot and heads uphill to the summit views after around one mile in total length . One thing to keep in mind is that the high elevation of this hike makes it around 10 degrees cooler than Asheville and the weather can often be dramatically different than the weather found in the valley below .
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