Morning pick-up at your Asheville Hotel. Travel one hour to Lake James, where we will gear up for paddle boarding in this forest-framed lake with views of distant rolling hills.  Next, we shuttle to the Blue Ridge Parkway, “America’s Favorite Drive,” featuring long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. Hike up Rough Ridge Trail where you’ll have stunning landscape views of rolling hills studded with trees as far as the eye can see. Transfer to Blowing Rock before checking into Chetola Resort. The welcome dinner at the Speckled Trout is sure to please and recharge your energy for the next day’s adventure.

About Chetola Resort Lodge

Chetola Resort at Blowing Rock is a 78-acre resort within walking distance of the quaint mountain village of Blowing Rock and surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Our group will reside in the Chetola Lodge during our stay which includes 42 well-appointed rooms with views of Chetola Lake or overlooking the beautiful grounds. Those staying at Chetola Resort have access to the Highlands Sports and Recreation Center, Chetola Lake, and the onsite trails which adjoin with 3,600-acre Moses Cone Park. The indoor heated pool, dry sauna, and Jacuzzi beckon guests after a day spent exploring the wilds of North Carolina.

Day two begins with a short 45 minute drive to Linville Falls, a spectacular three-tiered waterfall plunging into the Linville Gorge. Here, we prepare for a hike to the falls nestled in dense rock and forest where we’ll enjoy a riverside picnic lunch. Today’s adventures are not over, as we head to Cone Manor. Once a summer retreat for Moses H. Cone, this memorial park features the original manor, visitor center and hiking trails that we will be exploring together.  This afternoon, we enjoy the amenities of Chetola Resort with different options like swimming, fishing, or hiking the nearby trails of Cone Manor. Later, you’ll have some time to relax or wander around Blowing Rock. This charming small town has plenty of niche shops and boutiques to nose around in. Tonight you’ll feast in Boone at the Wild Craft Eatery.

Today’s activities revolve around hiking in Grandfather Mountain State Park. Grandfather Mountain has been an icon in North Carolina’s landscape for generations, offering stunning scenery and unmatched ecological diversity. To start our day, we can’t miss a trip across the Mile High Swinging Bridge, America’s highest suspension bridge spanning an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation. Afterward, we’ll begin our short, but challenging trek to MacRae Peak. Everyone will begin the scenic first half of the hike together; the second half is where the terrain gets challenging and is not for the faint of heart. You’ll embark up a series of cables and steep ladders to eventually summit MacRae Peak – quite the accomplishment! Those who don’t choose to get their adrenaline pumping on the second half of the trail will check out the nearby Grandfather Mountain Zoo. This evening you’ll be rewarded with some downtime all to yourself before enjoying dinner together at a local restaurant.

Get ready for another hike as we shuttle to Linville Gorge Wilderness Area this morning. We’ll trek among “the Chimneys”, dramatic rock formations along Linville Gorge’s Canyon rim. The trail is a bit of a roller coaster, taking you over some chimneys and around others for spectacular views. After lunch back at the base, we’ll transfer back towards Asheville where we check into our next accommodation: Antler Hill Village at Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore Estate is spread out across 8,000 acres and includes a French Renaissance castle built by George W. Vanderbilt in 1895.  Antler Hill Village is an area on the estate that highlights George Vanderbilt’s farming legacy and our centrally located lodging is just steps away from restaurants, shops, and outdoor activities galore. Tonight, enjoy dinner on your own at one of the nearby restaurants on the estate.

Antler Hill Village at Biltmore

The newest accommodation on the Biltmore Estate, the Village Hotel is located about two miles from the Biltmore House in the Antler Hill Village. A casual and relaxing way to extend your Biltmore experience, Antler Hill Village connects the estate’s past and present with dining, shopping, exhibits, the Farmyard, the Winery, and more. The Village Hotel is just a short stroll away from all that charming Antler Hill Village has to offer and is the perfect home base from which to enjoy Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate. The hotel’s amenities include a fitness center, heated outdoor pool, access to The Spa Biltmore (at the nearby Inn), and plenty of lovely in-room amenities that are sure to make your stay enjoyable.

This morning, a local historian leads our small group on a private behind-the-scenes tour through the Biltmore House. The Biltmore is an architectural jewel and the largest privately-owned house in the United States featuring nearly 179,000 square feet of floor space including 250 rooms. After we’ve spent a morning learning the fascinating stories of the Biltmore Estate, we’ll sit down to lunch at the Stables Café, a restaurant that was once the estate’s horse stable. This afternoon, take a stroll among the ground’s gardens to discover the nooks and crannies of the expansive, 8,000 acre estate. Enjoy a special delicious dinner with your guides tonight in Asheville to celebrate the end of a wonderful trip!

This morning, you may opt to enjoy a walk on the Biltmore Estate with your guides or choose to sleep in and eat a leisurely breakfast. Then it’s time to say our fond farewells, or as they say in the Carolinas… “Y’all come back now”! Your guides will drop you off at Asheville’s airport or hotels.

*Trip itineraries are subject to change without notice due to road, weather, and other factors outside of our control, for the safety and enjoyment of our guests, as deemed necessary and appropriate by Austin Adventures.