There is a reason road-trippers from across the country circle Asheville, North Carolina, on their maps. The scenic drives Asheville offers — including the legendary Blue Ridge Parkway — rank among the most visually stunning in the entire country. Rolling mountain ridges, ancient hardwood forests, pastoral valleys, and plunging gorges appear around every turn.
If you are planning a trip to Asheville and want to experience the surrounding landscape by car, this guide covers the best routes, timing, and tips for making the most of every mile.
Why Asheville Is the Ultimate Road Trip Base
Asheville’s geography is unusual. Rather than sitting in a valley or on a flat coastal plain, it perches on a high plateau at the convergence of several mountain ridges. This means that no matter which direction you drive out of the city, you are climbing or descending through genuinely dramatic terrain within minutes of leaving the urban core.
The Blue Ridge Parkway runs directly through the city’s eastern edge, giving visitors immediate on-ramp access to one of America’s most celebrated scenic byways. Pisgah National Forest begins less than twenty minutes to the south. The Appalachian Trail corridor is accessible in multiple directions. Asheville is, in short, extraordinarily well-placed for a road tripper.
The Blue Ridge Parkway: Essential Driving
No visit to Asheville is complete without at least a partial drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The section immediately north of Asheville passes through the Craggy Gardens — a high-elevation heath bald famous for its catawba rhododendron blooms in June — before delivering a series of expansive overlooks that take in views stretching forty to sixty miles on clear days.
Heading south from Asheville, the Parkway climbs above 6,000 feet through the Black Balsam area and the highest point on the entire 469-mile route. Even a two-hour out-and-back drive in either direction will yield dozens of worthy photo stops.
Best Off-Parkway Scenic Routes
NC-215 Through Pisgah Forest
NC-215 is the road locals recommend to visitors who want something less traveled. This forest highway climbs steeply through old-growth trees and delivers views into the headwaters of the East Fork Pigeon River. The route connects to the Parkway at Beech Gap and passes near the iconic Skinny Dip Falls swimming area.
US-276 and the Waterfall Corridor
US-276 from Brevard to the Blue Ridge Parkway may be the most waterfall-dense highway in the eastern United States. Looking Glass Falls — a 60-foot curtain waterfall visible from the road — anchors the route, which also passes Sliding Rock and provides access to dozens more cascades via short hiking trails.
Timing Your Drive for Maximum Impact
October is peak season for autumn color drives along every route near Asheville. Expect heavy weekend traffic on the Blue Ridge Parkway during the first three weekends of October, and plan for parking to fill early at popular overlooks by mid-morning. Weekday drives or early-morning weekend starts significantly reduce congestion.
Spring drives are equally beautiful and far less crowded. Wildflower blooms begin in the lower elevations in March and work their way up through May, creating a rolling botanical spectacle across the entire mountain zone.
Practical Road Trip Tips
Download offline maps before departing — cell coverage on forest roads and sections of the Parkway is spotty. Keep your fuel tank above half at all times, as gas stations are rare once you leave the city. Pack layers regardless of the season; mountain temperatures can drop 10–15 degrees compared to Asheville’s valley floor, and conditions change rapidly at elevation.
Respect wildlife crossings, especially at dawn and dusk. Bears, deer, wild turkeys, and occasionally elk are all regular visitors to mountain roadways, and wildlife collisions are a genuine risk on lower-speed forest routes.
Conclusion
The scenic drives in Asheville and its surrounding mountains are a masterclass in natural beauty. Whether you dedicate a full day to the Blue Ridge Parkway or spend an afternoon winding through Pisgah’s forest roads, the scenery around Asheville rewards every mile. Get an early start, keep the windows down, and let the mountains unfold at their own magnificent pace.
