The Asheville Playbook / Hiking
Free Trail Playbook · 15 hikes

Hike it like a local.

Fifteen Asheville hikes, from Black Balsam and Max Patch to the quiet trails most visitors never find, with the tips that make each one better.

  • Which way to walk, when to go and where to keep going once everyone else stops
  • Eight hidden gems, including Sam Knob, Lover's Leap and Rainbow Falls
  • Trail status checked November 2026, after the Helene repairs

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15 hikesSeven classics and eight hidden gems.
Insider tipsThe details repeat visitors learn the hard way.
Current statusEvery trail checked after Helene, November 2026.
Any seasonIncluding the winter-safe hikes when the Parkway closes.
What's inside

Balds, waterfalls and granite summits.

Every list of Asheville hikes has the same famous names. Ours has them too, done the way locals do them, plus the trails we'd only tell a friend about.

Photo: Hunter Ward, CC BY 2.0
Balds & Views

Above the treeline

  • Black Balsam Knob
  • Max Patch
  • Craggy Pinnacle
  • Sam Knobgem
  • Bearwallow Mountaingem
  • Waterrock Knobgem
Photo: Gary Stevens from Asheville NC, CC BY 2.0
Waterfalls

Chase the water

  • Catawba Falls
  • Graveyard Fields
  • The Pisgah Waterfall Loop
  • DuPont: Hooker, Triple & High Falls
  • Rainbow & Turtleback Fallsgem
Photo: mrksteele04, Public domain
Summits & Rock

Earn the view

  • Lover's Leap, Hot Springsgem
  • Devil's Courthousegem
  • John Rockgem
  • Looking Glass Rockgem
Built for planning

Plan your trail days in one sitting.

Hiking guides tell you where the trail is. This one tells you how to have the best day on it, and whether it's actually open right now.

A one-page overviewAll 15 at a glance with type, season, length and drive time.
Quick picks by crewBig views, waterfall days, easy family hikes, earn-it climbs and winter-safe picks.
Local tips on every pagePlus season, distance from Asheville and current trail status.
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Free · 11 printable pages

Your Asheville trail days, already planned.

Download it now, save it to your phone before you lose signal, and spend your trip on the trail instead of in the parking lot.

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The Trail Playbook cover