Last Updated on June 25, 2024
Your stash of sidewalk chalk is worn down to nubs. There’s glitter in the grout of your countertops. And you’ve personally seen this episode of “Paw Patrol” three times so far this week.
When does school start back?
It may feel like your energy for keeping the kids busy is running out faster than summer break. But there are plenty of adventures across Western North Carolina that everyone in the family will love. Here are more than two dozen affordable summer activities available across WNC to try with your kids.
Enjoy a picnic in the park
Summer is a great time to take advantage of the many public parks and greenspaces around WNC. Pack a picnic lunch and head out to the riverbank with the kids. Or drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a must-stop picnic location. For an added bonus, take your picnic to the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater in Asheville for a performance from the Montford Park Players, the state’s longest running Shakespeare company.
Float down the river
Nothing cools you off in the summer like a dip in fresh mountain springwater! Enjoy floating down one of our local rivers, like the French Broad, with the whole family. All you need are an innertube (or rafting guide from French Broad Rafting) and some sunscreen. And your floaties, of course—safety first! For older kids, the rivers around Waynesville and in Polk County offer whitewater adventures they won’t soon forget!
Learn something new
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that your imagination should take a break, too. Keep your kids’ minds sharp with a visit to a local children’s museum. We recommend AMOS (Asheville Museum of Science) and Hands On! in Hendersonville. Both locations offer kids an opportunity to discover and explore, fostering lifelong curiosity.
Scream for ice cream
Summer isn’t summer without ice cream and popsicles! It’s fun to make your own, but there are plenty of local ice cream parlors to try if a craving hits while you’re out and about. We’re partial to The Hop in Asheville, Celtic Creamery and Piggy’s Ice in Hendersonville, and Dolly’s Ice Cream in Brevard.
Become a pinball wizard
No quarters are necessary to visit the pinball museums in Asheville or Hendersonville. A modest entrance fee is all you need to play all day on their classic and more modern machines. Asheville Retrocade in West Asheville is another great option for kids of all ages! They offer more than 5,000 video games, pinball, skeeball, foosball, and more. Plus, mom and dad can grab a beer while the kids play!
Have a BBQ
In the South, the smells and tastes of summer always include burgers, baked beans, and barbecue. Enjoy a cookout at home, or take the whole family out for dinner at one of the top barbecue restaurants in WNC. Brevard alone has four BBQ spots we recommend you try. We guarantee you won’t have to argue about finishing your plate!
Party in the street
WNC summer festivals are going strong this season and make great summer activities for kids! Watch your kids get their boogie on at the upcoming Mountain Dance & Folk Festival in Asheville. Find an event on the Village Green in Cashiers. Or hula hoop your hips off at White Squirrel Weekend in Brevard. And save the date for one of the area’s many Labor Day celebrations, including Canton’s Labor Day festival—the oldest in the Southeast!
Enjoy America’s pastime
Take the whole family out to a ball game. The Asheville Tourists have attracted baseball fans of all ages for well over 100 years! While you’re there, don’t forget the peanuts and Cracker Jack, and root, root, root for our home team. You know the rest….
Hit the tracks
Located in Bryson City, a short drive from Waynesville or Highlands, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers family-friendly diesel or steam train excursions from their historic depot. Enjoy many kid-friendly options for traveling in style through our mountains by train. Sit back and enjoy the views while they create an experience everyone in the family is sure to love!
Go for a hike
Work off some of your kids’ copious stores of energy on the trail! Whether you prefer the paved paths of your local park or a lookout over the Blue Ridge Parkway, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature and get a little dirty. Need a trail that’s more stroller friendly? Check out our list of the most accessible trails in the mountains. Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain offers a fun stroll, along with a playground and other facilities.
Experience the power of volunteering
We love our local nonprofits—especially those devoted to helping children! Teach your kids the value of giving back by diving into the mission of a local organization. There are plenty of single-day opportunities for volunteers of all ages, or you can find a local event that could use a few extra hands. Your local United Way is a great resource for finding volunteer opportunities.
Meet the local wildlife
There are a lot of bears around WNC, but if you see one in the wild, it’s best to stay away. Instead, visit the animals at the WNC Nature Center—all of them are native to our region! If you’re in Downtown Hendersonville, we also recommend stopping into Team ECCO, our local aquarium and shark lab. Or meet the animals in their natural habitat through a Cataloochee Valley Tour.
Make a splash
From community swimming pools to natural pools throughout our mountains, there are myriad natural and man-made swimming holes! Sliding Rock near Brevard is perhaps the most preeminent of them all—It’s a natural waterslide! (Be sure to coach kids on waterfall safety before heading out.) Kids too young for the pool will also love Splashville, Asheville’s seasonal interactive play fountain.
Practice your putt
Looking for an opportunity to mix outdoor sports with a big game safari and family-friendly competition? We’re big fans of WNC’s mini golf courses. Chimney Rock Adventure Golf is just one spot where you can enjoy the landscaping, sounds of the river, and views of Chimney Rock Mountain while you play. Choose from indoor or outdoor courses across the region, and watch out for the windmill!
Go on a scavenger hunt
An alley cat frozen in time. The center of the bullseye. A WWII bomber plane. It’s easy to build your own scavenger hunt. (All these suggestions can be found around Downtown Asheville.) Or look for family-friendly premade scavenger hunt lists online or from local tour companies. Another great tour option is LaZoom’s Lil Boogers comedy bus tour for kids. It’s the perfect blend of education and fun.
Mine for gems
There are many places across the mountains to try your hand at gem mining. We love the Maggie Valley Rock Shop and Gem Mine, as well as Emerald Village in Little Switzerland and Jackson Hole Gem Mine in Highlands. Kids will love sifting through the dirt to find minerals and precious stones. And the shops on site have great selections of fossils and other stones that are sure to inspire the imagination.
Have a family game night out
Did you know that Asheville has its very own board game cafe? At Well Played, one flat fee gets you access to an entire wall of board games for players of all ages! Never worry about missing pieces again. And don’t worry about the rules—their staff will help acquaint you with the games. Try their kid-friendly snacks while you’re there, like dino nuggets and ice cream floats.
Climb to the treetops
Fly through the air with the greatest of ease! The best summer activities for kids in WNC aren’t limited to the ground. Kids as young as four can enjoy a zip line adventure of the treetops, traveling down a cable wire over an open canopy as fast as gravity can propel them. From Asheville to Saluda to Bryson City, there’s a zip line company available near you.
Saddle up in horse country
Tryon has been one of the South’s top equestrian destinations for more than 100 years. Today, the town is known for its Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE), a 390-acre educational and recreational center that provides programs in nature study, outdoor recreation, and equestrian competition. Nearby in Mill Spring, the Tryon International Equestrian Center hosts regular horse competitions across 10 riding arenas.
Be superheroes for a day
Your kids don’t want to wait for Halloween. They want to dress up like Batman today! Take them somewhere where their imagination is encouraged—your local comic book shop. You can find comics, toys, and more for kids of all ages. And many host events year round. Main Street Comics in Marshall is just one great option.
Go green
Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, the North Carolina Arboretum offers tons of opportunities to get outside and explore! Their youth and family programs make it easy to learn STEM skills. And the Nature Discovery Room lets you observe live animals in realistic habitats. Another great option for exploring local flora is the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, a color-filled dreamspace spanning a pedestrian bridge.
Choose your own adventure
Battle pirates for buried treasure. Fly through outer space to rescue the damsel in distress. Solve the mystery of the missing chocolate chip cookie. It’s all available to you—within the pages of a book! Visit your local library or independent bookstore to begin your journey today. And don’t forget to ask about books written by local authors!
Take a bite of the season’s best
There are so many reasons to love your local farmers market! Show your kids how much fun it can be to shop local and eat local, all in one place. While you’re there, try something new and bring home fresh produce to prepare together. It’s a memory and a skill they’ll have for life. Other options: explore the WNC Cheese Trail or find a roadside farm stand at a farm near you.
Go stargazing
Did you know you can rent a telescope from the Buncombe County Library? If your kid loves to stay up late, stargazing could be a great activity to try. Visit the Asheville Astronomy Club during one of their public events or trek up to the Bare Dark Sky Observatory in Burnsville for a hands-on learning opportunity. Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) in Rosman also hosts stargazing during SkyTrek Observing Sessions throughout the year.
Take a vacation (in your hometown)
The suggestions above allow you to take advantage of what your hometown has to offer. But there’s still more to see! Spend a couple days pretending like you’re on vacation in your own hometown. It’s a great way to gain a new perspective of the landmarks you pass every day.
Need ideas? Check out the many community posts on the Allen Tate/Beverly-Hanks blog. Just put your town in the search bar and explore what comes up!
Find what feels like home in Western North Carolina
Western North Carolina is a mosaic of warm, welcoming communities. That’s one of the reasons why the region has soared in popularity in recent years! It is just as easy to discover a private rural community in Waynesville as it is an urban condominium building overlooking bustling Asheville, an artfully-designed master planned golf community in Henderson County, a home just off the upcoming Ecusta Trail in Brevard, or an historic neighborhood like Biltmore Forest.
Does that sound like the perfect lifestyle for you? Learn more about WNC communities and search for homes.
