Autumn/Fall Trip to North Carolina

“Take Vacations. Go as many places as you can. You can always make money.You can’t always make memories”

So true, isn’t it? I love taking vacations. Vibrant display of yellow, orange and red color leaves had always amazed me. Since we moved to United States in 2013, it was on my wish list to go on a fall vacation. One hardly gets to witness fall foliage in Florida.

In October 2015, we started planning a short trip, as it was beginning of an autumn season in most states. Many cities in east coast or northeast coast of United States display vivid fall colors. As it was a last minute plan, we decided to take a road trip nearby. While researching, we found places like Asheville and Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina; known for their scenic beauty. Mountain ranges around Asheville puts on one of the longest-running autumn leaf color displays in the country.

Thus we finalized 3 days road trip to FL-GA-SC-NC. We booked our stay at Grafton Lodge located in Lake Lure, NC for 2 nights.

Day-wise Trip Details :

Day 1 – Friday: Visit DuPont State Forest

DuPont Forest located in North Carolina features four major waterfalls on the Little River and several on the Grassy Creek. Hiking to High Falls, Triple falls, Hooker and Bridal Veils Falls is what most visitors do in this forest.

Day 2 – Saturday: Visit South Mountains State Park and Linville Falls

South Mountains State Park is located in North Carolina which is around 65-70 miles from Asheville. It features elevations to 3,000 feet, an 80-foot waterfall, mountain streams and more than 40 miles of trails. High Shoals Falls is the best attraction of this park. The hike to the falls along the cascading river and boardwalk is scenic. One can visit the park during autumn to witness the fall foliage and waterfalls.

Linville Falls is the most photographed waterfalls in North Carolina. It falls from a 90 feet height into the 12 mile long Linville Gorge. It is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the trail around has many overlooks for visitors providing scenic view of the waterfalls.

Day 3 – Sunday: Visit Lake Lure and Blue Ridge Parkway

Lake Lure is one of the most beautiful lakes in North Carolina. It is located in the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains, 25 miles away from Asheville. There is a small park on one side of the lake and a beach on the other.

Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 mile parkway starting from Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Mountain meadows, scenic overlooks and natural beauty along side the way makes it the most popular attraction; especially during fall season.