Overview

There are several great beaches in the mountains of Western North Carolina that are so much fun. Here's a great list to get you started on your next adventure:

  1. Lake Powhatan - me and Dad visit this lake beach regularly. They have swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, a waterfall, and lots of nature.
  2. Lake Lure - this beach is one of a kind when it comes to mountain beaches. They have a small waterpark and a small town area around the lake. We also bumped into some people fishing with their feet for fresh water clams at the deep end of the swimming area.
  3. Lake James - we love traveling to this lake to meet friends for the day. It's a great mountain beach with lots of water spots including SUP boards, boats, and more.
  4. Lake Fontana - in the finger-lakes section of this lake, there is a beach. If you rent a pontoon boat like we did, you can find a bunch of small beach areas along the lakeside.
  5. Wildcat Lake - we have not been here yet, but it is on our list!
  6. Lake Glenville - this is another mountain beach that we have not experienced, but we are heading that way soon!

Quick Info

  • Level Easy
  • Duration 2-5 hours
  • Swimmer Kids-Adults
  • Age 1-100
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Suitable

  • Parents and children
  • Families who love the water
  • Kids who love water adventures
  • Parents who want their kids to experience more water activity

Restrictions

  • Minimum age: 1 year old
  • If allowed, pets must have their shots and be leashed
  • No smoking or alcoholic beverages
  • Kids must be supervised

More activities

Waterfalls

There are so many beautiful waterfalls in the mountains of Western North Carolina! Me and Dad love having waterfall adventures here:
  1. Hooker Falls - this has been our go-to waterfall for many years. A short hike and lot of fun. There is also a place where you can go behind the waterfall and a place where you can jump off of the waterfall, but not recommended.
  2. Looking Glass Falls - easy to get to and a great swimming hole. See our video there.
  3. Triple Falls - no swimming, but a great place to hike, and plus you can see where a part of the Hunger Games was filmed.
  4. Catawba Falls - a nice hike that is over a mile with so many small waterfalls on the way. See our hiking video to the falls.
  • Easy-Medium
  • 2-5 hours
  • Kids-Adults

Cycling

There are many great places to go cycling in the mountains of Western North Carolina! We love biking around the mountains. Here are some great spots;
  1. Lake Powhatan - this lake is surrounded by a biking trail but part of it is through the woods so you need to walk it first to get familiar with the terrain. There are also many other dirt trails going up in the woods, but requires more experience.
  2. Carrier Park - this is a great place to bike around the track and it also connect to the greenway!
  3. Bent Creek - there are many biking trails along this creek, but always be careful and wear your safety gear.
  4. Asheville Greenways - make sure you check out more options on the City of Asheville website!
  • Easy-Medium
  • 1-4 hours
  • Kids-Adults

Sports & Recreation

There are many great sports and recreation activities to do in the mountains of Western North Carolina! Several organizations offer team activities, but here are some other things that you can do:
  1. Basketball, Volleyball, Cycling, and Roller Skating at Carrier Park
  2. Bowling in West Asheville or East Asheville
  3. Disc Golf, Volleyball, and Soccer at the Buncombe County Sports Park
  4. Tennis, Basketball, and Swimming at Malvern Hills Park
Also see the Asheville Sports Commission. Now if you are an adult looking for some fun sports activities for yourself, check out the Asheville Sport & Social Club.
  • Easy-Medium
  • 1-4 hours
  • Kids-Adults

Camping

There are many great places to go camping in the mountains of Western North Carolina! We love to camp and even took a camping trip to the beach not too long ago. Here are some spots to check out:
  1. Catawba Falls Campground - we went camping here right before we went hiking to see the waterfall at Catawba Falls. Such a great spot with RV sites, cabins, and tent sites.
  2. Lake Powhatan - a great place to camp with so many outdoor activities to do.
  3. KOA Candler - another great camping spot on the west side of town.
  4. KOA Swannanoa - Nana loved going to this spot because they have a pool!
  • Easy
  • 1-2 days
  • Kids-Adults