Having the Blue Ridge parkway so close is such a convenience. It is just so easy to go for a drive, stop by at a nice overlook and make a day out of it with a nice dinner along the many pretty towns dotting the parkway. That is exactly what we did last weekend. We started from Johnson City around 2 pm and drove to Blue Ridge Parkway via Asheville. As always the drive along the parkway itself was a delight and the one and half hour that it took for us to reach the trailhead was very enjoyable.
There are two places where one can access the Craggy Garden trail. Driving northbound from Asheville you will see a turn on the left for the picnic area. This is a short drive up the mountain to the parking lot. If you continue on the parkway instead of taking the left you would reach the visitor center in 3 miles. We parked at the picnic area and started the trail from there. The picnic area has quite a few picnic tables and a restroom. The trail from picnic area to the visitor center is about 0.8 miles. About halfway into the trail we reached a Shelter where we met a chatty couple (for the most part the wife being chatty and the husband trying to get going). There is a spur that goes on the right side of the shelter when approaching from the picnic area which appears like the trail, but it is not. The aforementioned chatty couple said that there was not much of a view along that spur so we just decided to continue on the trail past the shelter. The visitor center is probably a 5-7 min hike from the shelter. The trail is in a very good shape, with green tunnels and nice wildflowers all along the trail.
The visitor center is very pretty with scenic views all around. For first timers I would certainly recommend starting the trail from the Visitor center access. One can also see a nice view of the Craggy Pinnacle from the visitor center. We had a little picnic by the visitor center while enjoying the great view all around. I can imagine this to be a very nice spot for watching sunset. It would be even better to watch it from the Craggy pinnacle which is a 1.4 mile hike up the mountain. The trail head for Craggy Pinnacle is just another mile or so northbound on Blue Ridge Parkway past the tunnel. We decided to do that some other day.
We then drove back to Asheville, about a 20 min drive, for dinner. We decided to spend some time strolling downtown since we were still early for dinner. The Asheville urban trail is a good way to explore downtown if you have some free time. It is not so much of trail but a walk around the town appreciating the hipster ambience and the interesting street art installed along the way. We were also treated to quite a few road performers playing country music along the walkways. Asheville has a very energetic appearance to it and the myriad restaurants/food joint lacing the streets and bursting at seams with patron add to the appeal. We stopped for dinner at a Mediterranean place called Jerusalem Cafe which does not have much to talk about. The food was good but not great, the ambience even more uninspiring and I really don't like to talk much about a mediterranean place if their Hummus and Baklava are both not out of the ordinary. (But then again we are spoilt by the good Mediterranean we have had elsewhere - Charleston?).
We then drove back to Asheville, about a 20 min drive, for dinner. We decided to spend some time strolling downtown since we were still early for dinner. The Asheville urban trail is a good way to explore downtown if you have some free time. It is not so much of trail but a walk around the town appreciating the hipster ambience and the interesting street art installed along the way. We were also treated to quite a few road performers playing country music along the walkways. Asheville has a very energetic appearance to it and the myriad restaurants/food joint lacing the streets and bursting at seams with patron add to the appeal. We stopped for dinner at a Mediterranean place called Jerusalem Cafe which does not have much to talk about. The food was good but not great, the ambience even more uninspiring and I really don't like to talk much about a mediterranean place if their Hummus and Baklava are both not out of the ordinary. (But then again we are spoilt by the good Mediterranean we have had elsewhere - Charleston?).
In summary Craggy Gardens is definitely recommended if you are looking for fantastic views, a short hike, beautiful sunset and a drive around the parkway.
:)
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