Brevard Travel Guide
I’ve always been a beach person but I’ve fallen in love with the mountains in North Carolina. One of my favorite spots for venturing out to is Brevard. What’s great about it is you can go anytime of the year and while it has yummy restaurants and breweries, the highlight of the area is all the waterfalls.
Downtown Brevard near UpCountry Brewing
Arrival
You’ll want a car to get around. If you aren’t in driving distance, Brevard’s closest airport is Asheville, only about a 30 minute drive. Asheville hosts American, Delta and United but also lower cost airlines like Allegiant and Sun Country. Charlotte and Knoxville (and their airports) are both a 2 - 2.5 hour drive away. Atlanta is 3 hours so it’s pretty accessible by a flight + rental car from anywhere in the country.
You’ll need - and want - a car to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway near Brevard.
Stay
Brevard has both hotel and vacation rental options.
For hotels, we’ve stayed at the Hampton Inn just outside of downtown but very close to the entrance of Pisgah National Forest. There are some other chain options as well as smaller, independent hotels closer to the downtown area. We’ve also stayed in Asheville and just made the short drive to Brevard as well.
There are lots of vacation rentals and we’ve stayed as a couple:
This Airbnb is about a 15 minute drive to downtown Brevard and very close to DuPont National Forest. It’s a bit off the main road and a bit of a steep and windy way there but once you are there, it’s so worth it. The main house has two bedrooms downstairs and a living room and kitchen upstairs. It has a second building adjacent with two rooms with futons and an office area. There is a hot tub outside and beautiful grounds. It was super peaceful to stay there just surrounded by trees and nature. I’m sure during the winter without the leaves on the trees, you’ll have views of the mountains. The place has everything you’ll need for your stay but isn’t a far drive to a grocery store. And, they allowed pets!
The beautiful backyard of an Airbnb in Penrose, just outside of Brevard.
We’ve also stayed at this Airbnb. It’s in Mills River which is about halfway in between Brevard and Asheville - an ideal spot to be able to explore both awesome cities. Like the prior one, it’s also off the main road with a steep driveway but the end result is a quiet stay with amazing views of the mountains at any time of year. It also backs up (literally, as you can see the sign out the window) to the Pisgah National Forest and has access to trails that you can venture out on to. It has 5 bedrooms so it’s good for a group with plenty of things you’ll need for your stay for adults, kids and pets!
Views from the Mills River Airbnb just outside of Brevard.
See
The biggest draw in the Brevard area is nature. We love both the Pisgah National Forest and the DuPont State Recreational Forest - both with waterfalls and a plethora of trails to explore.
My favorite is Pisgah National Forest because it is attached to the Blue Ridge Parkway and has a waterfall literally just off the road - no hiking needed. The entrance to this forest is outside of downtown Brevard, you’ll pass it if you drive from Asheville to downtown Brevard on highway 64. Once in the forest there are plenty of picnic spots along the road and trails to explore. But without even doing anything but driving, you’ll pass Looking Glass Falls. Parking is limited and it’s often crowded as it requires no hiking whatsoever. For a mid-level hike you can go see Moore Cove Falls, a unique waterfall that you can walk behind. Eventually I want to do some longer hikes to see Graveyard Falls and Skinny Dip Falls off the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you’re just looking for a scenic drive, you can start in Pisgah on route 276 off 64 and go up to, and along, the parkway and take 215 south back towards 64. I definitely suggest this one in the fall for the epic colors.
Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest
Also beautiful and fun to explore is DuPont State Recreational Forest. About 20 miles up the other side of 276 off highway 64 is DuPont. Like Pisgah they have easy and hard trails. One trail can get you two waterfalls in one - High Falls and Triple Falls. While the trails aren’t long, some parts are pretty darn steep. But, the waterfalls are awesome. Triple Falls was actually even used in a scene for the Hunger Games! Hooker Falls is another one that isn’t a long trail but it does have some steep parts. It’s not as epic as Triple Falls but there is a nice area around it to picnic and swim.
Triple Falls in DuPont State Recreational Forest
For either area you go to, go early. The sooner you get there the less crowded the trails and the roads will be. No one wants to waste time looking for a place to park or to fight for a spot for a good photo. You will likely have zero cell service once in either forest. So for good trail info, I like using the All Trails App for difficulty level, what there is to see and, most importantly, maps that you can utilize offline.
Stunning fall views along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Food & Drink
Where 64 meets 276 just outside Pisgah, there are restaurants and Ecusta Brewery which sits along the river so it has a nice outdoor area. Near Ecusta are options that include BBQ, pizza, Mexican and the Pisgah Fish Camp which we haven’t tried yet but I really want to.
In downtown Brevard you’ve got plenty of chain options to pick from (we like Jet’s Pizza) as well as smaller, independent spots. We’ve enjoyed The Square Root, Quixote Fine Cuisine (REALLY good mole and margaritas) and we love Magpie Meat and Three for the awesome food and it’s location right next to one of our all time fave breweries, Upcountry Brewing (try the Black Currant Gose!). We also still need to get to Brevard Brewing Company, Noblebrau and Oskar Blues. Phew! We have a lot of work to do!
About a 30 minute drive away - but so worth it - is Haus Heidelberg Restaurant, a legit German spot. The food is amazing and the beer is wonderfully German. And, again, you aren’t far at all from Asheville and all they have to offer.
