This North Carolina Arboretum Hike Is a Perfect Alternative to a Popular Blue Ridge Parkway Trail

Two of the three most visited units in the National Park Service are the Blue Ridge Parkway (second, 16.7 million visitors) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (third, 12.2 million visitors). Only Golden Gate National Recreation Area near San Francisco sees more annual visitors (17.2 million) than these sites. Great Smoky Mountains happens to be the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and heading northward, Asheville is the first major city along the route and home to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center.

Needless to say, Asheville is the epicenter for tourists who visit these two staggeringly popular parks. With all the parkgoers in the area, hiking trails around the city can become quite crowded. Take, for instance, the short hike to the Haw Creek Valley Overlook from Masters Park.

Masters Park to Haw Creek Valley Overlook Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville

• Distance: 1.9 miles, out and back
• AllTrails Rating: Moderately challenging
• Suitable For: Those seeking a short, scenic hike; birders
• Best Time of Year to Hike: Spring and fall

You'll find the trailhead for the hike to Haw Creek Valley Overlook inside Masters Park, an Asheville City Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The hike is very popular with local residents and visitors alike, who are drawn by easy access to the park from the parkway, as well as the short hike's scenic payoff. The park and trail are also popular with birders and others hoping to catch a glimpse of the area's diverse wildlife.

Although the hike is less than a mile each way, you'll encounter dense vegetation and a respectable 551 feet of elevation on the trail, which is the reason for the moderately challenging rating. Once you reach the top, though, you'll forget all about the effort it took to reach it when you get your first look at the sweeping vista over Haw Creek Valley and the densely forested Blue Ridge Mountains. The trail is dog-friendly, but if you bring your furry friends, they must be kept on a leash at all times—a good idea for all concerned, since black bears are common in the area (as they are throughout much of Asheville).

If you ask me, the trail is at its absolute best in mid-to-late spring, when wildflowers are blooming and the Carolina humidity is still at bay, of autumn when the leaves are starting to color up. Because of the trail's proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the North Carolina visitor center, however, you're also likely to encounter plenty of other hikers. This is especially true in the summer and fall months when visitors converge on Asheville, Great Smoky Mountains, and the Parkway.

Along these same lines, during peak times, the lot can fill up, but it is illegal to park along the roadway leading into Masters Park. If you do, you're likely to be ticketed and maybe even towed. You can often beat the crowds by hiking early and on weekdays. The trail is open year-round, so you'll also dodge the throngs by hiking in winter or early spring. However, at these times, the trail, which is sloped, can be wet or slippery. I recommend checking AllTrails+ for conditions before you head out.

Another way to avoid the crowd at Masters Park and the trail to Haw Creek Valley Overlook is to choose another nearby hike, like the Hard Times Road–Owl Ridge–Bent Creek Trail Loop at the North Carolina Arboretum.

Hard Times Road, Owl Ridge, and Bent Creek Trail Loop, North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, North Carolina

• Distance: 5.6 miles, loop
• AllTrails Rating: Moderately challenging
• Suitable For: Folks looking for a longer hike with some solitude; mountain bikers
• Best Time of Year to Hike: Spring and fall

Those looking for a longer hike in the Asheville area with a greater chance for solitude will appreciate the Hard Times Road–Owl Ridge–Bent Creek Trail Loop at the North Carolina Arboretum. Considered moderately challenging primarily due to its length, this hike gains just over 400 feet of elevation over its 5.6-mile course through the wooded Blue Ridge Mountains southwest of Asheville.

The hike is dog-friendly, as long as you keep them leashed, and you're likely to find yourself alone on long stretches of the trail, though you'll probably encounter other hikers or mountain bikers at some point along the way. The varying vegetation and long, creekside sections ensure that your eyes will have plenty to feast on as you hike, making this hike a perfect alternative to the Haw Creek Valley Overlook Trail.

Really, though, both trails should be on your must-hike list. Both are extremely well reviewed by the 75 million-strong user base on AllTrails+, and each has much to offer for Asheville area hikers. Whichever trail you hike first, be sure to download the map to the AllTrails+ app on your phone. This way, you'll have trail access to reviews and conditions before you head out, as well as offline navigation at your fingertips for those times when cell service is spotty. I take AllTrails+ with me when I go hiking, and you should, too.