| The Pines Cottages 346 Weaverville Road, Asheville, NC 28804 All Rights Reserved 2011 |
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| • Not 417: Take the Parkway to mile marker 417; park across the road -- you'll know you're in bear right instead of left (left will bring you to Shinny dip Falls). The hike is about 20 minutes. • Midnight Hole: Drive I-40 west to the Tennessee line; take the Waterville Road exit and follow it down to the Big Creek Campground (you'll pass Mountain Mamma's General Store). The trail to Midnight Hole is at the entrance to the campground's parking lot, on the right. The hike (about a half-hour) is a popular equestrian trail, so watch out for horse pies. • Big East Fork: This is a nice, private alternative to nearby Sunburst, a popular swimming destination. Take I-40 west to Canton. From Main Street, turn south on Hwy. 110. Turn left onto Hwy. 276 (near the Jukebox Junction restaurant). Drive about 20 minutes; after passing through Cruso, watch for the Big East Fork trail sign on the right. Take the trail on the left side of the creek, an easy 15-minute hike till you see a small waterfall and swimming hole on the right. • Near Sam's Knob: Just past mile marker 420 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, drive down into the Black Balsam parking lot. Take the trail that starts at the extreme left of the parking lot and hike about 25 minutes. From there on down, you'll find any number of private swimming holes (this is Flat Laurel Creek, a tributary of the Pigeon River's West Fork). • Rocky Broad River: Flows by Chimney Rock Park as it heads toward Lake Lure. About a 25- minute drive from Asheville; take exit 9 off I-240 east and follow 74-A. No hike required; just park on the side of the road and pick a spot. |
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