Five-Star Trails: Asheville: 35 Spectacular Hikes in the Land of the Sky

Discover 35 five-star hiking trails near Asheville, North Carolina, including popular routes and hidden gems.

Peaceful waterfalls, dramatic mountain vistas, bountiful nature preserves, and, of course, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park--there’s no better place to hit the trails than the Asheville area. This diverse geographical region offers a variety of easy, moderate, and strenuous hikes. Travel through history at Mount Pisgah via Buck Spring Lodge. Take in the scenery at Big Firescald Knob. Bring the kids to Bearwallow Mountain.

Explore 35 of the region’s best, five-star trails with this easy-to-carry and easy-to-use guidebook. In the updated edition, acclaimed author and record-setting hiker/backpacker Jennifer Pharr Davis presents everything you need to know about spectacular outings that lead to mountain panoramas, majestic waterfalls, remote wilderness, amazing wildlife, and more.

Inside you’ll find:

• Descriptions of 35 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests


• GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads


• Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes


• Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children

Save time and make the most of your hiking adventures. From easy strolls in the deep woods to thrilling treks atop mountains, experience the best of Asheville’s breathtaking scenery and varied terrain. Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail!

Jennifer Pharr Davis grew up in the North Carolina mountains, where day hiking was part of her life with her parents and two older brothers. At age 21, she took on the entire Appalachian Trail (AT) as a solo female and fell in love with long-distance backpacking.

In 2011, she set the overall record for completing the AT, covering the entire trail in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes and averaging a remarkable 47 miles per day. Even though this record has since been eclipsed, she remains the fastest woman on record to hike the AT.

She has logged more than 14,000 miles of North American trails. In addition to the AT, those treks include the Pacific Crest Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, and the Colorado Trail. Traveling to six continents to exercise her hiking wanderlust, she cites Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and Australia’s 600-mile Bibbulmun Track among her international highlights.

Jennifer has written several books, including three North Carolina guidebooks; two hiking memoirs, Becoming Odyssa and Called Again; and The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience. She has also written articles for the New York Times, Outside magazine, Backpacker, and Trail Runner, and has been featured in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Daily Beast, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and the CBS Early Show.

In 2016, Jennifer was the recipient of the prestigious Laurel Wreath Award, bestowed upon her by the State of North Carolina for her outstanding athletic achievements.

Jennifer lives in Asheville with her husband, Brew; daughter, Charley; and son, Gus. In addition to the important job of being a mom, she is also the owner and founder of Blue Ridge Hiking Company.