asheville north carolina historic tours

Your Guide to the Locally Loved

The 15 Fun and Unique Tours in Asheville, NC

I love taking tours when I travel, and I take tours at home when I’m not traveling! Joining tours to explore where you live is like having a special date with a loved one to connect deeper and feel more appreciation each time. 

I consider myself an independent traveler, but I always include a dose of locally operated tours and experiences offered by locals to further explore whatever excites me the most about the destination. 

Asheville is a small city with a population of less than 100,000 – but it has a lot to offer! From its architectural gems and exciting farm-to-table food movement and beer scene to its epic outdoors and talented artists, there is something for everyone here. Asheville is also full of projects, nonprofits, and businesses that form a support network for our underserved communities. 

I’ve compiled a list of tours that reflect all aspects of Asheville’s identity. You’ll see options to explore our city’s history, outdoors , street art, food and beer scene , art shops, and our most famous buildings: The Biltmore House and the Omni Grove Park Inn. But no matter which type of tour you choose, you’re bound to walk away with a deeper understanding of this great city! 

Don’t forget to check out our web story: The 15 Fun and Unique Tours in Asheville, NC

Disclaimer : This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of our links we may earn a small commission (don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you).

The Best Tours in Asheville, NC

1. get to know asheville’s landmarks by taking its most iconic tour.

The purple buses of LaZoom Comedy Tours represent one of the best tours in Asheville and are a city landmark. The first thing I saw when I first visited Asheville from Argentina, looking for a new cool place to live in the United States, was a guy dressed as a nun, riding a bike, and angrily screaming at a purple bus. I instantly knew this was the place for our family to move next. My kids had to grow up near Sister Bad Habit!

These “historical and hysterical” multi-award-winning tours mix comedy, history, and partying on purple buses guided by eccentric characters. The locally owned and operated tour company was founded by two street performers 16 years ago and now offers four tours. 

“Hey Asheville” is a city tour and vaudeville on wheels. “Fender Bender” mixes live music on the bus and beer tasting, making an original, fun Asheville brewery tour. “Ghosted” offers a haunted comedy tour, and “Lil Boogers” is their kid-friendly option (the others have age limits, so please check ahead of time). All the tours are dog friendly!

2. See Asheville’s Top Attractions on the Gray Line Asheville Trolley

The Gray Line Asheville Trolley tour is one of the most popular Asheville tours, and for a good reason. It offers an excellent, award-winning Hop-On Hop-Off Tour that the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County has endorsed. 

Visitors can listen to the live narration and get off the bus at one of the 10 stops (or all of them!) along the 15-mile route to experience Asheville’s breweries, shops, and the urban scene. Also, tickets are valid for two consecutive days!

This locally owned and operated business also offers a fun ghost tour, covering some of our most famous specters (we have plenty!), including the friendly Tim Burton-like ghost of the Pink Lady of the Grove Park Inn and the mystery of the Nazi agents based in Asheville.

The seasonal Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley Tour includes live music and Christmas caroling while driving past festive holiday decorations in downtown Asheville, Biltmore Village, and the Montford and Grove Park neighborhoods.

3. Explore Downtown on an Asheville Walking Tour 

This self-guided Urban Trail Tour is a free audio tour offered by the City of Asheville and is a great way to get to know the city’s history at your own pace. It starts at Pack Place Park and follows 30 stations marked by cool sculptures. 

AVL Free Walking Tours offers a tip-based Asheville walking tour that ends with a free scoop of ice cream at The Hop . Their haunted tour (not free) starts at the Riverside Cemetery in the historic district of Montford and goes all the way downtown. It’s the only ghost tour that covers this super interesting cemetery.

The Asheville Coffee Tour features six of Asheville’s best coffee and tea shops. It includes short stops at Asheville’s landmarks and lots of caffeine! 

The Asheville Music History Walking Tour explores downtown through the stories of Asheville’s eclectic past and present music scene. It covers the Moogseum (which offers its own tour) and the famous venue The Orange Peel , among other local icons.

Did you know that the Jackson Building, the Battery Park Hotel, and a famous restaurant host ghosts? Last Halloween, my kids and I took the Haunted Asheville Ghost Tour , one of the best Asheville walking tours, and we enjoyed getting a glimpse of the city’s past through these dark stories. 

4. Explore Downtown and Its Surroundings on Wheels

Winner of TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice Award, the Tukit Tour Co offers guided tours around downtown on environmentally-friendly, open-air six-seater electric tuk-tuks decorated with LED-lights and equipped with Bluetooth speakers and heated seats. They offer ready-to-go tours and private customized tours. 

The Flying Bike provides electric bike tours around town. The Winter Warm Up E-Bike Tour is perfect for chilly days, and it includes stops at two local restaurants, hot cocoa, apple cider, and a visit to the historic Omni Grove Park Inn. 

Asheville Adventure Company features a scenic Asheville e-bike sunset tour, perfect for photos all year round but especially in the fall. The e-bike tours are kid-friendly if you’re traveling with kids. 

I’ve never taken a Segway tour, but I might because every time I see the Segway riders around my neighborhood, they look so content and relaxed. Moving Sidewalk Segway Tours offers a tour that covers downtown and other areas, like Montford and the greenways in North Asheville. The tour is 10 and up, and training is included! 

Book a stay at The Omni Grove Park Inn

5. Tour Downtown Asheville while Drinking and Pedaling on an Amazing Pubcycle

Amazing Pubcycle is one of the most trendy Asheville tours. The pedal-powered (motor-assisted) trolleys and their festive, laughing riders are becoming a happy downtown landmark. 

The company offers different tours perfect for parties and celebrations, including fun bachelorette parties, but you can also book individual seats. Guests will bring their own and serve their own beer, wine, cider, or seltzer and drink it on a 15-person pedal trolley driven by a certified, funny, and charismatic tour guide. 

Clients are welcome to wear costumes and bring decorations to customize their ride, so you can imagine what a fun sight these bikes are. The most popular offer is the Pub Tour in downtown Asheville which stops at one of Asheville’s best pubs. 

Also, they’re now offering a Trivia Tour on wheels! Riders have to be older than 12. There are 10 pedal seats and room for five non-pedalers. Yes, you do have to pedal, so enjoy your drink and your workout!

6. Embark on an Asheville Scavenger Hunt Tour

This is a fantastic plan for co-workers, friends, or family! Asheville Detours offers personalized team adventures that will bring you around downtown. You’ll follow clues like solving riddles and unscrambling letters while enjoying tasty treats and drinks and participating in fun group activities introducing you to some favorite local businesses. 

Asheville Detours has four offerings, and they can all be customized according to your preferences: The Bachelorette Tour, the Authentic Asheville Detour, the Family Fun Detour, and the Team Building Detour. Each hunt is self-guided and lasts approximately 3.5 to 4 hours.

Some stops and treats include eating donuts at the beloved Stay Glazed, tasting honey at Asheville Bee Charmer, group crafting at Fired Up, beer and chocolate tastings, and a champagne toast and private tour at Momentum Gallery.

Also, are you looking for the perfect, most unique Asheville gift? They offer “Authentic Asheville” gift boxes featuring local products, an excellent way to keep spreading the love for local businesses!

7. Learn about Asheville’s African American Residents with this Award-Winning Tour

Hood Huggers International’s mission is to “rebuild Affrilachia through art, environment, and social enterprise.” Affrilachia is a term coined by Frank X Walker referring to African Americans living in Appalachia. 

In this context, Hood Huggers offers walking and driving tours that take visitors through the past and the present of African Americans in Asheville. This initiative won TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award.

Two walking tours cover Eagle Street in downtown Asheville and Burton Street in West Asheville, and the driving tour begins downtown and visits different neighborhoods throughout the city. These Asheville tours cover the history of these communities, current projects, and visions for the future. They are aimed at visitors and locals alike. 

If you take these tours, you’ll learn about the history of Asheville, but you’ll also be supporting the economic development of Asheville’s African American communities and businesses. A portion of all proceeds through Hood Huggers International are reinvested in the community.

8. Get a Sugar High at French Broad Chocolate Company

French Broad Chocolate is one of Asheville’s favorite chocolate shops. Locals and visitors love stopping by the iconic blue building of the French Broad Chocolate Lounge in Pack Square and getting something sweet, from housemade bonbons and ice cream to cookies, cakes, and brownies, and a delicious selection of drinking chocolates.

All of the chocolate is made in their chocolate factory, and they offer a fantastic Bean to Bars Chocolate Factory Tour that covers an introduction to a cocoa farm, the company’s story, and an overview of the process of transforming cocoa beans into a chocolate bar. In addition, there are tastings of cacao in its different forms, including, of course, bonbons! 

French Broad Chocolate also offers tastings, so please check their calendar to see if you can catch one of them. This is an excellent tour for kids. I did it with mine years ago. Children under 7 don’t have to pay for a ticket.

9. Explore the River’s Arts District’s Shops and Art Galleries

There are about 200 studios in the 23 former industrial buildings along this one-mile stretch of the French Broad River called the River’s Arts District (RAD). There are different ways to explore this area, which is also home to excellent restaurants, cafés, and breweries. 

Each Saturday, Mountain Mural Tours offers a popular street art tour that departs from the River’s Art District but also includes downtown and West Asheville. You’ll learn about Asheville’s history while seeing some fantastic local art. Your Instagram account will thank you for that photo of a gigantic Dolly Parton!

Flying Bike Tours ‘ West Asheville River Arts District E-Bike Tour stops at some landmarks, including The Marquee, a design center where you’ll find pieces of art of all kinds, and The Peace Garden, an eclectic, beautiful community garden decorated with works from local artists using repurposed materials.

You’ll also love the free, tip-based walking tour offered by AVL Free Walking Tours and the concept of their photo stroll in the RAD, where you’ll relax while someone else takes care of the pictures in one of Asheville’s most photogenic neighborhoods. 

On the second Saturday of the month , there are special events in the RAD and a free trolley to tour the shops.

10.  Splash Around in One of the Four Oldest Rivers In the World

Some of the best things to do while in Asheville are to spend time outdoors, hike, enjoy the views, and play in the water. Did you know that Asheville’s French Broad River is among the four oldest rivers in the world? 

French Broad Outfitters offers a variety of fun French Broad River floating and kayaking experiences. You’ll love to see Asheville from a different perspective on a warm day and join locals in one of the most beloved Asheville summer activities. They also offer an e-bike Asheville breweries tour and SUP yoga classes.  

Asheville Adventure Company organizes guided whitewater French Broad rafting trips that are family-friendly. Wai Maina Asheville SUP Tours provides stand-up paddleboard tours and experiences that the entire family will love.

Zen Tubing will set you up with everything you’ll need to enjoy your lazy river float along the French Broad River like dozens of locals do on warm days. Of course, you’ll need to bring your bathing suit and sunglasses!

11. Take a Photo Tour to Polish Your Photography Skills (or Get Professional Shots)

Asheville Urban Arts Photo Tours offers professional shots in some of the most beautiful urban settings, including Asheville’s cool murals. There are three tours: Downtown Urban Vibe, the River Arts Tour, and the West Asheville Tour. 

The promise is to take you to “the most Insta-worthy art spots in Asheville.” You’ll receive a full gallery of ready-to-post photos in five days!

WNC Photo Tours provides private photography tours and workshops at the most scenic locations. You’ll learn how to take better photos with your camera or smartphone. Some of their options include photographing elks, a fall color tour, and one-on-one post-procession sessions. They also offer professional photo sessions.

Asheville Photo Tours ‘ excellent offerings cover vistas and waterfalls, private tours customized to your desires, and photographing the fall colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains. If you loved your photo tour so much you want to keep learning, they also offer private coaching sessions to work with you to develop your skills and online photo critiques.

12. Walk, Ride, Kayak, or Float to Asheville’s Best Breweries

Asheville (aka Beer City , USA) has more breweries per capita than any other city in the United States. With an average of 28.1 breweries per 100,000 residents and 100 local beers, it’s no wonder this city is a paradise for beer lovers worldwide.

Recognized by National Geographic and TripAdvisor, BREW-ed’s Brewery Tours offers one of the best Asheville brewery tours. These informative, educational walking tours are guided by Cicerone-certified guides. 

These beer experts will take you to some of the best downtown breweries where, besides tasting the local crafts, you’ll learn about the process of making beer and how Asheville’s beer culture has evolved over the years.

Asheville Brews Cruise is Asheville’s original, 16-year-old brewery tour and promises “an ample amount of beer” in its walking and mobile tours. All tours are knowledge-based and include visits to three or four Asheville breweries, tasting samples, lots of information, and fun guides. 

Asheville Adventure Company offers an  E-Bike Brewery Crawl  that combines visits to the most popular breweries, cruising through Asheville’s neighborhoods, and checking out the city’s landmarks. If you are a “go with the flow” type of traveler,  Cedar Rock Adventures ’ Floating Bar Crawl Tour is your best bet!

13.  Eat Your Way through Asheville’s Famous Farm-to-Table Food Scene

Wherever you come from, I’m sure that exploring this city’s food culture is one of the top things on your Asheville to-do list. These tours will make it easier for you to discover the best local experiences. Enjoy!

Asheville Food Tours is the original walking food tour of downtown Asheville, and it covers an impressive list of restaurant partners. A popular tour is The Food Fan, guided by local food influencer Stu Helm and showcasing his favorite restaurants. The Food Fan’s passion for Asheville’s culinary scene is infectious!

Imagine yourself strolling around the forest, gathering edibles, and having them cooked for you at an award-winning restaurant. This experience is possible with No Taste Like Home ’s tours, TripAdvisor’s number one foraging activity in the US and one of the best tours in Asheville. You’ll love this authentic “off-the-eaten-path” Asheville experience!

Another TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award winner, Asheville Rooftop Bar Tours offers a three-hour, three-rooftop guided bar tour combining some of the best of what makes Asheville irresistible: outstanding food, great drinks, mountain views, and spectacular sunsets. 

14.  Explore the Outdoors With Local Guides

Asheville Hiking Tours offers tours of Asheville’s impressive waterfalls and the best views of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Local guides will take you to their favorite spots while telling you about the local history and environment. 

Are you interested in taking a unique wild foraging tour? Asheville Hiking Tours’ excursions include food foraging as well!

Join Asheville Wellness Tours ’ guides for a healing, resetting forest bathing experience, a hike, yoga, and mountain views adventure, or (my favorite) a yoga class with baby goats! Can you imagine a better Asheville tour? I can’t.

Hike Bike Kayak Asheville ‘s personalized tours will show you why Asheville is a favorite outdoor destination. NCLINE Adventures ’ diverse offerings include elopement ceremonies and hiking/fishing trips for couples with different interests. Hike WNC ‘s private Peak-to-Peak Mountain Top Tour offers some of the best views in North Carolina, and it has now added a Blue Ridge Parkway Jeep Tour.

15.  Tour Asheville’s Iconic Biltmore Estate and Omni Grove Park Inn

Visitors with a daytime ticket to visit the Biltmore Estate or overnight guests can participate in the tours offered by the Biltmore . Some tours are self-guided and included with admission, while others have a fee. 

They offer bike riding, wine and chocolate tasting, and rooftop tours. The interesting Biltmore House Backstairs Tour will give you a glimpse of the lives of the people who worked at the house, taking you to the overlooked domestic areas. 

You can visit The Omni Grove Park Inn for the day at no charge (there might be a parking fee depending on the time of the year) and walk around the garden and the buildings, shop around, have dinner, and get to know the history of the most famous Asheville hotel. 

They offer a 45-minute self-guided tour covering the hotel’s early years, the arts and crafts-style furniture collection, and the visit of famous guests (George Gershwin, Harry Houdini, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and even President Obama have stayed here.). Bring your headphones! 

What are your favorite tours in Asheville? Have you done a fantastic Asheville tour that’s not listed here? Please let us know in the comments!

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Laura Bernhein

Born in Argentina, Laura is a journalist who's lived in Asheville for 10 years. She loves all things Asheville, from the vast business scene to the beautiful nonprofits, magical people, and marvelous nature. She loves being involved in projects that are the change she wants to see in the world.

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THE 10 BEST Asheville Tours & Excursions

Asheville tours.

• Sightseeing Tours
• Walking Tours
• Historical & Heritage Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
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• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Waterfalls and Blue Ridge Parkway Hiking Tour with Expert Naturalist

2. Asheville Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour

3. 2.5-Hour Blue Ridge Parkway Guided Jeep Tour

4. Blue Ridge Parkway Waterfalls Hiking Tour from Asheville

5. Asheville Historic Downtown Guided Electric Bike Tour with Scenic Views

6. Scenic E-Bike Tour in the Mountains

7. Asheville Insider Guided Walking Tour

8. Half Day Hike - Water Falls

9. Asheville’s Cultural Playground Family Walking Tour

10. Beautiful Self Guided Kayaking by the Biltmore

11. Scenic Driving Tour of the Blue Ridge Mountains

12. Downtown Asheville Guided Brewery Walking Tour

13. Asheville Terrors: Ghosts of the Blue Ridge

14. Asheville Terrors Boos and Brews Haunted Pub Crawl

15. Downtown Asheville Tip-Based Sightseeing Walking Tour

16. Smoke Bundle Making Workshop near Asheville

17. Mountain Mural Tour-River Arts and Downtown Asheville

18. Premier Walking Guided Brewery Tour Through Downtown Asheville

19. Asheville Coffee Tours

20. River Arts District Tip-Based Sightseeing Walking Tour

21. Asheville Signature Guided Brewery Tour

22. Privately Guided Half Day Hike

23. Private Boutique Blue Ridge Parkway Full Day Tour

24. Electric Bike Brewery Crawl of Asheville

25. Electric Bike Tour of the River Arts District of Asheville

26. Explore The Blue Ridge Mountains: Private Day Trip from Asheville

27. Asheville's Historic Smart Phone Guided App (GPS) Walking Tour

28. Sunset E-Bike Ride

29. Historic Music Scene Walking Tour in Asheville

30. The Best of Asheville: Private 2.5-hour Walking Tour

What travelers are saying.

• Asheville Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour
• Waterfalls and Blue Ridge Parkway Hiking Tour with Expert Naturalist
• Asheville Historic Downtown Guided Electric Bike Tour with Scenic Views
• Blue Ridge Parkway Waterfalls Hiking Tour from Asheville
• Scenic E-Bike Tour in the Mountains
• Asheville Food Tours
• Asheville Jeep Tours
• Asheville Wellness Tours
• Hood Huggers Interantional
• BREW-ed Brewery Tours
• Asheville by Foot - Walking Tours
• The Flying Bike
• Gray Line Trolley Tours
• Asheville Brewery Tours
• Eating Asheville
• Asheville Brews Cruise
• Year Around Hiking Tour USA
• No Taste Like Home Wild Food Tours
• Hunter Banks Fly Fishing
• Asheville Detours
• Amazing Pubcycle
• Moving Sidewalk Tours
• Adventure Center of Asheville

• History Overview
• The History of Asheville
• The House 1880s – 1950s
• The Wolfe Family
• The Works of Thomas Wolfe
• Thomas Wolfe’s Reviews
• Tom’s Life
• Teacher Information
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• Student Writing Contest

Welcome to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site

Thomas wolfe directions, hours of operation.

9:00am – 5:00pm Tuesday – Saturday Sunday & Monday: CLOSED Closed State Holidays

House tours are offered daily at half past each hour. Last tour leaves at 4:30 pm. Group tours by reservation.

Adult - $5.00 Student (ages 7-17) - $2.00 Adult Group (10+) - $2.50 each Student Group - $2.00 each 6 & under - Free

Due to inclement weather with the growing risk of icy roads and increasingly frigid temperatures, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial will close today, 1/19 at Noon. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Please check our social media pages for any further weather-related schedule changes, and stay safe and warm out there, old kentucky home -the thomas wolfe memorial.

American Novelist Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938)

Considered by many to be one of the giants of 20th-century American literature, Thomas Wolfe immortalized his childhood home in his epic autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel . Wolfe’s colorful portrayal of his family, his hometown of “Altamont” Asheville, North Carolina, and “Dixieland” the Old Kentucky Home boardinghouse, earned the Victorian period house a place as one of American literature’s most famous landmarks.

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From Cradle to Grave: Walking in Thomas Wolfe’s Shoes

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Top 7 Historical Tours in Asheville, NC

Asheville and its surrounding areas have become one of the top tourist destinations in the South. Sandwiched between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville’s long and colorful history spans a wide path, from its distinctive Scots-Irish heritage, its Appalachian culture and roots, through to the Vanderbilt legacy and its Gilded Age opulence-juxtaposed with its role as a creative artist’s/musician’s colony and home for progressive ideals. Often referred to as the “Paris of the South”, downtown Asheville is also renowned for its stunning architecture, its outdoor art, monuments and its literary giants including Thomas Wolfe. A wide variety of tours are available to help the history buff get the most out of an Asheville vacation.

** While Phase 1 of North Carolina’s re-opening eases some COVID-19 restrictions to help certain facilities open while protecting public health, many of the tours listed are not yet open. Please check with each tour provider **

• Grayline Trolley Tours : Gray Line features a variety of well-narrated tours via their nostalgic trolleys highlighting major points of interest including Montford Historic District, the legendary Grove Park Inn, the downtown with its Art Deco influence, downtown, and quaint Historic Biltmore Village . And Gray Line allows unlimited hop-on/hop-off privileges. You can stay on board for the 1.5 to 1.75 hour tour, or hop-off at any of the trolley stops along the route where you can explore, shop or dine, then simply re-board the next trolley to finish the tour.
• Asheville By Foot Walking Tours : Asheville by Foot’s remarkable walking tours and narration from extremely knowledgeable guides will help you develop an appreciation for Asheville’s history, architecture and culture-simply by exploring hidden, unique and special places that you can only access via your feet.
• Asheville Urban Trail : History buffs will love the Urban Trail , a 1.7 mile “museum without walls” walking tour of downtown with the history of Asheville told in 30 stations each with bronze sculptures and other artwork depicting Asheville’s past. The best part? It’s FREE!
• AVL Lit Tour : Asheville’s Guided Literary Walking Tour takes you to the places where many authors found their “muse” or inspiration, bookstores that sold their creations, or places with great influence on a particular author’s life.

• The Flying Bike Tours : An alternative to a walking tour, The Flying Bike offers an electric bike tour around Asheville. Get up close and personal with Asheville’s architecture, learn the highlights about historical icons and places, all while safely and easily “flying” up and down Asheville’s hills via an electric-powered bike.
• Walk With Me Tours : Walk With Me offers custom guided hikes, historic walks, city tours, and auto tours through Asheville, local national forests, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Local guides take you through the city and help you discover Asheville’s magical history while enjoying great eating and shopping experiences.

We are safe and well at Wildberry Lodge and hope you and your family are also.  Beginning May 22, we can accept guest reservations with limitations . If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call us at (828) 683-2525 .  Wildberry offers you extreme relaxation after your day of touring. Spacious, well-appointed guest rooms with plush, comfy chairs and beds and luxurious private baths await. Sink into one of the cozy couches surrounding the massive three story stacked stone fireplace with a glass of wine, end your evening with a dip in the hot tub, and start your day with our amazing four-course breakfast. Reserve your room today !

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We preserve and promote the history and legacy of western north carolina through interpretation, education, collection, and collaboration., to support our mission, donate or become a member today.

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Programs and Events

Asheville museum of history is committed to providing quality, engaging, and inclusive programs for the public. we offer a number of events every month, including lectures, tours, and hikes. view our calendar of in-person and virtual events and register by clicking the button below..

Western North Carolina is defined as much by the various chains and valleys within the Appalachian Mountains as it is by the people here. The region contains large swaths of state and national forest lands and parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. It contains old rivers and old folkways, along with an increasingly large stream of transplants and visitors. 

Recent Recorded Programs

Our recorded programs are available to our members free of charge and to the general public for a small donation., protected: history hour: the rumbling mountain of 1874, protected: history hour – building an equitable archives: cultivating and caring for community memory, protected: history hour: biltmore industries and tryon toy makers.

Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award

Originated by the Louis Lipinsky family, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award has been presented annually for printed works that focus special attention on Western North Carolina since 1955 when Wilma Dykeman won for  The French Broad. 

Brent Martin won the 2022 award for “George Masa’s Wild Vision: A Japanese Immigrant Imagines Western North Carolina.”

Outstanding Achievement Award

Annually we present our trophy for Outstanding Achievement to an individual or organization which has made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of the history of the mountain region.

The RAIL Memorial Project won the 2021 award for memorializing the sacrifice of the thousands of incarcerated laborers who were forced to build the WNC Railroad.

Moments in History

Infidelity may have led to guastavino’s move here, work on biltmore, basilica, the wild ride of asheville streetcars, 1889-1934, earliest european settlement in us interior was in wnc.

WNC History Column

Visit us at the Smith-McDowell House on the campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical College.

283 Victoria Road, Asheville, NC 28801

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Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Accessibility

Land acknowledgement.

We honor and celebrate the ancestors who came before us, the original inhabitants of the land now known as the western portion of North Carolina. We honor and celebrate the many cultures that existed on this land when Europeans first arrived, and we acknowledge the thousands of people who lost their lives and their land. We honor and celebrate the present-day Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and all indigenous peoples of Western North Carolina.

Adopted Board of Trustees, May 19, 2021

As Long as the grass…

JUSTICE STATEMENT

We stand against inequity, injustice, and racism. We acknowledge and support the positive role that recent protests have played in opening the door to real and necessary change.

As an organization rooted in the interpretation of our regional history, we also recognize that there is an ongoing need to better represent the diversity of voices that have shaped – and will shape – Western North Carolina. In a region that has been influenced by and benefited from the contributions of these diverse voices, the Western North Carolina Historical Association must equitably reflect our heritage, history, and aspirations.

We pledge to do that. Beginning immediately, we will re-evaluate how we operate.

Moving forward, we are committed to doing the work to become an inclusive organization in all aspects of our operations. That includes our collections, exhibitions, and programs, not only at our museum, but also in our comprehensive mission of education.

It includes our leadership and membership. Over the coming months, we will focus on developing a guiding document to help us intentionally and actively move towards this goal.

We are listening. We are learning. We are committed to doing the work to get there. As we embark on this journey, we will seek the involvement of our community, so together, we can reflect on the brilliant, rich and, yes, sometimes painful, history of Western North Carolina. Please join us.

Adopted Board of Trustees,

June 17, 2020.

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From asheville, north carolina, explore the estate, a delight for the senses.

Experience Chihuly at Biltmore while Biltmore blooms! Magnificent gardens brimming with nature’s masterworks… a new exhibition of Chihuly’s masterworks in Amherst at Deerpark®. Enjoy two breathtaking displays, only at Biltmore.

Exhibition-inclusive ticket options also include FREE next-day grounds access.

Spring's Glory

Biltmore in bloom, thrilling exhibition, chihuly at biltmore, 5/24 to 9/2, summer at biltmore.

Picnics by the lagoon, leisurely strolls through gardens awash in summer’s colors, tastings at our outdoor wine bar… all this and more await your discovery at significant savings! All summer long, kids nine and younger are admitted FREE, youth tickets are just $10, and Chihuly at Biltmore tickets include FREE next-day grounds access.

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Stay overnight.

Biltmore Estate features three distinctive overnight properties, each promising gracious hospitality, exceptional service, the opportunity to fully explore our Blue Ridge Mountain oasis, and wake amid its stunning natural beauty.

Itineraries

Explore our history, architecture, gardens and grounds, cuisine, wine, and more with carefully curated experiences that showcase the breadth of the estate’s appeal.

e s c a p e

E x p l o r e.

Our Gardens

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Acclaim for biltmore.

Biltmore Ranked #1 “Things To Do in Asheville”

Biltmore House Named Most Beautiful Building in the U.S., Third Most Beautiful in the World

The Inn on Biltmore Estate® Ranked #5 "South's Best Hotels 2023"

The Inn on Biltmore Estate® Named “Best High-End Hotel in Asheville”

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Historic Sights in Asheville, North Carolina

The Grove Park Inn remains an Arts & Crafts icon and a mecca for the movement’s enthusiasts.

Asheville, North Carolina, is a city flanked by two famous bookends: the 1895 Biltmore Estate and the 1913 Grove Park Inn. Gilded Age Victorian to the south, austere Arts & Crafts to the north.

In between, like a collection of books, is an array of architectural delights—from Queen Anne and Colonial Revival to English Tudor and Art Deco, with enough bungalows mixed in to earn it the distinction of Arts & Crafts capital of the South. Combined, they create a city that’s delightful to explore by car or by walking through the quirky, artsy, active downtown.

As cities go, Asheville was a late bloomer. Nestled in the lush French Broad River Valley and completely surrounded by the imposing Blue Ridge Mountains, it wasn’t until the arrival of the railroad in 1880 that word spread of its healing effects. The city’s warm natural springs, clean mountain air, hiking trails, panoramic views, brief winters, cool summers, and extended spring and fall seasons soon brought a steady stream of exhausted businessmen, Washington politicians, and curious tourists via the Southern Railway.

The combination of Asheville’s location and its moderate yet distinctive seasons has resulted in its becoming a year-round tourist destination. Southerners come to escape heat and humidity, Northerners to avoid snow and ice. Together, they strengthen the local economy and support the trendy restaurants and upscale galleries unusual for a city of just 83,000 residents.

The Biltmore Estate

The grand Biltmore Estate has been a tourist attraction for a hundred years.

Among the city’s early arrivals was George Vanderbilt II, who became so enchanted with Asheville that he spent nearly his entire inheritance on the 125,000-acre estate and 250-room manor he christened Biltmore. Designed by Richard Morris Hunt and modeled after a chateau the two men had toured in the Loire Valley, the Biltmore mansion and grounds replicated a working French estate. Vanderbilt spared no expense in its design, which included an indoor pool, bowling alley and exercise room, elevators, forced-air heating, and an intercom system—all considered revolutionary in 1895. Still family-owned, fully restored, and expanded to include a winery, world-renowned gardens, a hotel, several restaurants, and numerous outdoor activities, the Biltmore Estate attracts more than a million visitors to Asheville each year.

Just outside the estate’s gate is the picturesque Biltmore Village, a collection of stucco-and-half-timbered buildings designed by Hunt’s assistant, Richard Sharp Smith, a dapper and refined Englishman who became Asheville’s most prolific Arts & Crafts architect. Once home to Vanderbilt’s employees, Biltmore Village’s buildings have been restored as gift shops, restaurants, and art galleries beneath leafy oak, maple, and sycamore trees.

The Grove Park Inn

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Edwin Wiley Grove arrived in Asheville in 1898 on his doctor’s orders and, like many of us, fell in love with this mountaintop city. Grove developed a number of Arts & Crafts neighborhoods before placing a jewel atop Asheville’s Sunset Mountain—the Grove Park Inn. He turned to his son-in-law, Fred Loring Seely (a friend and client of Roycrofter Elbert Hubbard), for the design of the 150-room resort. Seely created an Arts & Crafts masterpiece sculpted of granite boulders collected from Grove’s 1,200 acres of land, and topped it with a natural red clay roof. As a result, the hotel looks, from a distance, as though it has risen out of bedrock.

Completed in 1913 and furnished by the Roycrofters of East Aurora, New York, the Grove Park Inn at once became known as “the finest resort hotel in the world.” Today it’s become a mecca for Arts & Crafts enthusiasts who yearn to relax in the Stickley, Roycroft, and Limbert settles, rockers, and Morris chairs filling the cavernous Great Hall and spilling out into the nearby hallways. The addition of a restored Donald Ross golf course and a world-class spa, plus the national Arts & Crafts Conference each February, enhance this historic hotel’s cachet.

Montford is one of Asheville’s many walkable neighborhoods, and includes such architectural gems as the Asian-flaired Arts & Crafts Keyhole House.

Asheville’s Neighborhoods

Ask a local what makes Asheville special, and you’ll often hear this simple answer: the neighborhoods. Laid out on lazy, winding streets with small lots, Asheville’s cozy neighborhoods blossomed during the Arts & Crafts era, and remain as popular today as they were a hundred years ago. Walking down the streets of Norwood Park, Kenilworth, Albemarle Park, Grove Park, Beaver Lake, or Montford is like navigating the pages of a bungalow picture book.

A stroll down Montford Avenue through the city’s first historic district lets you witness the career of Richard Sharp Smith unfold before your eyes. His early Queen Anne turrets give way to sprawling bungalows with wraparound porches, anchored to the ground by fieldstone foundations and square balustrades that resemble a Gustav Stickley spindle settle. Twenty years ago, many of Smith’s homes were boarded up and neglected. Today, without exception, they all have been meticulously restored, with some of the larger ones carefully transformed into scrumptious bed-and-breakfast inns.

The gateway to north Asheville’s Arts & Crafts district is Albemarle Park, another turn-of-the-century historic district. While cars no longer can squeeze through the arched entrance beneath the antique Gatehouse, the drive up the slope of Sunset Mountain feels like a journey back in time. Narrow streets, granite retaining walls, and fieldstone-lined swales make this neighborhood a fit walker’s delight, its eclectic mixture of homes—from rustic cabins to English Tudors, and even a Richard Sharp Smith brick Georgian home called Breezemont—creating a dazzling texture of architectural styles.

The Ellington-designed City Hall, with its octagonal roof, is an Art Deco masterpiece. (Vintage postcard courtesy of Bruce Johnson)

Art Deco Relief

When architect Douglas Ellington arrived in 1926, fresh from the Beaux Arts Academy in Paris, Asheville was swimming in cash. Looking for something fresh and exciting, civic leaders embraced Ellington’s proposed city building in the urban and colorful Art Deco style. He soon was under contract to design an Art Deco church, restaurant, public school, and fire station all within a mile of downtown Asheville, all of which were completed just months before the stock market crash of 1929. Well-constructed, this color feast of pinks, blues, and greens initially seemed out of character in this mountain Arts & Crafts city, but the buildings remain popular to this day—a reflection, perhaps, on the equally eclectic collection of people who now call Asheville their home.

Bruce Johnson directs the annual Arts & Crafts Conference and Antiques Show at the Grove Park Inn, and operates the website artsandcraftscollector.com.

Tags: arts & crafts Bruce Johnson North Carolina OHJ February/March 2012 Old-House Journal

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Montford Historic District, Asheville

Biltmore's annual pass sale is live don't miss out.

Montford is an historic neighborhood in Asheville, North Carolina, located just north of downtown . A portion of Montford is a National Register Historic District with 600+ buildings, mostly residences built between 1890 and 1920. Take a driving or walking tour to see a variety of architectural influences reflecting the cosmopolitan character of Asheville during the turn of the 20th century.

Victorian, Queen Anne and Arts and Crafts styles combine with Neoclassical, Colonial Revival and castle-like design. Supervising architect of the Biltmore House Richard Sharp Smith created many homes in Montford. Take a fun tour of Montford on the LaZoom Comedy Bus Tour . And don't miss the festive Montford Music and Art Festival each May.

Many of the grand homes in Montford have been restored in recent years, including a dozen or so bed and breakfast inns. Find Asheville Bed and Breakfast Inns. Few neighborhoods express the rich architectural heritage and vitality of Asheville better than the Montford Historic District. It's rich history included being home to several boarding houses and sanitariums for tuberculosis, mental disorders and other ailments.

Explore the 3.5 miles of roads through Riverside Cemetery , the final resting place for authors Thomas Wolfe and William Sydney Porter (better known as O. Henry) as well as North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance, and 13,000 others.

The Montford Park Players , North Carolina's Longest Running Shakespeare Festival, presents free Theatre in the Park all summer long. The performances are held at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater starting at 7:30 PM.

The Montford Area Historic District is located off Montford Ave,. roughly bounded by I-240, I-26 and Broadway Ave. It's home to the Asheville Visitor's Center , a great first stop on your tour. The houses of the district are private residences and not open to the public. To get a peek inside, take their annual holiday tour of homes.

1899 Wright Inn & Carriage House, Asheville

This Queen Anne Victorian Inn is Three Diamond AAA-rated with turn of the century charm and modern-day conveniences. Select a room with a fireplace, jetted tub for two, eat-in dining, or a balcony. 1 mile from downtown. 10 rooms, Carriage House, $169-$549, in-room two-person Jacuzzi tubs, large wrap-around porch, gourmet breakfasts, in-room massage service.

Abbington Green B&B & Spa, Asheville

Black Walnut Bed & Breakfast Inn, Asheville

The Lion and the Rose Bed & Breakfast, Asheville

At this festival, hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Asheville, you can drive through and sample and buy some of the traditional foods and pastries such as lamb shank, pastichio, spanakopita, gyro, souvlaki, and baklava. They will also offer delivery through KickbackAVL.

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Historic Tours

Take a step back in time to explore the people, stories and happenings that built Asheville. Get to know the city’s iconic architecture or walk in the footsteps of a Vanderbilt.

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Historic Montford Tours

Historic Montford Community

Visit the Montford Historic District,   a living history of Asheville, North Carolina.

• One of the largest historic districts in the state which includes o ver 600 historic structures
• See Victorian, Arts and Crafts, Tudor, Georgian and Colonial Revival style houses as well as vernacular architecture

Montford is a snap shot of the period from 1890-1925. It was a trolley suburb for the well to do as well as a small African American population. 

Tempie Avery was given land by her former slave master in 1878 which grew into the close knit Stumptown community destroyed for urban renewal in the 1970s. Today the Tempie Avery Montford  Center sits on the very site of Tempie’s house. She is buried in Riverside Cemetery, a Victorian rural garden cemetery within Montford, where her grave looks down on the recreation center.  The tour includes a peak into one of the 11 Bed and Breakfast Inns and a walk passed a variety of architecture as well as tales of neighborhood residents and Asheville history.

Call 828-777-1014 or email  [email protected] for schedules and reservations. Adults $30.00, Students $12.00

You can take a self guided tour down Montford Avenue. This is comprised of 7 interpretive history panels mounted on bus shelters along the avenue which include photographs and stories about Montford’s residents, homes and history. The panels are also on this website in the interpretive history panel section.  

Welcome to Montford!

Whether you are a visitor, new to the neighborhood, or a longstanding resident, Montford is a great place to be. A portion of Montford is a National Register Historic District. Recent years in Montford have witnessed the renovation of many of the neighborhood’s residences by individual families and a myriad of industrious bed and breakfast owners who have helped to restore the district to its former splendor. The residents of Montford welcome you. It’s the people here, through all their efforts, that make this neighborhood a great place!

April ’24 Newsletter

by montfordsite | Apr 16, 2024

The April '24 Montford Newsletter is available at this address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mont_Apr_24_v1.pdf    

March ’24 Newsletter

by montfordsite | Mar 17, 2024

The March '24 Montford Newsletter is available at this address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Mont_Mar_24_v2.pdf  

February ’24 Newsletter

by montfordsite | Feb 14, 2024

Happy Valentine's Day Montford.The February '24 Newsletter is available at this web address:https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Mont_Feb_24_v1.pdf  

December ’23/January ’24 Newsletter

by montfordsite | Dec 19, 2023

The December/January Montford Newsletter is available at this address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Mont_Dec_23-Jan_24_v1.pdf  

November ’23 Montford Newsletter

by montfordsite | Nov 20, 2023

The November ’23 Montford Newsletter is available at this web address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mont_Nov_23_v1.pdf  

October ’23 Montford Newsletter

by montfordsite | Oct 11, 2023

The October '23 Montford Newsletter is available at this web address:https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Mont_Oct_23_v1.pdf  

Montford Fall Fest/Neighbor Meet-Up

by montfordsite | Oct 4, 2023

Come join us this Saturday from 4:30 - 6:30 for the Montford Fall Fest & Neighbor Meet-Up. It will be held at two locations: 56 Pearson and Montford Garden (Corner of Montford Ave. & Waneta St.) See the attached poster for the details.

September ’23 Montford Newsletter

by montfordsite | Sep 18, 2023

The September '23 issue of the Montford Newsletter is available at this address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mont_Sep_23_v1.pdf  

August ’23 Montford Newsletter

by montfordsite | Aug 15, 2023

The August '23 Montford Newsletter is available at this web address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mont_Aug_23_v1.pdf  

June/July ’23 Montford Newsletter

by montfordsite | Jun 25, 2023

The June/July issue of the Montford Newsletter is available at this address: https://montford.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Mont_Jun_Jul_23_v1.pdf  

The 40 Best Things To Do In Asheville, North Carolina

The ultimate guide to the City of Land and Sky.

Asheville, North Carolina is far from a sleepy mountain town . The City of Land and Sky is energetic, eclectic, and bursting with artistic vitality. While its location among the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains calls visitors to the trails, the city's vibrant culinary and arts scene answers right back. It's a city with a rich history and an ever-evolving present that celebrates the region's multicultural roots while simultaneously embracing progress. Even so, it's the city's natural surroundings—the craggy bluffs and cool mountain air —that lure visitors and locals alike.

From outdoor adventures to local sips and shops, Asheville offers an experience for every taste. Here's how to spend your time in the "Paris of the South."

Grab A Beer

Asheville is known for its craft beer community —the city has more breweries per capita than any other in the United States. From award-winning producers of some of the best beers in the country to new, small-batch breweries bringing fresh creativity to the craft beer scene, there are endless options for beer lovers to grab a glass after a day on the trails. As a matter of fact, national craft brands Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, and New Belgium opened big-budget East Coast operations here, thanks to the abundant water flowing from the mountains that is said to have ideal pH levels for making beer.

Behold The Biltmore Estate

The crowning jewel of George Vanderbilt’s sprawling mansion built in 1895, the Biltmore Estate is the largest private home in America. Open to the public, the 8000-acre estate includes restaurants, lodging, gardens, trails, and an award-winning winery offering tastings and tours.

www.biltmore.com , One Lodge St., Asheville, NC 28803

Peruse Marquee

This converted 50,000-square-foot warehouse is an art gallery and marketplace full of pieces from regional vendors. Grab a beverage or snack from St. Brighid's just inside the entrance and wander through the aisles of this pet-friendly venue. Showcasing and selling antiques, vintage and contemporary pieces, home decor, jewelry, and crafts, this space is a highlight of the River Arts District.

marqueeasheville.com , 36 Foundy St., Asheville, NC 28801

Catch A Show

Catch a show with some of the biggest names in music and hot up-and-comers at one of the many live music venues in the city. The Grey Eagle Music Hall is the longest-running venue boasting a long list of local and national talent acts performing in an intimate stage setting. The venue offers options for seated shows; it also has an in-house Taqueria featuring Latin American cuisine and an ever-expanding beer selection.

www.thegreyeagle.com , 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Explore The Gardens

The North Carolina Arboretum is a 434-acre public garden, located just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Influenced by famed Biltmore architect Frederick Law Olmsted, cultivated garden exhibits , and hiking and biking trails cover the grounds. Don't forget to stop for a meal or snack at the Bent Creek Bistro.

www.ncarboretum.org , 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806

Chow Down At Chow Chow Culinary Festival

Celebrating the unique foodways of the Southern Appalachian region, this multi-day food festival features panel discussions, tasting bazaars, and dinners focusing on promoting an equitable regional food system. Founded in 2019, the flavors and food culture of Asheville come alive during Chow Chow each September.

Dine At Cúrate

Helmed by James Beard Award-winning couple, Katie Button and Felix Meana, Cúrate is a love letter to Spain through elevated small plates, cured meats, cherries, and wine. The flagship restaurant is in a former 1920s bus depot while a wine club, online retail store, and Spanish market and bakery rest right around the corner. Feast on stuffed piquillo peppers, Iberico pork, and Spanish cheese. Looking for lunch? Don't miss Button's La Bodega around the corner.

curatetapasbar.com , 13 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Set Out On The Mountains-To-Sea Trail

Part of a 935-mile byway connected by footpaths, bike trails, bridges, and roads, the trail passes through Asheville and spans 71 miles. The terrain is rugged with elevations ranging from 2,000 feet at the French Broad River to over 6,600 feet at the summit of Mount Mitchell, this segment is accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway .

Stay In The City

While some may seek a quiet mountain retreat away from the hustle and bustle, there's something to be said for waking up within walking distance of restaurants and shops. Check in and say goodbye to your car at The Foundry Hotel , a modern, restored steel foundry in the heart of Asheville's historic East End. Between the hotel's cocktail lounge, nearby boutiques, and neighborhood eateries, you'll really only need your car if you're leaving the city. The Restoration is another delightful place to stay downtown. New to the scene, this boutique hotel offers some of the best mountain views in the city from its rooftop bar.

Indulge With Doughnuts

The donuts at Hole Doughnuts are considered some of the best yeast doughnuts in the state of North Carolina, but it’s not only these sweets that keep locals coming back. Hole is home to a secret noodle night called NoodleHole, where diners have to sign up via a secret Instagram account. If you’re deadset on cake doughnuts, head over to SouthSlope for Vortex Doughnuts . Vortex has the added benefit of having a ton of vegan options for plant-based customers.

Boost Your Spirits On A Distillery Tour

Nestled in the mountains are the secrets of mountain moonshiners but all are open to the public for tours and samples of gin, whiskey, rum, moonshine, liqueurs, and cocktails for those who imbibe. Local distilleries include Chemist , Eda Rhyne , Asheville Distilling Co , Cultivated Cocktails , Rye Knot , Dalton , and Oak & Grist .

Tour The South Slope Mural Trail

Take a self-guided tour along a two-mile walkable trail around the South Slope neighborhood. Nearly 20 murals completed by local artists span the trail bringing color, vibrancy, and ingenuity to public art spaces.

Get In The Mood For Indian Street Food

Meherwan Irani opened Chai Pani in 2009 to introduce Asheville to the Indian street food of his childhood. With no formal training as a chef, he’s now a James Beard Award winner, and Chai Pani regularly has a line out the door.

www.chaipani.com , 22 Battery Park Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Cure Your Chocolate Cravings

Asheville is known for its dessert scene, namely chocolate confections. The most popular, French Broad Chocolate , has bean-to-bar factory tours and a chocolate lounge downtown in Pack Square. The Chocolate Fetish and Asheville Chocolate both have retail counters, and the latter has monthly confectionery classes.

Get Lost In A Game

If you're into board games, card games, or even obscure role-playing games, Well Played Board Game Café is for you. Connect (Four) through play with friends and strangers, and engage in friendly competition with a game library of more than 700 games. Add the beer, food, and drink options, and you may never leave.

wellplayedasheville.com , 162 Coxe Ave. #101, Asheville, NC 28801

Indulge At Cultura

The interiors at Cultura are just the beginning. The seven-course tasting menu is the true extravaganza. Wicked Weed's first venture into fine dining, the restaurant brings fermentation to the table under a glow of orb lights in unexpected ways. An al la carte menu is available on Thursday nights, and for some fun, Sunday's Cease and Desist dinners give diners a clever, upscale spin on comforting dishes from their favorite fast-food chains.

www.culturaavl.com , 147 Coxe Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Join The Weekly Drum Circle

Inside its amphitheater, Pritchard Park serves as an urban oasis to hit up the drum circle every Friday night (weather permitting) starting at 6 p.m. Spectators and drummers are all welcome to join in the music by communing or bringing their own drum. Don’t forget to check out the drum circle at Lake Julian on the last Thursday of every month starting around 5:30 p.m.

Stop By Citizen Vinyl

Shop for classic, vintage, and new vinyl while having a snack. Housed in the historic Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper building, this cafe and vinyl shop showcases the art of preserving music in a casual, laid-back setting. Make sure to check out one of three vinyl pressing plants within the building while taking one of the free factory tours.

citizenvinyl.com , 14 O'Henry Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Reserve A Table At Rhubarb

Chef John Fleer's restaurant Rhubarb is a fixture on Pack Square for a good reason. His approachable yet elevated menu reads like a love letter to the Blue Ridge’s bounty. While the dishes change with the seasons, you can always count on locally sourced ingredients and fare that grounds the restaurant with a sense of place.

www.rhubarbasheville.com , 7 SW Pack Sqare, Asheville, NC 28801

Walk The Asheville Urban Trail

This easily walkable 1.7-mile loop is a self-guided walking tour of art, local history, and outdoor landmarks. Walk in the footsteps of F. Scott Fitzgerald, O. Henry, or Thomas Wolfe. There is an audio tour guide and a blueprint of a scavenger hunt available online.

Visit Local Farmers' Markets

Don’t forget your reusable shopping bags as you head out to stock up on local goods, produce, and art at local farmers' markets. Open year-round on Wednesdays, the River Arts District Farmers Market is held at the Smoky Park Supper Club. Alternatively, the Western NC Farmers Market is open to the public daily. 

Relax At Omni Grove Park Inn

With sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and downtown Asheville, this 100-year-old hotel was built by business magnate E.W. Grove. One of more than 100 sites in Asheville listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this mountain oasis features world-class accommodations , multimillion-dollar spa facilities, seven bars and restaurants, and a self-guided audio history tour.

www.omnihotels.com , 290 Macon Ave., Asheville, North Carolina, 28804

Cheer For The Asheville Tourists

Root for the home team at an Asheville Tourists Minor League Baseball game. This affiliate team of the Houston Astros was founded in 1897 and plays at McCormick Field. This ballpark was one of the sets for the 1988 film “Bull Durham” starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon.

www.milb.com/asheville , 30 Buchanan Place, Asheville, NC 28801

Take A Drive On The Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited National Park according to the National Park Service. Luckily, Asheville is home to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center. Pick up maps , purchase souvenirs, speak to docents, and see interactive exhibits extolling the natural beauty of the area.

www.blueridgeparkway.org , 195 Hemphill Knob Rd., Asheville, NC 28803

Tour The Thomas Wolfe Memorial

Asheville’s most famous former resident’s childhood home is now open as a museum and for guided tours. Named “Old Kentucky Home" and originally used as a boardinghouse owned by Wolfe’s mother, the house is the setting for the 1929 novel "Look Homeward, Angel." Today the home is a museum and landmark. 

wolfememorial.com , 52 North Market St., Asheville, NC 28801

Watch Lexington Glasswork Artists At Work

A delicate and unique part of the arts community, this studio is part workshop, part gallery. View the glassblowing process from start to finish, watch the artists at work, and stroll the gallery for a unique gift or home decoration.

www.lexingtonglassworks.com , 81 S. Lexington Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Float Down The French Broad River

Several companies will outfit and send you down the river to go with the flow during the warmer months of the year. The shortest float trip takes you through the River Arts District while others explore points on the French Broad River Paddle Trail , covering more than 140 miles of protected waters.

Check Out The S&W Market

Originally a fine example of art-deco architecture that served as a flagship building for the S&W Cafeteria chain based out of Charlotte. Today, the food hall has six food stalls featuring local independent restaurant vendors. The building’s mezzanine is home to anchor tenant Highland Brewery, with an elevated taproom experience with seating overlooking the hall.

swmarketavl.com , 56 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Grab A Drink At The Double Crown

A beloved classic dive bar, The Double Crown is housed in a tiny house in West Asheville. This spot beckons guests with funky speakeasy vibes and the promise of karaoke, inexpensive drinks, and excellent people-watching. Don’t miss the last Thursday of each month as it’s Gospel Night, one of the most popular special event nights of the week.

www.facebook.com , 375 Haywood Road, Asheville, NC 28806

Spend An Afternoon At The Biltmore Village

Originally an enclave created to house employees of the Biltmore Estate, today the Biltmore Village is a shopping center with over 50 shops, boutiques, and cafes. Farm-to-table restaurants, cafes, and craft breweries span the area. The Cathedral of All Souls is a recognized landmark in the area lauded as a fine example of Romanesque Revival architecture.

Take A Hood Tour With Hoodhuggers

Buried history is unveiled on this series of walking tours of Eagle Street, Burton Street, and The Block, some of Asheville’s oldest African American neighborhoods and portions of Downtown that include shops and galleries featuring African American artisans, the YMI Cultural Center , and significant African American architecture. 

Grab Brunch At Benne On Eagle

Benne on Eagle has seen its fair share of James Beard-recognized chefs at the helm. Each brought a new take on Appalachia’s diverse food history and the legacy of The Block, a once thriving Black neighborhood where the restaurant is located, to the menu. Through each new interpretation, brunch has remained a bright spot. Pair the shrimp and grits made with andouille sausage with Benne Biscuit, and you'll be ready to tackle the day.

www.benneoneagle.com , 35 Eagle St., Asheville, NC, 28801 

Explore GRINDFest

This free, three-day festival takes place over Memorial Day weekend in downtown Asheville. The festivity celebrates the life and progress of Black entrepreneurs and business owners. GRINDFest events include street dance parties, hip-hop aerobics, a poetry slam, yoga and storytelling sessions, local food vendors, and a line-up of national acts.

grindfestavl.com , 8 River Arts Place, Asheville, NC 28801

Soak In the Sounds At Shindig On The Green

An annual summer event, this free, outdoor bluegrass music and dance festival takes place in Pack Square in downtown Asheville. In addition to scheduled performances, informal jam sessions are encouraged on the stage and around the park. Sit back, relax, and experience old-time string band performances and dancing.

folkheritage.org , Pack Square Park, 80 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801

Check Out The Grove Arcade

After E.W. Grove completed the Grove Park Inn, he set his sights on the construction of Grove Arcade. Considered Asheville’s original shopping mall, Grove Arcade has gone through many phases during its 100 years of history, including a military base and the National Weather Records Center. Today, local crafts, shopping, restaurants, office spaces, and luxury apartments fill the historic building.

grovearcade.com , 1 Page Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801

Visit The Folk Art Center

The Southern Highland Craft Guild is one of the nation's oldest and represents hundreds of skilled artisans across the Southeast. At The Folk Art Center, you can admire guild members' works in clay, glass, wood, fiber, metal, leather, paper, jewelry, and more. It's a fantastic place to pick up a few gifts (along with something for yourself).

southernhighlandguild.org , 382 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Asheville, NC 28805

Browse Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe

Malaprop's is a longtime fixture in downtown and a local favorite. You can find every kind of book for adults and children here, but the most popular section may be "Books Undercover." Take your chances and buy a book wrapped in brown paper and identified only as "Dragons! Shenanigans! More Shenanigans!" The staff liked it and think you will, too.

www.malaprops.com , 55 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801

Zip Line Down A Mountain

The Asheville area offers all the zip lining experiences you need to get your blood pumping. At the Adventure Center of Asheville , urban zip lines provide sweeping views of downtown, plus there is a zip line for smaller kids. A short drive away, Navitat Canopy Adventures and The Gorge Zipline will have you zooming from treetop to treetop and plunging down mountainsides.

Catch Live Music At Jack Of The Wood

This downtown pub is a must for traditional music lovers. Depending on the night, you could be treated to a traveling bluegrass band, a few Irish tunes, or an old-time mountain jam session. Jack of the Wood is also a pleasant place to while away a few hours eating pub food, drinking local brews, or sampling whiskeys.

jackofthewood.com , 95 Patton Ave., Asheville, NC 28801

Grab Brunch At Tupelo Honey Cafe

The Tupelo Honey phenomenon has spread to cities around the South, but Asheville is where it all started. Enjoy a farm-to-table, scratch-made, Southern-style brunch that honors traditions and shakes things up a bit. A few of those breakfast favorites are also available on the lunch and dinner menu.

tupelohoneycafe.com , 12 College St., Asheville, NC 28801

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Read the original article on Southern Living .

• 7 Coolest Towns in North Carolina for a Summer Vacation in 2024

North Carolina is home to some of the most amazing adventures in the country. To the west is the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway and to the east are gorgeous beaches and the Point near Hatteras Island , one of the best recreational angling locations in the country. Beyond the natural wonders of North Carolina also lies the amazing history within it, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was written in 1775, with North Carolina voting to cede from Great Britain a year before the other colonies, and being one of the first locations where Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were used during World War II.

North Carolina has played a very important role in the history of the United States, and even today, people flock to some of the natural landscapes for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Beyond the cities of Raleigh, Charlotte, and Wilmington lie smaller towns, just as beautiful and impactful without the big city nuisances.

A visitor cannot go wrong by choosing to travel to Beaufort. Beaufort is located about two hours from Raleigh and Wilmington, respectively, and is typically a quieter location. Beaufort is a great location for those interested in North Carolina 's coastal history, filled with pirates, spies, and love stories, or seeing pristine natural environments.

Beaufort is the location where Captain Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge was found shipwrecked and many of its remnants can be found at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, having been removed and then preserved after its discovery in 1996. The Maritime Museum in Beaufort has several other exhibits and activities, with a lucky visitor being able to occasionally touch a preserved whale heart on Valentine's Day or access the museum's maritime library.

History comes alive in Beaufort with very unique history tours. Beaufort has a 1967 double-decker British bus, bright red of course, used for historic tours of the town with tales of pirates and spies in abundance. After finishing the historic tour, a visit to the Old Burying Ground, the final resting place for individuals that have spanned almost 300 years of Beaufort history, might be in order. The Old Burying Ground also has available tours year-round, as long as the weather permits.

For those with the time, a paddle or ferry out to Shackleford Banks may be in order to see the wild horses on the shores. Shackleford Banks is part of the larger Cape Lookout National Seashore, an internationally ranked dark sky. Occasionally, the National Park Service also hosts astronomy nights so amateur astronomists can learn about constellations.

Brevard is a mountain town that is close to the heart of many North Carolinians. Brevard is about two and a half hours from Charlotte , North Carolina and Knoxville , Tennessee , and seated between Pisgah National Forest and Nantahala National Forest. Brevard is surrounded by forests and mountains, drawing many visitors to locations like Looking Glass Rock for its hiking and climbing activities. There are also many waterfalls in Brevard, including Rainbow Falls, which requires only a short mile-and-a-half hike to see.

While you are hiking or walking around Brevard, you might see some peculiarly white squirrels in the area. Brevard has white variants of the Eastern Gray Squirrel and even holds a festival in their honor. Legend has it that a pair of squirrels were left behind when a carnival went through the town, but every resident has their own version. Importantly, the white squirrels make up a third of Brevard's squirrel population with people coming from all over to see them.

If you are not quite ready to put on your hiking boots for this trip, the Brevard Music Center might be just the place for you. A premier music institute focusing on classical music, the Brevard Music Center hosts a summer music festival from June to August with previous musicians being the likes of Yo-Yo Ma and Renee Fleming among the almost 100 performances each year.

When you get hungry during your adventures, head over to the Pisgah Bakehouse, a predominantly pizza location with other options like Braised Beef Cheek and Strawberry Breton Tart. Many of the incredible ingredients at the Pisgah Bakehouse are sourced locally so your dollars are even further contributing to the community.

Whether you grew up on the Andy Griffith Show as it came out on the screen or watched reruns, Mount Airy is the perfect Mayberry for you. In fact, Mount Airy was the inspiration for Mayberry. Less than two hours from Charlotte , just over two hours from Raleigh , and less than an hour from Winston-Salem , Mount Airy is a great location in western North Carolina to visit in 2024.

The biggest draw to Mount Airy is its focus on the Andy Griffith Show, the town has a replica courthouse and the Andy Griffith Museum for visitors to enjoy. After visiting the replica courthouse and touring the museum, you might be keen on heading down to Opies Candy Store to grab something sweet while strolling through Mount Airy. If you get tired of strolling, you can take a tour of the town on one of Mayberry's Squad Car Tours, with visits to some of the show's favorite places. On the Mayberry Squad Car Tours' website, it mentions that they take up to five passengers at a time for 50 dollars, making it a great, affordable attraction.

If you are not interested in the Mayberry vibes, Mount Airy has a lot to offer outside of that, surrounded by mountains and forests, Mount Airy has old bones. Home to the Rockford General Store from the National Register of Historic Places, it has been in operation since 1890. Rockford General Store is where visitors can buy a glass bottle, drink, and some candies before taking a self-guided walking tour of the historic village. For those hoping to be in the fresh air, Pilot Mountain State Park is a twenty-minute drive with options for camping, rock climbing, hiking, and paddling while overlooking the beautiful scenery. Overall, Mount Airy is the perfect little vacation spot for anyone hoping to get away.

Topsail Island

Topsail Island is in the southern part of the Outer Banks , just about an hour north of Wilmington . It has the beautiful and accessible beaches of Wilmington but a quieter atmosphere. The island is home to three small towns, all of which have just a few thousand people combined, making it a great location for someone looking for a nice beach getaway.

In North Carolina , Topsail Island is known as a great location to comb the beach for tiny shark teeth. Public access is not typically an issue, as parking is found in small lots across the southern portion of the island. Topsail Island is also a great place to sit down and have a picnic while getting your summer tan.

Topsail Island is a great location for access to the beach, but the sound side of the island is a great access for kayaking or paddle boarding. For paddlers bringing their own equipment, there are free launches around the island, but for those needing a rental, Paddle NC has a location in North Topsail where visitors can rent out equipment as well as sign up for ecotours of the sound.

After paddling across the sound, consider renewing your energy with a lunch at Splash by the Sea. Splash by the Sea is primarily seafood with other menu items, including gluten-free options like tuna nachos described as "seared ahi tuna over gluten-free crispy tortillas" with other ingredients.

For the lover of indoor environments, the Missiles and More Museum might be the best option for you. Missiles and More Museum is a great place to learn about Women Airforce Service Pilots who flew over North Carolina 's eastern coast during World War II or about Operation Bumblebee, the U.S. Navy's secret missile test program from the mid to late 1940s. After visiting the museum, you can even be able to drive past several of the watch towers that were used for Operation Bumblebee.

With mild summers, Boone is the place to be to beat the heat in a North Carolina summer. Boone is a relatively close hour and a half from Winston-Salem and just under two hours from Asheville . Boone is also surrounded by other small, beautiful mountain towns like Banner Elk and Blowing Rock while sitting very close to the North Carolina-Tennessee border.

Sitting on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Boone is also very close to the well-known Grandfather Mountain. Great for those looking to hike to the top and see the iconic Blue Ridge Mountains. After a visit to Grandfather Mountain, a tour of the Daniel Boone Native Gardens, with native plants from the region, might be in order to feel the spirit of Boone.

Tweetsie Railroad is a must-see for anyone spending more than a few hours in Boone. It is a Wild West-themed amusement park where visitors hop onto a historic locomotive, feed local animals, or enjoy events like Tweetsie Christmas and Ghost Trains during appropriate seasons. For individuals more interested in the history of Boone, a visit to the Hickory Ridge History Museum may be in order. Tours of the cabins and living history interpreters make this museum a unique opportunity to explore the town in a new light.

New Bern is about an hour west of Beaufort and two hours north of Wilmington . It was founded in the 1700s by Swiss immigrants and was the original capital of North Carolina. New Bern has been a key location throughout history, but even today, much of it is very proud of its original Swiss heritage, with symbols of a bear found throughout the town.

New Bern's long history means that it has some beautiful, old locations to admire and take pictures at, the first being Tryon Palace. With multiple structures and 16 acres of gardens, Tryon Palace is a fantastic place for visitors hoping to take beautiful pictures at a historic location, as well as art galleries for viewing. Guided tours of the various gardens, offices, and buildings are also available with varying ticket purchases.

Another claim to fame that New Bern possesses is being the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. A store full of Pepsi-related memorabilia is currently found at the original location, creatively named The Birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. A simple stroll around downtown New Bern could find you at this location.

After a great day, seeing the sites in New Bern, sit down for a meal at Baxter's 1892, a jazz club-inspired bar and restaurant in the heart of the historic district. With desserts like a triple chocolate layer cake or Baxter's apple cobbler, while being supplied with live music events regularly held, you may never want to leave!

Little Switzerland

When heading away from the beach, Little Switzerland is the place to go. An hour from Asheville and two hours from Charlotte , this little town sits right on the Blue Ridge Parkway making it a great location to hike during the summer and the possibility of the colors starting to change at the very end of summer.

A dream stay might include waking up at La Petite Chalet, a colorful and eclectic Swiss-styled bed and breakfast before heading over to visit Emerald Village, a location to learn about North Carolina's mining industry while panning for gold, looking for gemstones, or visiting the mining museum. Outdoorsy visitors might prefer to take the three mile hike to Crabtree Falls, although it is mentioned as being a strenuous endeavor, before visiting the Little Switzerland Orchard and Winery for a taste of local ciders. If you are lucky, you might be visiting for a weekend in July or August, which means an evening of square dancing at Geneva Hall before going back to your bed and breakfast to sit around a small fire.

If you are hoping to summer at the beach, hike up a mountain, or go to an amusement park with the family, North Carolina has something available for everyone. From pirates to pioneers, spies to ghosts, there are opportunities to enjoy, and reimagine, yourself for a stay in North Carolina . Take a minute to decide where in North Carolina you want to experience the living history and gorgeous outdoors this summer and then pack your bags. If you are interested in more articles from North Carolina or did not find a perfect fit for your vacation, take a look at other World Atlas articles.

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2022 - Weekly Highlights from the Asheville Field Office, Asheville, North Carolina

2022 12 16 – Weekly staff notes

Discovering key information about imperiled mussels – Freshwater mussels, one of North America’s most imperiled animal groups, go through a brief phase early in their life when they attach themselves to a fish which provides the young mussel with nutrients and disperses the largely sedentary animals. Often each species of mussel relies on certain species of fish for this life stage. Asheville Field Office intern Rebekah Ewing successfully defended her master’s thesis at Appalachian State University, wrapping up research in which she confirmed one fish host and identified five new fish hosts for the endangered Appalachian elktoe; and identified five fish hosts for the longsolid, a mussel proposed for the federal threatened and endangered species list.

Mills River Stream Restoration – The Asheville Field Office administrative team of Karla and Jeff Quast visited a stream restoration project on western North Carolina’s Mills River, assisting with the planting of “live stakes,” or cuttings from live trees that will take root and grow into new trees upon planting. The Mills River is home to the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel, and the restoration project is supported by the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, providing technical and financial assistance to habitat management on private, municipal, and county lands.

Speaking at Warren Wilson College – Dr. Natali Ramirez-Bullon of the Asheville Field Office spoke to students in Warren Wilson College’s senior-level plant ecology class. Her talk, “Refined Approaches to Improving Efforts to Conserve Plant Biodiversity,” stemmed from her recently completed dissertation in which she looked at developing a framework to identify conservation priorities when resources developed to supporting conservation are limited.  

Friday, December 9

Updating the electo-fishing course – Running electric current through water to temporarily stun fish for capture is a fundamental technique used by aquatic biologists, but if not done properly, it can be a dangerous one, so for Service staff, training is required. The Service’s top-level electrofishing certification course, Principles and Techniques of Electrofishing, is being improved to reflect changing technology and the needs of an evolving workforce.  Asheville Field Office biologist Jason Mays joined the course’s lead instructor at the Service’s national training center to assist with the update. The updated course will be offered in the spring.  

Friday, December 2

Mills River site visit – Staff from the Asheville Field Office visited a Partners for Fish and Wildlife habitat restoration project that recently broke ground along western North Carolina’s Mills River. The project will stabilize eroding streambank upstream of a drinking water intake for the City of Asheville and is the latest in a string of restoration projects along the Mills River, home to the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel.

Learning how to make the most of geographic data – Mark Endries, GIS analyst with the Asheville Field Office, recently taught Introduction to GIS at the National Conservation Trained Center (NCTC). Endries has long served as a GIS instructor, also teaching Field Techniques for Invasive Plant Management and Modeling Species Distributions with Maxent and ArcGIS Pro at NCTC; and Field Data Collection Using ArcGIS, Modelling Species Distributions with Maxent and ArcGIS Pro, Introduction to Survey123, Introduction to ModelBuilder, Introduction to Collector, ERATools, and Introduction to ArcPad at southeast regional trainings.

North Carolina Bat Working Group meeting – Sue Cameron and Lauren Wilson of the Asheville Field Office attended the 2022 meeting of the North Carolina Bat Working Group, held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which provided an opportunity for biologists to share and discuss the past year’s developments in bat conservation. Cameron serves as an at-large board member for the group which was formed in 2007 to promote the conservation of bats and their habitats in North Carolina through education and collaborative study, including the dissemination of information on research and policies.

Friday, November 25

Bog visits – Staff from the Asheville Field Office joined Jake Tuttle and Carolyn Johnson, manager and deputy manager of Piedmont, Bond Swamp, and Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuges, for a tour of southern Appalachian Mountain bogs. Tuttle became refuge manager earlier this year and took advantage of the trip to visit seven western North Carolina bogs, both within the refuge and managed by partners. The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss a process for engaging partners on bog conservation strategy.

Friday, November 18

Helping fish move upstream – Asheville Field Office staff Jason Mays, Jeff Quast, and Byron Hamstead joined biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to move smallmouth redhorse, smallmouth buffalo, and black buffalo above three impeding dams into historical habitat in the French Broad River. The French Broad is home to an expanding population of endangered Appalachian elktoe mussels, which have an early life stage where they attach themselves to fish gills for nourishment, eventually dropping off and settling into a different part of the river. The three translocated species are potential hosts for the elktoe and because they make annual long distance spawning runs, biologists are hopeful they will help spread the mussels throughout the river.  

French Broad River surprise – Lauren Wilson and Jason Mays of the Asheville Field Office received a surprise recently when snorkeling the French Broad River, just upstream of the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. Although looking for mussels in relation to an NCDOT project, Mays came across an approximately 15-inch lake sturgeon resting on the river bottom. Lake sturgeon are currently being considered for Endangered Species Act protection and individuals, including some raised at Edenton National Fish Hatchery, are stocked into the Tennessee and North Carolina portions of the river .

Mills River Town Board – Asheville biologist Bryan Tompkins recently met with the town council of Mills River, N.C., to discuss the installation of a 15-acre pollinator meadow at their community park.  The meadow will be a key feature of the community park ​and will include a separate 3,000 square foot monarch waystation.   Several historic occurrence records of the federally endangered rusty-patched bumble bee are near the park.   Walking trails and outreach signage will be included in the design, offering passive recreation opportunities such as birding and experiencing this important habitat type that has been diminished on the southern Appalachian landscape.

Friday, November 11

Cheoah River Pebble Count  – Western North Carolina’s Cheoah River was once piped overland to a powerhouse facility, leaving a nine-mile river reach watered only by dam leakage and tributaries entering below the dam. That changed under the current hydro-power license, with flow returning to the dewatered stretch, home to the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel and threatened spotfin chub. The ​current license also requires the licensee to supplement gravel in the bypass reach every two years to enhance stream-bottom habitat in the sediment-starved reach below the dam. Asheville Field Office staff Bryan Tompkins and Jeff Quast recently joined U.S. Forest Service staff for annual monitoring of how that supplemental gravel is moving through the river and enhancing stream-bottom habitat. 

Working with historically marginalized landowners -Asheville Field Office biologist Laura Fogo participated in the "Partnering with Historically Marginalized Landowners" workshop in Summerfield, SC, hosted by the SCJ General Services and the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation. The workshop is part of a Service effort to reach out to and support historically marginalized landowners and communities. Fogo’s work supports wildlife habitat restoration and stewardship on private lands, and through the workshop she connected with and helped provide technical assistance to four Carolina families.

Keeping animals off the highway - Laura Fogo, Sue Cameron, Holland Youngman, Byron Hampstead, and Natali Ramirez-Bullon recently joined staff from the N.C. Department of Transportation, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Tangled Bank Conservation and volunteers from The Nature Conservancy to install approximately 3,000 linear feet of fencing along a western North Carolina highway. The fencing will keep small animals off the road, directing them to a small tunnel that was designed to enable animal movement between wetlands on either side of the road.

Friday, November 4

Mecklenburg County Mussel Move – Asheville Field Office staff Jay Mays and Jeff Quast joined Mecklenburg County, N.C. staff at a county nature center on Stephens Creek to stock mussels and monitor previous stocking efforts along the creek, the recent focus of a stream restoration project. Stephens Creek is in the Goose Creek watershed, home to the endangered Carolina heelsplitter mussel, and biologists are stocking the stream with common mussels to see how well they do, hopefully paving the way for eventual stocking of Carolina heelsplitters.

Friday, October 28

Bog workday -  Susan Cameron, Byron Hamstead, and Natali Ramirez-Bullon recently spent a day managing a southern Appalachian bog in Alleghany County, N.C. The team focused on removing non-native invasive plants including multiflora rose, barberry and oriental bittersweet. Non-native plants outcompete native plants resulting in decreased diversity and habitat quality. Non-native invasive plants are one of several long-standing challenges with southern Appalachian bogs, whose numbers and extent have dwindled over the decades, with a multitude of organizations stepping up to help manage bog sites. 

Final project review numbers – The final fiscal year 2022 numbers are in and the Asheville Field Office reviewed 305 projects, ranging from bridge replacements to national forest management, that may affect threatened or endangered species. After working with project proponents to minimize impacts, only seven were likely to adversely affect listed species. Additionally, office staff provided technical assistance on 419 projects, answering questions and helping identify ways to avoid listed species impacts.

Identifying environmental contamination - Asheville Field Office biologist Mark Endries joined National Wildlife Refuge realty expert Alice Lawrence to conduct a contaminants survey at a potential addition to Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge. The survey is a standard part of refuge land acquisition to identify any contaminants issues before the Service takes ownership of the land.

Learning about pollinator conservation – North Carolina visitors driving I-26 can now stop at the welcome center just south of the Tennessee state line and learn about pollinator conservation thanks to the work of Asheville Field Office biologist Bryan Tompkins and the N.C. Department of Commerce. The welcome center, a registered monarch waystation, is home to a pollinator meadow planted between the center and the interstate, while inside, visitors can pick up information on pollinator conservation and planting to support pollinators. Tompkins is currently working with the N.C. Department of Commerce to offer a similar experience at a welcome center in I-77.

Friday, October 21

Spruce restoration - The Southern Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative held its annual meeting, a hybrid event, at North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain. Asheville field office’s Gary Peeples entered his second year of a two-year term as co-chair while Sue Cameron and Mark Endries remained on the steering committee, and Natali Ramirez-Bullon also attended. The partnership is focused on restoring red spruce, a key habitat component in the high-elevation forests of Southern Appalachia that are home to the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel and spruce-fir moss spider.

Friday, October 14

Bats documented in roost structure structure Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head. Learn more about structure  – When a new bridge was built over the French Broad River, in Asheville, N.C., Asheville Field Office biologists Sue Cameron and Byron Hamstead worked with the developer to have a specially-designed artificial bat roost panel attached to the underside of the bridge. Last week Hamstead and Holland Youngman, also of the Asheville Field Office, visited the roost for the first time since installation and found a big brown bat, confirming the panel’s use by bats. This bodes well for area bats, as Youngman worked with the N.C. Department of Transportation to install similar panels to existing bridges in the area in connection with a major interstate widening project. 

Sicklefin redhorse conservation – This week, Ian Jameson of Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery counted more than 10,000 hatchery-raised sicklefin redhorses, loaded them into a hatchery truck, and drove them to western North Carolina where he met Jason Mays and Jeff Quast of the Asheville Field Office, and staff from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission who helped release the fish across five North Carolina rivers. In 2016 the Service decided not to place the sicklefin redhorse on the federal threatened and endangered species list, but it’s the subject of a candidate conservation agreement under which several organizations pledged to support sicklefin conservation.

Friday, October 7

Toe in the Toe, Mitchell County – Mitchell County, N.C. is home to the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel, and each year fifth-grade students from across the county descend on the North Toe River in Spruce Pine to learn about the river in the Toes in the Toe Festival. Students rotate through several stations, including one on aquatic invertebrates hosted by the Service and this year staffed by Byron Hamstead, Gary Peeples, Jeff Quast, and Natali Ramirez-Bullon. Service staff taught the students how to collect aquatic invertebrates, how to identify them, and what the invertebrate community says about stream health.

Dwarf-flowered heartleaf conservation  – Six acres of land, providing habitat protection for nearly 300 threatened dwarf-flowered heartleaf plants, will go into a conservation easement conservation easement A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership. Learn more about conservation easement , as a result of a recent project review completed by Byron Hamstead and Rebekah Reid of the Asheville Field Office. The proposed project is a residential housing development, which, due to stream and wetland impacts, required a Clean Water Act permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and received formal review under the Endangered Species Act for impacts to federally protected species. The developer committed to five years of monitoring and reporting to ensure this newly discovered population remains viable and contributes to species recovery.

Learning about spruce restoration - Asheville Field Office biologist Sue Cameron joined Western Carolina University students in Dr. Aimee Rockhill’s Wildlife Ecology and Management class in the Great Balsam Mountains to talk about on-the-ground red spruce restoration efforts in the area. Decimated by early twentieth century industrial logging and subsequent forest fires, red spruce is an important tree for the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel, which dens in cavities and in drey nests in its branches and feeds on a fungus that grows amidst its roots. Cameron, recovery lead for the squirrel, has long been involved in efforts to restore the tree in the Southern Appalachians. 

Review of bridge replacement completed  – Lauren Wilson, of the Asheville Field Office, recently completed formal review of a bridge replacement project slated for North Carolina’s Madison County. The N.C. Department of Transportation took several steps to minimize the project’s impacts to the tricolored bat and endangered gray bat, including clearing trees outside the active bat season, not working at night, replanting riparian riparian Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas. Learn more about riparian trees to block existing lighting, and excluding bats from the old bridge as demolition approaches. The new bridge will maintain suitable roosting habitat, ensuring no permanent loss of roosting opportunities on this stretch of the Big Laurel Creek.

Friday, September 30

Toes in the Toe – Every fifth grade student in North Carolina’s Yancey County recently visited the South Toe River, home to the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel, to learn about stream health. The students rotated through five stations, including one on aquatic invertebrates staffed by Byron Hamstead, Jeff Quast, Karla Quast, and Gary Peeples of the Asheville Field Office. Service staff led the students through collecting and identifying stream invertebrates, helping them draw conclusions about stream health based on the animals they found.

Electro-fishing course – Fish biologists from across the area and multiple state and federal agencies recently descended on Asheville for a week-long course on electrofishing – the use of mild electric current to stun fish, enabling their capture by biologists. It’s a fundamental tactic whenever biologists need to quickly and effectively get fish in hand - for collecting sperm and eggs for captive propagation, to tagging fish to track migration, to any number of other management techniques. The class was provided by the National Conservation Training Center, with local logistical support from Jason Mays and Jeff Quast of the Asheville Field Office. It was also attended by Asheville Field Office biologists Laura Fogo and Byron Hamstead.

Listing Course – As the Service continues to work through the hundreds of species we’ve been asked to add to the list of threatened and endangered species, the Asheville Field Office’s Andrew Henderson shared his knowledge and experience with the listing process as an instructor for the National Conservation Training Center’s Endangered Species Listing and Candidate Assessment course, recently held in Falls Church, Virginia. Andrew is the lead field biologist in the listing decision process for eight freshwater mussels, all of which have ranges covering multiple states, complicating the compilation and analysis of data about the mussels.

Small-anthered bittercress – In an on-going effort to refine the range maps of threatened and endangered species by basing it on ecological factors instead of county boundaries, the Asheville Field Office’s Mark Endries and Rebekah Reid reduced the range of small-anthered bittercress in North Carolina by nearly 160,000 acres, a 54% reduction. The diminished range is simply a more accurate picture of where the plant may be found, which will improve the efficiency of reviewing projects under the Endangered Species Act for impacts to small-anthered bittercress.

Friday, September 23

Pollinator garden – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will be installing ​a pollinator garden at the Greensboro, N.C. farmers market in the coming weeks, using excess plants dug from the pollinator garden installed at the Asheville Field Office at the advent of the pandemic. The field office’s garden has been successful to the point it is now a source of plants for other area projects, with local partner and non-profit Asheville Greenworks developing the capacity to begin holding excess plants for future projects. Garden coordinator Bryan Tompkins estimated that the field office’s a garden has provided nearly $1600 worth of pollinator plants for other gardens in recent weeks.  

Friday, September 16, 2022

The future of conservation in North Carolina - The Raleigh Field Office’s Jennifer Archambault and the Asheville Field Office’s Sue Cameron spoke at the North Carolina Future of Conservation Forum, September 6-8 at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Jennifer's talk focused on the recovery path ahead for four recently-listed aquatic species in central North Carolina, while Cameron spoke on challenges and hopes for bat conservation in North Carolina. The forum brought together more than 100 experts to im prove the overall effectiveness of applying science to conservation issues in North Carolina.

Search for the spruce-fir moss spider - Staff from the Asheville Field Office and North Carolina State Parks spent two days using new monitoring protocols for the endangered spruce-fir moss spider, monitoring for the spider in two areas at Roan Mountain, one of the highest peaks in southern Appalachia. The spider is the size of a pencil eraser and has been notoriously hard to monitor because doing so can impact its habitat. New protocol developed by Clemson University marks the first time the Service has had a sustainable, low-impact methodology for monitoring the spider.

Friday, September 9, 2022

Tunnel provides animal passage under road - The North Carolina Department of Transportation recently installed a small, concrete tunnel running underneath a western North Carolina road to enable animal passage beneath two wetland areas. The NCDOT worked with Asheville biologists Laura Fogo, Holland Youngman, and Sue Cameron, with input from archeologist Rick Kanaski and Piedmont NWR deputy manager Carolyn Johnson. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and Tangled Bank Conservation also contributed to the project.

Friday, September 2, 2022

Black Mountains spruce restoration - Asheville Field Office staff Susan Cameron and Gary Peeples joined staff from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. State Parks, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in North Carolina’s Black Mountains to learn how to select the best spruce trees for release from nearby competition, so they can grow into the canopy and become seed producers. The move is the latest in the effort to restore red spruce, a key habitat component for the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel, in the Black Mountains - home to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi. The high elevation conifer forests of the Southern Appalachians were decimated a century ago by unsustainable logging and wildfire, and have not been able to recover to their previous extent.

Friday, August 26, 2022

Spreading avens – Natali Ramirez-Bullon, the Asheville Field Office’s new botanist, joined staff from the National Park Service’s Blue Ridge Parkway and Grandfather Mountain State Park to assist with the latest installment of a long-term monitoring for the endangered spreading avens. Grandfather Mountain is one of the highest places in the southern Appalachians, a long-time tourist destination, and home to a concentration of federally-protected species

Roan Mountain  – The Asheville Field Office continued deploying the new spruce-fir moss spider (endangered) monitoring protocol recently developed by Clemson University. Sue Cameron, Rebekah Reid, and Byron Hamstead surveyed sites at Roan Mountain, a high-elevation area on the North Carolina/Tennessee border managed by the U.S. Forest Service.  The survey confirmed continued presence at a previously occupied site and found spiders at a suitable habitat patch where a previous survey failed to uncover the species.

Mountain Bogs NWR – Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge expanded by seven acres as the Service took ownership of a western North Carolina bog donated by a local land conservancy. The site is home to bunched arrowhead (endangered) and was previously the site of a wetland restoration project funded by the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

Friday, August 19,2022

New botanist – The Asheville Field Office welcomed Natali Ramirez-Bullon as their new botanist. Natali recently completed her doctorate from Florida State University, and was most recently working on a post-doc with Tall Timbers Research Station, though she has also been a Service contractor and Pathways intern. She will handle botanical listing and recovery activities for the office.

Friday, August 12, 2022

Little brown bat roosting site discovered  –  Asheville Field Office biologist Susan Cameron joined biologists with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and North Carolina State Parks for mist net surveys for bats. ​The survey site supports a surviving population of little brown bats, a species the Service has been asked to place on the Federal threatened and endangered species list because of dramatic declines due to white-nose syndrome. Biologists captured five little browns and four were outfitted with radio transmitters enabling biologists to track them to their roosting sites. Three of those four were found roosting on private property and the landowner is interested in helping to protect them.   

Testing spider monitoring protocol – Asheville Field Office biologist Sue Cameron joined North Carolina State Parks staff to perform a preliminary run of new monitoring protocols for the endangered spruce-fir moss spider. The team visited two Grandfather Mountain State Park sites where the imperiled spider had not previously been found, discovering the spider at one of them. The endangered spider is known from two North Carolina State Parks, Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell.

Friday, August 5, 2022

Electric charger installed – The Asheville Field Office recently installed its first electric car charger. The charger will primarily serve the office’s Chevy Bolt electric car, which has proven to be extremely popular for non-field work trips. The installation occurred thanks to the dedication and perseverance of Karla Quast and Sandra Spivey, the current and former ASFO administrative officers.

Invasive species management – Asheville Field Office biologist Byron Hamstead joined N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission staff to manage an invasive plant, marsh dewflower, at a western North Carolina wetland within the acquisition boundary for Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge. The invasive plant was first documented at the site in 2021 and has since been the subject of intense management efforts.

Friday, July 29, 2022

Chattahoochee National Fish Hatchery – Asheville Field Office biologist Sue Cameron joined staff from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Zoo Knoxville to visit Chattahoochee National Fish Hatchery. The team met with hatchery manager Kelly Taylor to provide technical assistance to their bog turtle captive breeding program. Although the bog turtle’s southern population – stretching from Georgia to Virginia – receives limited protection under the Endangered Species Action, the Service has been petitioned to provide it with stronger protections.

Rare bat elusive on the Blue Ridge Parkway  – Working from a report that little brown bats were found roosting on a bridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway - a bridge slated for destruction and replacement - Asheville Field Office biologists Susan Cameron and Rebekah Reid joined National Park Service and Federal Highways Administration staff, as well as project contractors at the bridge for a closer examination. Once common, little brown bats are now being considered for Endangered Species Act protection and are exceptionally rare in western North Carolina.  ​The team found big brown bats day roosting in the bridge and evidence that big brown bats and at least one other species, possibly little brown bats, are using the bridge as a night roost.

Friday, July 22, 2022

Showcasing stream prioritization  - GIS, or geographic information systems, provide a way to process and display geographic data – for example, a user could use a geographic information system to combine state boundaries and election returns in individual voting precincts to display candidate support across the nation. Each year, ESRI, the predominant company in this industry, hosts the ESRI Users Conference, the largest conference in this field. Asheville Field Office GIS analyst Mark Endries presented a poster explaining how he used information collected by state biologists on what aquatic animals are or aren’t found in stream reaches across North Carolina to create a map that prioritizes stream reaches for conservation.  

Friday, July 15, 2022

Spruce restoration around site of historic logging camp - Camp Alice was a logging camp, named after the camp cook, near the peak of North Carolina’s Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi. Today it’s part of Mount Mitchell State Park, and the site of a potential red spruce restoration effort to improve habitat for the Carolina northern flying squirrel and spruce-fir moss spider. Asheville field office biologist Sue Cameron joined staff from N.C. State Parks, N.C. Natural Heritage Program, and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to begin developing a restoration strategy for the site, with an eye toward spring of 2023 for on-the-ground work.

Friday, July 8, 2022

Black Mountains visit – Efforts to restore red spruce forests in North Carolina’s Black Mountains advanced this week as Asheville Field Office biologists joined staff from the U.S. Forest Service, N.C. State Parks, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, N.C. Natural Heritage Program, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Forest Stewards Guild to discuss a strategy for restoring spruce to a privately-owned block of conserved land. The area is home to the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel and spruce-fir moss spider, both of which depend on high-elevation conifer forests and would benefit from restoration. The first challenge in the rugged terrain is how to enable existing red spruce trees to grow into the canopy and become seed-producers while ensuring the squirrel has sufficient hardwood nesting trees and the boulder fields that may contain the spider remain undisturbed.

Reintroduction plan for two mussels – Andrew Henderson of the Asheville Field Office, working with Rose Agbalog of the Southwest Virginia Field Office and Tim Lane of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, recently completed an augmentation/reintroduction plan for the Appalachian monkeyface and the Cumberland monkeyface mussels into the Clinch River, Virginia. In addition to basic species information, the plan outlines where and when augmentation/reintroduction will occur and addresses genetic, disease, and monitoring considerations. These mussel species haven’t been collected from the Clinch River in more than 20 years, though stocking should begin this summer with a long term goal of re-establishing populations in the Clinch River.

Friday, July 1, 2022

New refuge manager visits - The Asheville Field Office welcomed Jake Tuttle, new manager for Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge. Asheville staff Laura Fogo and Holland Youngman joined Tuttle as he visited the site of a Partners for Fish and Wildlife project adjacent to the refuge that is designed to improve wildlife passage between blocks of conserved land. In addition to Mountain Bogs NWR, Tuttle also manages Piedmont and Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuges in central Georgia.

Friday, June 24, 2022

Uwharries National Forest - Asheville Field Office biologist Jason Mays joined Forest Service biologist Sheryl Bryan for a site visit to the Uwharries National Forest where the two planned steps to minimize impacts to aquatic species from proposed infrastructure improvements, and discussed longer-term mussel conservation efforts.

Friday, June 17, 2022

Pisgah/Nantahala Forest Plan  – The Asheville Field Office completed their review of the new Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Land Management Plan under Section 7 Section 7 Section 7 Consultation The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species. Learn more about Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. In development for years, the plan will guide forest management on the two western North Carolina forests for at least 15 years to come. Biologists Rebekah Reid was the lead in the review, with support from Bryan Tompkins, Sue Cameron, Jason Mays, Andrew Henderson and field office supervisor Janet Mizzi.  

Virginia spiraea range map updated  – In an ongoing effort to align species range maps with ecological features instead of political boundaries, like county lines, Mark Endries worked with Byron Hamstead and Rebekah Reid, all of the Asheville Field Office, to update the range map for the threatened Virginia spiraea as it occurs in North Carolina. One practical aspect of the updated range is it dramatically reduces the North Carolina area where federally funded or authorized projects are reviewed for impacts to the plant under the Endangered Species Act, from 2,153,577 acres down to 261,146 acres, an 88% reduction. 

Friday, June 10, 2022

Pollinators and the National Park Service – Asheville Field Office biologist Bryan Tompkins trained 22 Great Smoky Mountains National Park technicians and seasonal employees in non-lethal bumble bee survey techniques and identification. While bumble bee monitoring won’t be their primary job, the knowledge will enable them to make casual observations across the park throughout the warm season. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is within the range of the endangered rusty-patch bumble bee, but hasn’t been seen there since 2001.

Invasive plant response – The invasive plant marsh dayflower has been discovered in a western North Carolina bog, prompting a response from area biologists in hopes of eradicating the plant from the site before it gets established. Asheville Field Office biologist Sue Cameron joined staff from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Conserving Carolina land conservancy to remove the plant. The site is home to the at-risk bog turtle and within the acquisition boundary for Mountain Bogs NWR.

Friday, June 3, 2022

Carolina heelsplitter – Staff with the Asheville and South Carolina field offices refined the range map of the Carolina heelsplitter mussel. Working with biologists Morgan Wolf and Jason Mays, GIS analyst Mark Endries shifted the official range of the Carolina heelsplitter from an area based on county boundaries, i.e. a county range map, to one based on watersheds. The result is a more accurate range map, and a 54% reduction in the area where federally funded or authorized projects are reviewed for impacts to the mussel under the Endangered Species Act.

Bog turtles – Asheville Field Office biologist Sue Cameron joined biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Project Bog Turtle to assist with a portion of the state’s annual bog turtle monitoring. Cameron joined the team for three sites - one of which is in the acquisition boundary for Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge - though turtles were only found at two of those. Though the bog turtle’s northern population is listed as threatened, the southern population, currently listed as threatened due to similarity of appearance, was recently petitioned for full listing.

Friday, May 27, 2022

Pollinator conservation - Four southeastern biologists joined other Service and U.S. Geological Survey biologists in the inaugural  Pollinator Field Methods and Lab Techniques  course May 16-19 at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD. Throughout the week-long class, we studied and practiced various field survey methods and USFWS/USGS lab techniques to help ensure quality data collection for this under-researched taxa. Sean Christopherson (Florida Field Office), Samantha Hermann (Florida Field Office), Meg Hedeen (Georgia Field Office), and Bryan Tompkins (Asheville Field Office) were happy to represent the southeast and look forward to continued collaboration.

Bunched arrowhead –  Asheville Field Office staff Rebekah Reid, Karla Quast, and Byron Hamstead joined staff from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission in the field to familiarize everyone with bunched arrowhead, a threatened wetland plant. Although the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission doesn’t have state purview over plants, they recently acquired 87 acres adjacent to the French Broad River in Henderson County, NC, with the aim of restoring natural hydrology and ecological function of the site which may improve habitats for foraging/commuting listed bat species and possibly rare wetland plants. The outing also included a visit to a known bunched arrowhead population on conserved land that was the site of a Partners for Fish and Wildlife wetland restoration project.  

Golden-winged warbler  – Biologists with the Asheville Field Office spent two mornings monitoring for at-risk golden-winged warbler at a total of 10 points along two routes in far western North Carolina. The effort was the field office’s contribution to a widespread golden-winged warbler monitoring effort coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. A decision on whether to place the warbler on the federal threatened and endangered species list is expected in 2026.   

Friday, May 20, 2022

Learning the landscape - To help familiarize new staff with key species and habitats, and build connection during the return to the office, staff from the Asheville Field Office recently visited a high-elevation area that has been the site of red spruce restoration for the threatened Carolina northern flying squirrel, and a southern Appalachian bog that’s home to the threatened swamp pink. 

Friday, May 13, 2022

Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander  - The Service learned we will soon be petitioned to place the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander on the threatened and endangered species list. The salamander is new to science, having been split from the green salamander, which was the subject of a now-withdrawn petition. The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander is only known from the Hickory Nut Gorge region of North Carolina, southeast of Asheville. 

Bog turtles  - Byron Hamstead and Susan Cameron from the Asheville Field Office joined biologists from the state and NRCS at a bog outside Asheville to deploy a survey technique that’s showing tremendous promise for monitoring bog turtles. The method uses trail cameras along likely bog turtle paths – a technique already in use for other reptile species, but just beginning its second year of use for southern bog turtles. The Service was recently petitioned to place the southern population of bog turtles on the threatened and endangered species list.  

Gray bat  – In conducting a bat survey on a NCDOT bridge, Asheville Field Office biologist Lauren Wilson found an endangered gray bat, marking the second known occurrence of the species in Henderson County, N.C. Henderson County is part of the French Broad River basin, which has seen a dramatic increase in gray bat numbers in recent years.  

Friday, May 6, 2022

Sicklefin redhorse field work blitz - The annual blitz of sicklefin redhorse field work has concluded, with Asheville Field Office’s Jay Mays, and Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery’s Haile Macurdy representing the Service in work agreed to under a Candidate Conservation Agreement. The week’s effort included collecting sperm and eggs, tracking the fish’s seasonal migration, and surgically implanting radio telemetry tags. Once considered for the threatened and endangered species list, the Service, states of North Carolina and Georgia, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Duke Energy, and the Tennessee Valley Authority committed to conserving the fish that’s only found in the western tip of North Carolina and a sliver of north Georgia.  

Conference presentation - The 2022 Municipal Wet Weather Stormwater Conference was held in Asheville, N.C. May 2-4. Gary Peeples of the Asheville Field Office was a keynote speaker, addressing approximately 150 people about the Endangered Species Act, with a focus on situations when project review under the Endangered Species Act may change from what people were used to, i.e. when our knowledge about a species changes, when the status of a species changes, or when efficiencies are applied to the project review process. 

Friday, April 29, 2022

Southern Highlands Reserve  – In advance of this year’s planting season, Asheville Field Office staff Sue Cameron and Gary Peeples visited Southern Highlands Reserve, a non-profit arboretum and research center, to meet with executive director Kelly Holdbrooks and plan the supply of red spruce trees for forest restoration in North Carolina’s Black Mountains. The Service has contracted with Southern Highlands Reserve to produce red spruce trees for restoration efforts on the highest peaks east of the Mississippi, where forests were decimated by logging and catastrophic wildlife fire a century ago. This forest restoration expands habitat for the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel.

Understanding Bats' Use of Small Culverts  – Asheville Field Office biologist Lauren Wilson completed a white paper 1) compiling information on imperiled bat's use of small culverts and 2) identifying the smallest sized culvert, by species, that we recommend be surveyed during project reviews under the Endangered Species Act. Wilson coordinated with more than 15 state and federal biologists across the Eastern U.S., and requested data from members of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network’s Bats in Transportation Structures Working Group.  

Speaking to UNC-Asheville students  – Students in Dr. David Gillette’s Environmental Restoration course at UNC-Asheville learned about red spruce restoration efforts in the southern Appalachians from Asheville Field Office biologist Susan Cameron. Cameron was the class’s final guest speaker, with speakers providing a different organizational perspective – government, NGO, and private business – and insight on different ecosystems - aquatic, wetland, and upland. 

Sunflower planting –  Last week forty five endangered Schweinitz’s sunflowers were transplanted onto conserved private land in Stanly County, North Carolina, where they will be monitored for five years. The plants were the last of 271 held by the North Carolina Botanical Garden, having been moved there from the footprint of a North Carolina Department of Transportation highway widening project. Asheville Field Office staff Rebekah Reid, Holland Youngman, and Karla Quast helped with the planting, while the effort was initiated by Eastern North Carolina Field Office biologist Gary Jordan. 

Friday, April 22, 2022

Asheville Field Office trained for field season - Coinciding with the return to the office, Asheville Field Office staff were trained in CPR and wilderness first aid. The two-day American Red Cross course covered CPR and choking response for adults, kids, and infants; and how to deal with medical emergencies when emergency medical services are at least an hour out, including not only providing care for a variety of problems, but deciding when and how to evacuate someone from the backcountry.

Friday, April 15, 2022

Gray bat detected earlier than expected - In the planning for a proposed road and bridge widening along a stretch of Hwy 276 in western North Carolina, Lauren Wilson, transportation liaison in the Asheville Field Office, conducted a bat survey of a bridge that’s a known roosting site for endangered Indiana and gray bats. Her survey documented an at-risk tricolored bat, and three gray bats – the earliest in the season gray bats have been documented using the bridge. The gray bat’s presence reflects a recent trend showing a dramatic increase in the presence of gray bats across the river basin.   

Friday, April 8, 2022

James spinymussel range map updated – In an ongoing effort to align species range maps with ecological features instead of political boundaries, like county lines, Mark Endries and Jason Mays of the Asheville Field Office, in coordination with state biologists, recently helped update the range map for the endangered James spinymussel. One practical aspect of the updated range is it dramatically reduces the North Carolina area where federally funded or authorized projects are reviewed for impacts to the mussel under the Endangered Species Act, from 929,200 acres down to 24,494 acres, a 97% reduction.  

Addressing bats on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians trust lands  – Forest covers about 86% of ​Eastern Band of Cherokee​ Indian (EBCI) trust lands in North Carolina, and those forests are home to two listed, tree-roosting bats – the Indiana and northern long-eared. Due to a federal obligation to protect tribal treaty rights, lands, assets, and resources, as well as a duty to carry out the mandates of federal law with respect to Native Americans, tribal tree clearing and prescribed burning are subject to review under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  ​Bryan Tompkins lead Asheville Field Office staff in completing a programmatic, formal consultation ​with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and EBCI ​that expedites ESA review by looking at prescribed fire and tree clearing as a whole, instead of reviewing individual events. The effort includes measures to address impacts to bats from tree removal, prescribed fire, excessive noise, direct human disturbance; and includes best management practices to protect water quality, as bats forage over water, feeding on insects with an aquatic life stage.   

Coordinating with the Natural Resources Conservation Service  – Byron Hamstead of the Asheville Field Office and John Ann Shearer and Jennifer Archambault of the Eastern North Carolina Field Office, recently completed a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), projects funded or authorized by the federal government are reviewed for impacts to threatened or endangered species and those impacts are minimized or eliminated. The MOU, good for five years, provides a framework that expedites ESA review for 145 types of conservation practices that NRCS funds/subsidizes instead of reviewing activities on an individual basis.

Friday, April 1, 2022

Hands-on mussel education - Asheville Field Office staff Jason Mays and Gary Peeples worked with Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation to host a community workshop on freshwater mussels. The workshop was at the Stevens Creek Nature Center, in the Goose Creek watershed, which is home to the endangered Carolina heelsplitter mussel. The portion of Stevens Creek that runs through the nature center property was recently the focus of a restoration effort and participants were able to help stock the creek with three species of common mussels, helping pave the way for one day possibly placing Carolina heelsplitters in the stream reach. 

Value of the French Broad River measured - The French Broad River Partnership, which includes the Asheville Field Office, unveiled a report identifying the river’s economic impact to the region at $3.8 billion. The river is home to the endangered Appalachian elktoe mussel and is used extensively as a feeding and migration corridor for endangered gray bats. The partnership received a grant from the Community Foundation of North Carolina, Duke Energy Foundation, Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fund, and Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce for the work, which was done by Steve Ha at Western Carolina University, in the hope that defining the economic importance of the river would help drive community stewardship of the river.                            

Sicklefin redhorse crew hits the water - Asheville Field Office biologist Jason May joined a volunteer and staff from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on North Georgia’s Nottely River, tracking radio-tagged sicklefin redhorses. The fish, whose range extends into north Georgia, is the subject of a Candidate Conservation Agreement, an agreement designed to conserve a species so it doesn't need the full protection of the Endangered Species Act. The work was a follow-up to a pilot study that includes the surgical implanting of radio tags to track the fish’s movements while simultaneously looking deeper at the Georgia portion of the fish’s range. 

Lending a hand for bog management - Asheville Field Office biologist Holland Youngman joined staff from multiple organizations, including the U.S. Forest Service, the N.C. Plant Conservation Program, the Highlands Biological Station, and Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, for a workday at western North Carolina’s Dulany Bog. Much of the work consisted of clearing woody vegetation that threatens to compete with the plants that depend on the bog.         

Keeping tabs on high-elevation climate  - Asheville Field Office biologist Susan Cameron took advantage of warming spring weather to visit Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi, to collect ongoing climate data. The endangered spruce-fir moss spider is found only in cool, moist habitats  at the highest elevations of the southern Appalachians, and Cameron collects data on temperature and humidity as these sites which are likely extremely susceptible to climate change climate change Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale. Learn more about climate change .  Her first visit of the spring was delayed slightly by near-zero degree wind-chill.  

Friday, March 18, 2022

Sicklefin redhorse conservation committee -  The annual sicklefin redhorse conservation committee meeting, focused on implementing a 2015 Candidate Conservation Agreement, recently occurred, with Jason Mays of the Asheville Field Office, and Ian Paige and Haile Macurdy of Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery representing the Service. The team is dealing with some setbacks, including the departure of several key members and the massive release of sediment from a reservoir into the fish’s spawning range. Fortunately, the team is able to move their annual gamete collection effort from the sediment-inundated stream to another river, and is planning future work flowing from a successful translocation pilot study last fall. 

New Asheville Field Office staff -  The Asheville Field Office welcomes Jeff Quast as their new administrative assistant. Jeff comes to Asheville after a career in the U.S. Air Force, where he met his wife, also an Air Force veteran, and also an Asheville Field Office staff member. Welcome Jeff! 

Partners for Fish and Wildlife project gets students planting trees -  With support from the Asheville Field Office, Mountain Valleys RC&D, the Greater Ivy Community Citizens Association, and SM Soil and Water Solutions, local high school staff and students spent an educational workday at Beech Glen Community Center in western North Carolina’s Madison County. About 40 high school students attended, along with science teachers, as part of their ongoing project to develop a design for further recreation opportunities and public access at the facility. After a live staking demonstration, the students helped plant 50 trees and shrubs, worked on a walking trail, removed trash from the river and around the property, and mulched the playground.  

Friday, March 4

Bat roosting structures installed  - Asheville Field Office biologist Holland Youngman joined the NCDOT as they installed the last in a series of bat roosting structures beneath a handful of bridges crossing western North Carolina’s French Broad River, part of a suite of conservation measures offered by the NCDOT related to work along I-26. The roosts attach to the bridges using expanding pressure bars, leaving the integrity of the bridges’ structural materials intact. Most of the roosting structures are similar to standard bat box designs in their use of spaced, ridged panels; while others mimic natural, cavernous roosts by using concrete surfaces molded to actual rock face.

Geospatial workshop -  Mark Endries of the Asheville Field Office, Doug Newcomb of the Raleigh Field Office, Paul Lang of the Florida Field Office, and Kurt Snider of the Tennessee Field Office were all among the instructors and presenters at this week’s Fish and Wildlife Service Geospatial Training Workshop, organized by the National Conservation Training Center. Topics covered by the southeastern participants ranged from modeling species distributions to remote sensing to discussing the southeastern GIS community of practice.

Conservation communication class - Gary Peeples, of the Asheville Field Office, recently presented to the Conservation Communication class at Warren Wilson College. The guest lecture is the latest activity in the partnership with the college, which currently has students working on a short documentary about spruce restoration efforts involving in the Service, and whose students previously created a short documentary about southern Appalachian bogs, home to a handful of federally-protected species.

Friday, February 25

Fine-tuning the Endangered Species Act Project review process - In an effort coordinated by GIS analyst Mark Endries, the Asheville Field Office continues to refine species range data in an effort to support the Service’s OneRange mapping effort and create efficiencies in the ESA Sec. 7 review process. In shifting from political boundaries (e.g. counties) to ecological boundaries, they have reconfigured the range for 11 species thus far. The increased accuracy of the range maps reduces the area where ESA Sec. 7 consultation is needed by a total of more than 20.7 million acres across the 11 species.

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