Vacationing in a Charming Mountain Town This Summer With Kids
Y’all know how much I love the beach. We visit multiple times a year, no matter the season. But we also enjoy the mountains. When you live in the armpit of the south (Columbia, SC), sometimes a mountain getaway to 20° cooler temps in the summer is exactly what you need!
So we made a three hour trek to North Carolina for some mountain air and relaxation. We went with my mom (she’s house hunting). She had already rented a place in Burnsville, NC to explore the area and invited us along for the trip. Elevation: 2,825 // Population:1,693 Here’s a breakdown of our trip vacationing in a charming mountain town this summer with kids!
Where We Stayed
The view from Yummy Mud Puddle’s back deck.
This local artist’s AirBnB is absolutely adorable and has some cozy mountain charm. It has a gorgeous view of the mountains off the back deck, you can feed these huge carp & catfish in the owners pond, it’s close to downtown Burnsville, hiking and river swimming. When we stayed we saw a doe with twin fawns in the yard!
Our cozy mountain cottage living room for the week.
They have a table & chairs on the deck for outside dining.
Every day the view of the mountains was different based on the sun & clouds.
Giant carp & catfish you can feed at dusk.
After the rain, the sunset was always pink and cotton candy colored.
What We Did
Downtown Burnsville
The cutest shops on Main St, Burnsville, NC
Downtown Burnsville is a quaint little spot. If you’ve seen Gilmore Girls (and loved it!) you’d love Burnsville’s Town Square. The entire downtown area is completely walkable.
Every time we drove or stopped by there were people walking or enjoying a meal/cup of coffee, playing with dogs or kids running around. There are beautifully painted murals everywhere. On the weekend there is live music and it’s just so charming.
Town Square has all the gorgeous views of the mountains!
Cool sculptures all around downtown Burnsville.
My personal favorite mural, The Wizard of Oz.
Lunch at Appalachian Java was AMAZING.
You’ll also see these colorful squares known as “quilt blocks” on the sides of local buildings. “Each block has been carefully designed or chosen to trigger the story of the family, business or school where it resides. You can learn the history of the area by finding the quilt blocks.” It’s pretty cool and fun to search for the “quilts” around town. Find out more about them here .
Spot these quilt squares all over the area.
Such fun designs and colors!
Linville Falls Trail
Linville Falls Trail with kids (5 & 2.5yrs old).
We celebrated my son’s 5th birthday by doing a family hike at Linville Falls! It’s about 45min away from Burnsville.
They have a visitor’s center with restrooms that were open (and extra porta potty’s). Right after the visitor’s center there is river access with a little sandy beach area. Perfect for swimming & cooling off after the hike!
Cool off in the Linville Falls River right off the Visitor’s Center.
When we went, the only trail open was the hike to see the lower level falls. But I believe there are 3 trails total. It’s a moderate hike with little kids, but easy for adults. Some incline and steep/rocky areas but definitely worth it to see! It was so beautiful and perfect weather!
The kids loved exploring Linville Falls.
Linville Falls Winery
Plenty of space and seating to enjoy your wine waterfront.
We stopped at Linville Falls Winery on the way back from the Falls to pick up some local wine, and it is just the most beautiful property. There is plenty of outdoor dining for social distancing by the building & by an on-property pond. About 40min from Burnsville.
Unfortunately we didn’t stay but I was able to get some gorgeous shots of the property and we did grab two of their most popular wines. They were delicious - the Riesling was my favorite.
True elements of a Tuscan winery in the mountains
Linville Falls Winery white wines.
Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area
How cool is this natural pool area at the Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area?!
If you love to play/swim in the river, Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area is for you. It’s right next to the South Toe River which has the most beautiful, crystal clear water.
There is a HUGE natural swimming pool area, small rapids for tubing, paths to different areas of the river. There is on-site camping available, bathrooms and showers.
There is a $5 fee for daily parking (and other charges for camping & groups) but there are also other free pull offs with access to the river. But for the comfort and amenities, $5 parking is totally worth it. About 20min from Burnsville.
Huge river rocks to play & sit on at the South Toe River.
Something for everyone! Sit or swim!
The other side of the pool (these falls are so much fun for tubing!)
The South Toe River is just so charming.
Black Mountain Campground
Setrock Creek Falls - our favorite find at Black Mountain Campground!
We visited Black Mountain Campground to hike Devil’s Den Nature Trail, but another hiker recommend Briar Bottom Trail to see Setrock Creek Falls. There are several hikes you can do at the Black Mountain Campground but we wanted to see some water and do an easy hike, so we went with Briar Bottom.
It was definitely an easy hike with kids. There are several little cut off paths to get to the water, we went with one of the last ones.
There was only one group of other hikers (that we saw) on the trail when we went. It was the most secluded and tranquil hike on the whole trip. It was literally paradise. Only 30min from Burnsville!
An easy hike with kids - more difficult & linger hiking trail options available too!
Rhododendron blooming everywhere, moss covered river rocks, flowing rapids… just gorgeous.
The perfect spot for skinny dipping in the creek.
Roaring Fork Falls
Roaring Fork Falls, absolutely stunning.
We found out about Roaring Fork Falls from a local realtor. It’s right after Mt Mitchell Golf Club. If you plug it in on your phone, it will take you there but it’s not marked on the road.
The hike was easy, uphill for the first part, downhill on the way back. It was the coolest, tallest waterfall we saw and about 25min from our rental. At the top there were these “steps” created by tree roots - looked just like Lord of the Rings.
These tree roots are giving me major Middle Earth vibes.
Family friendly hike to Roaring Fork Falls!
Blue Ridge Parkway
We ended up at the Blue Ridge Parkway two different times. The first time was when we visited Linville Falls, which was about 45min away from our rental. The other time was when we went to Roaring Fork Falls, which was only about 25min away from Burnsville. We only drove through to see some unobstructed Mountain View’s (no hiking) but it was totally worth it!
So that’s our entire trip! We did something every day, although we weren’t sure what we would be able to do based on the weather. It was supposed to rain the entire week we were there, but it only ended up raining in the early afternoon. So we just planned our activities day by day around the rain.
Trying to keep the little ones entertained was really easy. Our AirBnB was so nice and relaxing, had a deck looking at the mountains, a loop driveway to go on walks, a pond to feed the fishes, plastic ducks to count (easy entertainment for young kids).
But when you’re in the mountains, and there is so much to explore, you don’t want to waste even a day. Plus, we found that it helped get the kids energy out if we explored first and napped on the way back home (since they did not nap during their typical naptime).
This was one of the most relaxing and fun family trips we have had. Mine are at such a fun age where they are both able to keep up and enjoy the same things as the whole family. If you haven’t taken your kids to the mountains, swam in a mountain river or hiked yet, I highly recommend it. It’s good for the soul and one of the best socially distancing acceptable activities to do this summer!