There’s nothing quite like a fall getaway to the mountains. The air is crisp and cool, and it’s a refreshing break from the hot, humid days of summer that you’ve been living through the last few months. If you plan your trip right, you’ll even get to experience the beautiful fall colors as the leaves during peak season!

We have five great things that you can experience—outside of the changing of the leaves—this fall when you visit The Greystone Inn. Haven’t booked your trip yet? Call us today to reserve your room!

Hike to a Waterfall.
The biggest dilemma that you’ll face when it comes to exploring waterfalls in the area is narrowing down which one you want to go to—there are 250 of them to choose from! Transylvania County, where our inn is located, is also known as the Land of Waterfalls due to the abundance of waterfalls that are located within just a few miles of one another. Take your pick—you can start with the most impressive (Whitewater Falls, the highest falls east of the Rocky Mountains) to the most iconic (Looking Glass Falls) and the most fun (Sliding Rock). Fall is a perfect time of year to check out the falls—the summer crowds have died down, the temperatures are a little cooler, and you have the added bonus of the beautiful fall leaves as a backdrop to the already stunning falls.

Take a Drive.
If you’re going to plan a trip to Western North Carolina in the fall, one thing that must be on your bucket list: a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway stretches from Cherokee, North Carolina along the Great Smokey Mountains and winds north through Asheville, Blowing Rock, Fancy Gap, and Roanoke before ending in Afton, Virginia, just outside of the Shenandoah National Park. Along the Parkway, you’ll find Mount Mitchell (the highest mountain peak in the eastern United States), the New River (the oldest river in North America), Linville Gorge (the deepest gorge east of the Grand Canyon), Whitewater Falls, and so much more. The views here are even more amazing in the fall with all of the deep oranges, reds, and yellows that grace the canopy of the mountains.

“Bee” a Keeper.
Looking for something completely different to do this fall? Try your hand at beekeeping! With our Beekeeper For a Day experience, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a honey apiary tour where you’ll wear a traditional bee suit, participate in a personal meet and greet with bees, and inspect a hive with a beekeeper. Afterwards, you’ll be able to taste the delicious honey that they produce in a honey tasting & food pairing guided by one of only 4 Americans registered with the Italian Registry of Honey Sensory Experts. This experience is only available through the month of September, so be sure to book your day early!

Explore a Mountain Town.
Half an hour down the road from our inn, you’ll find the charming mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina. Start your morning out with breakfast in our Mansion before hitting the road to Brevard where you can spend the remainder of your morning walking through their charming downtown district. Stop for a bite to eat and grab lunch at The Square Root on Broad Street. Love craft breweries? Oskar Blues Brewery is located in Brevard, and is a great place to stop for a pint and a tour of their production facility.

Fish the River.
There are countless miles of trout water in Western North Carolina, and Lake Toxaway is at the epicenter of incredible trout fishing. For the beginners, we offer a Fly Fishing Clinic down by the lake and in the grass at The Greystone with the Fly Fishing Guides of Headwaters outfitters. You’ll learn the basics of fly fishing from casting to knot tying and rigging. We also offer half day and full day fishing adventures for everyone from the beginning fly fisher to the expert angler.

How do you plan to explore the mountains this fall? We’d love to see your photos! Be sure to post them to social media and tag @thegreystoneinn and #thegreystoneinn—we’ll share our favorite ones throughout the season.