The Perfect Weekend in Pisgah National Forest: Where to Stay & What to Do

If you love the outdoors, Pisgah National Forest needs to be on your list. This place is packed with waterfalls, scenic trails, and dreamy forest views. It’s basically a little slice of paradise for nature lovers! I’ve put together a weekend itinerary that covers where to stay and three awesome hikes to check out, so you can soak it all in without the stress of planning.

Disclaimer: We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Where to Stay Near Pisgah National Forest 

We stayed in Henderson, South Carolina, about a 25 minute drive from the forest entrance. You can definitely stay closer but I was looking for something that wasn’t too expensive and had a pool/hot tub to enjoy after a long day of adventure.

Skylaranna is a pretty new hotel, built in 2021. While they do have a hotel with rooms that sleep 2-4 people, what drew me to this place was the cabins behind the hotel. These cabins come with a full kitchen, two patios, two queen beds, and a sleeper sofa, making them perfect if you want a bit more space. I’ll admit, the spiral staircase leading up to the second floor made me a little nervous, but the cabin itself was beautiful and such a cozy spot to relax!

Just a few flights of stairs up from our cabin was a firepit area, a large pool, and a hot tub. It is such a nice bonus to have all of that so close by. They also have a restaurant and spa on site, though I didn’t get a chance to check those out myself.

Other Places to Stay

Trails to Explore

Spend your Friday and Saturday hiking through the forest and exploring the trails, then wind down in the hot tub under the stars.

Waterfalls

Only five minutes apart, you have to visit Sliding Rock and Looking Glass falls. Both are just a short walk from the parking lot to the falls. Looking glass is a gorgeous 60 ft waterfall that you can view from the platform above or you can walk down a few flights of stairs to go to the base of the fall. You can swim at the base of the falls, however the water is pretty chilly. 

Sliding rock is a 60 ft natural waterslide that plunges you into the 8ft pool at the end. The water here is also very chilly, staying around 55F year around. This area can get extremely busy, so it’s best to visit before noon or after 4pm.

Lookout Tower

Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower is not technically in Pisgah National Forest but is just five minutes outside the entrance, on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the .75 mile trail to the top, then take the five flights of stairs to the top of the tower. This trail is not the best for those afraid of heights, but the views from the top are worth it!  On a clear day you can see for miles in every direction!

Explore Asheville

Henderson is only a short 20 minute drive from Asheville so explore the town a bit before heading home on Sunday. Start the morning off with brunch at Biscuit Head, a casual but tasty brunch spot. They have 3 locations in the Asheville area, but they get pretty busy so consider getting there early to miss the rush.

After grabbing brunch, head to Lexington Avenue, which is home to over 200 shops. They have a variety of stores from clothing stores and souvenir shops to candy stores. If you like blown glass pieces, you have to stop by Lexington Glassworks to check their amazing pieces they have. All the pieces are made in shop and you can actually watch them work while you are there!

Pisgah National Forest Weekend Itinerary

I could easily spend a few weeks exploring Pisgah National Forest and still feel like there’s more to see—but for now, a couple of weekend trips will have to do!