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I agree that a day trip to the mountains could be exhausting. Last year we went to Twitsie Railroad and stayed at a hotel the night before. Hotel prices in Boone area can be quite high but you can find much, much cheaper rooms right before the mountains. We even used some points I forgot about.
In this way you can leave in the evening (i.e. No need to take an extra day off) and then there is only short drive next day, so you start nice and fresh.
I agree that a day trip to the mountains could be exhausting. Last year we went to Twitsie Railroad and stayed at a hotel the night before. Hotel prices in Boone area can be quite high but you can find much, much cheaper rooms right before the mountains. We even used some points I forgot about.
In this way you can leave in the evening (i.e. No need to take an extra day off) and then there is only short drive next day, so you start nice and fresh.
I hate to let out all my secrets (but you guys are like a second family), but check out Airbnb if it suits your needs. GF and I spent three nights in the middle of W. Asheville, walking distance to every restaurant and pub around. We had the entire upstairs of a house to ourselves, front porch to sit on, use of kitchen and keurig, etc.... $303 for 3 nights on a holiday weekend (4th), all taxes included. Can't beat that. There were many choices in Asheville and in Boone. If you were willing to be 5 miles out, you could either get the same for much cheaper, or a lot more for the same price.
But anyway, a daytrip to Boone, or Black Mountain, or Galax, are all doable. Even more-so if you have two drivers to share the duties. Just depends on the persons. (We used to do it all the the time for mountainbiking.)
Plenty of waterfalls around Boone and Blowing Rock, too, but tons near Brevard. Near Blowing Rock and Boone you've got big and powerful Linville Falls, the Cascades north of Boone, Glen Burney Falls — trail starts right in downtown Blowing Rock, Hebron Rock Colony (great for splashing around in on a hot summer day), and quite a few more.
Depends on what you consider hiking. If you are looking for a walk in the woods with a nice view at the end, Linville Falls would be an excellent choice. You can spend a good portion of the day on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which has quite a few parks for a picnic lunch and relaxation, as well.
If you are looking for more, there is Tanawha and Nuwati Trails, which can be fairly challenging, but are clearly marked, offer great views and do not require a dedicated gym membership to complete. If you are adventurous, the trail will eventually lead to Price Park.
That's probably more than you would want for a day trip, but there is camping available in that area that is rather cheap.
I think a day trip to the mountains would be great and definitely do-able.
Leave Raleigh at 7 or 8, get in Boone around 10 or 11.
Lunch in Boone & sight seeing until 1 or 2
Drive down to Blowing Rock and/or Grandfather mountain.
Leave the area around 6 o7 and get home by 10pm.
From I-40 and Airport Rd (fairly centrally located in the Triangle), it's about 5 more miles to Boone than it is to Fort Fisher.
I know this to be factually true, but for some reason it just boggles my mind. I've done day trips for work purposes to Wilmington and Bolivia, but never for some reason did the "western equivalent" day trip and always had an overnight stay when heading anywhere farther than Hickory.
I wouldn't do a day trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, think it's too far and particularly slow going once you get on the Parkway. Another alternative would be Hanging Rock State Park north of Winston-Salem. That's 2.5 hours away. Personally, having been to both multiple times, I greatly prefer Hanging Rock and find it more scenic and more "mountainy" if that's the vibe you're looking for. It also has better hiking.
Hanging Rock State Park will be your new home away from home, if you're looking for accessible scenic hikes in one day. It's about the same length drive as Pilot Mountain (being right next to Pilot Mtn).
Stone Mountain, Crowder's Mountain, and South Mountains are also possible day trips--though the latter's a bit of a stretch for a day trip if you're coming from Raleigh. That's generally something I might throw in when I'm coming back from Asheville.
Those are all the major parks in the foothills in NC.
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