8 Tips for Squelching Summer Boredom in the Great Outdoors
1) Take Your Kids for a Hike
There are thousands of miles of hiking trails in western North Carolina. Many of them are perfect for families and within an hour of the city. Here are a few of our favorites:
- Craggy Gardens: 1 to 2 mile-loop and out-and-back trails just a short distance from Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway. On an especially clear day, you can see the Uptown Charlotte skyline.
- Crabtree Falls:5-mile loop trail featuring a waterfall. There is another mile out-and-back that can be added.
- Dupont State Forest: Less than an hour from Asheville, this trail system includes waterfalls and wide views.
- Mount Pisgah: 3-mile out-and-back about an hour from Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Pisgah Diner is there waiting for you when you finish your hike.
- Rainbow and Turtle Back Falls: 3-mile out-and-back with a waterfall you can slide down (Turtle Back Falls).
What is your favorite hiking trail or trail system?
2) Find a Swimming Hole
You can go to the pool for the 100th time this summer, or you can find one of the many cold-water swimming holes throughout our area. Looking Glass Falls, for example, allows you to go swimming and dunk your head under a waterfall.
3) Float Down the River
Once you have gone hiking and found a good swimming hole, maybe you want to get in some moving water. There are multiple companies from which you can rent a tube or canoe, or you can put in yourself in the French Broad or Big Ivy river.
4) Try Whitewater Rafting
Floating down the river can is relaxing, but if you want a little more excitement, try whitewater rafting. This activity will be fun for kids of all ages, though obviously smaller children may have to wait until they are a little older. There are several whitewater rafting companies throughout our area, and some of the best rafting on the East Coast is just a few hours away in eastern Tennessee.
5) Take a Zipline Canopy Tour
In northern Buncombe County, Navitat Canopy Adventures will take you on an exhilarating and beautiful tour of western North Carolina. You may even see some of the filming locations of Hollywood movies along the way. In the city, Asheville Treetops Adventure Park includes a more compact zipline adventure as well as some other high ropes and climbing elements. There is no way kids can be bored during these activities.
6) Go Camping
You do not have to necessarily hike deep into the wilderness and backcountry to enjoy camping with the family; although, if that is your desire, there is plenty of backpacking opportunity in our mountains. However, there are also state parks, private campgrounds, and a multitude of excellent opportunities to pitch a tent and get back to nature.
7) Try Mountain Biking
We have more mountain biking trails in our area than you and your family could explore in many summers. You can enjoy downhill mountain biking with a lift to the top of the trail at Bailey Mountain Bike Park near Mars Hill, ride a variety of trails at Bent Creek, or bike on exposed boulders at Dupont State Forest. You can even enjoy over 20 miles of trails at Biltmore Estate.
8) Play Some Games
Sometimes you cannot leave the house, but you still need to squelch the boredom. There are a number of yard games such as Ladder Ball, Spike Ball, Giant Jenga, and Can Jam that can entertain the family for hours.
Emmanuel Lutheran School is a private Christian school in Asheville, committed to providing the highest quality education in a Christ-centered environment. With our S.T.E.A.M-based curriculum, children are engaged in an exciting, collaborative learning process that squelches boredom. If you would like to know more about our school, please contact us today.