We started this website in large part because we wanted to explore the small towns of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in the search for our future home.
We’ve since visited dozens of towns all across North Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, and found some potentially great places to live in each state.
In NC alone, the towns of Blowing Rock, Bryson City, and Waynesville have all emerged as potential possibilities, with lots of great activities and attractions.
But if money were no object (and unfortunately it is), the tiny town of Weaverville NC would arguably be at the top of our list of contenders. It really has everything we’re looking for from a mountain town.
In terms of infrastructure, Weaverville is located 8 miles from downtown Asheville, which has all of the shopping, restaurants, culture, and health care facilities you could possibly need.
And yet somehow Weaverville (population 4,000, in a 3.86 sq mile area), feels a world away from the burgeoning metropolis, with lots of green space and plenty of room to roam.
Here’s a look at our picks for the very best things to do in Weaverville NC, including an array of parks, restaurants, museums, and cultural attractions.
READ MORE: The Top 25 Blue Ridge Mountain Towns in GA & NC
Things to Do in Weaverville NC Guide
- Adorable Alpacas at Last Penny Farm
- Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway
- Explore Downtown Weaverville
- Get Crafty at Artisans on Main
- Have a Picnic at Lake Louise Park
- Sample Downtown Weaverville Restaurants
- Smell the Flowers at Main Street Nature Park
- Visit the Dry Ridge Historical Museum
- Walk the Reems Creek Greenway
- Zebulon B Vance Birthplace Historic Site
1. Adorable Alpacas at Last Penny Farm
If you love animals, the adorable alpacas at Weaverville’s Last Penny Farm will totally steal your heart.
The farm was originally established in 1996 by Susie Wheelis, who bought 15 acres along the French Broad River in Alexander NC. She started with large Coopworth sheep and Angora goats, then bought her first alpaca in 2003.
In 2010, the entire operation was moved to Weaverville, where Susie’s daughter Erin Greene lived with her husband Brandon and their two children. Erin and Brandon currently co-own and run the family business, while fiber artist Susie spins, dyes, knits, and sells the farm’s processed fiber and yarn.
Last Penny Farm Alpacas is how home to more than 20 alpacas, 2 mini donkeys, and 2 beautiful guard dogs. School and church groups, families, and individual visitors can arrange farm tours by appointment (call 828-777-3568).
Erin is a wonderfully welcoming host, and while some of her animals are a bit shy, several seemed VERY eager to be rubbed and pose for selfies. Though our time at LPFA was brief, this was arguably our favorite experience among the many things to do in Weaverville!
READ MORE: Apple Picking in North Carolina: The 10 Best NC Apple Orchards to Visit
2. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway
Our cabin rental on Reems Creek was located just four miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it’s obviously a must-see attraction when you visit Weaverville.
There are lots of great Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks if you go 20 miles in either direction. Head south and you’ll see the French Broad Overlook (MP 393.8) in Asheville.
Head north and you’ll get a view of the Bull Creek Valley (373.8), Lane Pinnacle (372.1), Graybeard Mountain (363.4), and Craggy Dome/Craggy Gardens (364.1-364.4), whose Visitor Center is an AMAZING place to watch a sunset!
You may also have a chance to see one of the more popular Blue Ridge Parkway waterfalls, Glassmine Falls (MP 361.2). But note that this one is virtually invisible unless there has been a decent amount of recent rain.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Hotels & Cabin Rentals in NC
3. Explore Downtown Weaverville
Using promotional taglines like “The art of small town hospitality” and “Savor life at a slower pace,” it’s clear that Weaverville has no interest in being a bustling city like Asheville or Boone.
With a population of less than 4,000 people in a 3.86 square mile area, this may very well be one of the quietest parts of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Charming downtown Weaverville gave us a subtly upscale vibe that felt like a smaller, sleepier version of Hendersonville, with most of the shops and restaurants located in an easily walkable section of Main Street.
Their eclectic array of shops include antiques, art galleries, beekeeping supplies, botanical beauty supplies, clothing boutiques, fishing outfitters, jewelry stores, plants and flowers, and a quilting/sewing shop.
Right around the corner you’ll find the Eluvium Brewing Company. Though smaller than most Asheville breweries, it’s a cozy place to grab a drink from the tap room or soak up some sunshine on their outdoor patio.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Western NC Small Towns To Visit (and Live In!)
4. Get Crafty at Artisans on Main
Though it’s nowhere near the epic scale of the expansive Asheville River Arts District, Weaverville has an impressive arts and crafts scene that includes numerous different galleries and three annual art festivals.
The most popular of these is November’s Weaverville Art Safari, a free, self-guided studio tour featuring artists who specialize in handmade pottery, glass, sculpture, painting, wood art, and more.
To see the best of Weaverville’s art scene at other times of year, simply visit the Artisans On Main gallery, which is located in the heart of downtown Weaverville at 14 Main Street.
The gallery features the work of more than 30 local artisans in a variety of disciplines, from the gorgeous hand-built pottery plates and birdhouses pictured above to turned wood, fiber art, elegant furniture, jewelry, and decor.
READ MORE: The Appalachian Culture & History of the Blue Ridge Mountains
5. Have a Picnic at Lake Louise Park
The first of two excellent Weaverville parks on this list, the picturesque Lake Louise Park encompasses 15.5 acres.
Maintained by the town of Weaverville, the park includes one of the smaller North Carolina lakes we’ve visited (5.5 acres). No swimming or boats are allowed, but you can fish Lake Louise with a valid NC fishing license.
Catch-and-release fishing is allowed for black bass and sunfish (including bluegill, brim, etc.), but you can keep up to six channel catfish and seven rainbow or brown trout per day.
The popular park also features BBQ grills, first-come-first-served picnic pavilions, outdoor exercise equipment, playgrounds, and a walking track.
But our favorite place was one of the park’s many shaded benches, where we could stay cool, feed the ducks, and people-watch as joyful children played all around us.
READ MORE: Top 15 NC State Parks in the North Carolina Mountains
6. Sample Downtown Weaverville Restaurants
Weaverville is located less than 9 miles from the heart of downtown Asheville, which is home to more than its fair share of critically-acclaimed restaurants.
But there are also a decent number of great Weaverville restaurants that offer everything from pizza and Greek food to sushi, sandwiches/burgers, and brilliant baked delights!
Our favorite restaurants in Weaverville were Blue Mountain Pizza and the Well-Bred Bakery & Café. The former is a laid-back pub with live music and the best pizza we’ve had in Western North Carolina.
The latter (which has locations in Asheville’s Biltmore Village and Grove Arcade) offers decadent delights such as Espresso Roulade, Petite Eclairs, and fresh-baked cookies, as well as lunch and dinner sandwiches.
Our other favorite places to eat in Weaverville included Italian fine dining at Glass Onion, the European dishes of Stony Knob Cafe, Asheville’s popular Twisted Laurel, and Japanese fare at Soba Sushi & Noodles.
READ MORE: The Best Hendersonville NC Restaurants for Foodies
7. Smell the Flowers at Main Street Nature Park
Located in the heart of downtown Weaverville just off Main Street (behind the Town Hall), this 10-acre park is a perfectly picturesque green space.
The Main Street Nature Park is managed by the Weaverville Public Works Recreation Division, in collaboration with the Weaverville Garden Club.
So there are loads of wildflowers scattered about, plus a lovely demonstration area showcasing natural habitats for the flora and fauna of Western North Carolina.
There are paved walking trails through the park, where dogs are permitted as long as they’re on a leash.
There are also benches, art sculptures, a small stage for live performances, and several tables in the shade of old growth trees. In short, it’s a fantastic place for a picnic!
READ MORE: North Carolina Wildflowers Guide (& Where to See Them in Western NC)
8. Visit the Dry Ridge Historical Museum
This brand new Weaverville attraction was still under construction when we visited earlier this year, but the Dry Ridge Historical Museum had its Grand Opening in September 2021.
Dedicated to “Collecting, preserving and sharing the history of Weaverville, Reems Creek, and Flat Creek townships,” the museum occupies the local Community Center, which was completely remodeled inside and out.
Its exhibits showcase artifacts, antiques, and photographs documenting the history of the town, which was chartered in 1875 and named for Michael Montraville Weaver, who donated much of the land.
The six historical “vignettes,” as they call them, include recreations of 19th and early 20th century kitchens, parlors, a doctor’s office, a barn, and more.
There’s also an exhibit on Weaver College, which opened in 1873 and drew countless people to Weaverville before merging with two other colleges and relocating to Brevard NC in 1934.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Fairs in North Carolina to Visit
9. Walk the Reems Creek Greenway
There are loads of hiking trails near Asheville, but the closest to Weaverville is the Blue Ridge Parkway‘s Rattlesnake Lodge Trail, which is part of North Carolina’s beloved Mountains to Sea Trail.
The Reems Creek Greenway will offer visitors 2.25 miles of trail along the tranquil creek (which runs through the center of town), starting at Lake Louise Park and ending at Karpen Field Buncombe County Park.
The new trail will essentially connect all of the main green spaces in the charming little town.
Though the project was still in the fundraising process when we visited, the community-based non-profit Connect Reems Creek is deeply committed to connecting the Reems Creek Valley to the French Broad River.
So this first section will be part of a much larger goal to establish a greenway that stretches all the way from Weaverville to neighboring towns, including Asheville, Marshall, and Woodfin.
READ MORE: The Best Hiking in Asheville NC Bucket List (Top 20 Hiking Trails)
10. Zebulon B Vance Birthplace Historic Site
There’s a lot of controversy these days surrounding any relic of America’s Civil War past, and with good reason.
But from Barnsley Gardens to the New Echota Historic Site, we feel an obligation to cover haunting places that remind visitors of our nation’s dark, troubled history, in hopes that we never make those tragic mistakes again.
Zebulon B. Vance was a Confederate Army officer and U.S. Senator who is known as “North Carolina’s Civil War Governor,” serving in that position from 1862-1865 and 1877-1879. His family kept enslaved Africans for generations, and he fought bitterly in Congress against full civil rights for Black Americans.
In 2021, the Vance Monument in Asheville became the third Confederate Monument removed from Pack Square following racial justice protests after George Floyd was murdered by police officers. The others include a plaque of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and a memorial to Confederate soldiers at the Buncombe County Courthouse.
So we had mixed feelings while visiting this NC State Historic Site in Weaverville. On the one hand, the reconstructed 1790s farmstead offers a rare look at early 19th century mountain life, with a house, numerous farm outbuildings, and a slave cabin that visitors can see via guided or self-guided tours.
On the other hand, it’s a troubling reminder of just how much wealth and power in the United States was built on the backs of enslavement of Africans and the genocide of Native American people.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Cherokee NC & the Qualla Boundary
Cabin Rentals in Weaverville NC
America’s Smallest Castle
650 sq. ft
Sleeps 4 • 1 BR • 2 BA
Reservations: VRBO
Built by the TreeHouse Guys for their DIY Network show, this 1BR/2BA cabin is supported by five trees on a hillside in Weaverville’s Reems Creek Valley.
It’s really less of a treehouse than a “Tree Castle,” with luxurious amenities and breathtaking scenery all around.
The master bedroom has a private bathroom and a queen-size bed with a Tempur-Pedic mattress.Downstairs you’ll find a full kitchen and a living room with a leather sofa and a Smart TV mounted above the cozy gas log fireplace.
Other noteworthy amenities of this Weaverville treehouse rental include HVAC, hi-speed WiFi, and heated tile floors.
Outside is a 1,000-square foot wrap-around deck that surrounds the place and offers jaw-dropping scenic views, with rocking chairs, an outdoor grill, and an outdoor shower making this a true nature-lover’s haven.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Treehouse Rentals Near Asheville NC
Miner’s Cabin on Reems Creek
468 sq. ft
Sleeps 2 • 1 BR • 1 BA
Reservations: AirBnB
Located 4 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, this rustic, pet-friendly Weaverville cabin sits right on Reems Creek, with a picturesque cow pasture visible from the back deck and a duck pond steps away from the front deck.
The exterior dates back to the 1940s, but the interior has been completely remodeled. The open floor plan includes a Queen bed, kitchenette, cozy living room area, heat/AC, and a bathroom with luxury toiletries.
This 6-acre property is great for animal lovers. The owners’ dogs and pot-bellied pig are very friendly; the mountains behind the pasture offer stunning sunset photos; and the fog rolling off the pond made mornings magical.
It’s also just a few miles from downtown Weaverville: Close enough to explore the lovely shops, art galleries, and restaurants, but far enough to feel a million miles away. –by Bret Love; all photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett unless otherwise noted
