Summer Fun in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Written by Larry Deane, local expert for 20+ years

Summer Fun in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Summer is the most popular season in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and for good reason!   With warm summer temperatures, clear blue skies, crystal clear waters, and green everywhere, there are very few places that pack so much beauty and fun all in the same place!

Summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains offers SO much to see and do:

See the sections below for more detail on each one these fun summer activities!

Our Top Guides for Summer Fun!

Swimming Holes and Waterslides

Who needs hotel pools and waterparks, when you have natural Swimming holes, waterslides and waterfalls, all surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains??

Turtleback Falls

The Blue Ridge Mountains are full of swimming holes, with many of them being at the base of waterfalls.

Here are some resources and guides to help you find the perfect spot, to relax, cool off, and have a super fun day with friends and family:

Hiking

One of the best ways to see the beauty of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains is to get out there in them!   Hiking is not only a great way to explore and see the mountains close-up, but in many cases, it's the only way to see some of the great waterfalls, and scenic views.

Here at Blue Ridge Mountain Life, we're avid hikers, and enjoy getting out on the trail as often as we can.  We have write-ups for every single trail we've hike, on our Hiking Trails Page.  We have guides for waterfall trails, scenic views, and easy to hard difficulty.  So pack up the essentials, and pick the perfect hike for you!

Whitewater Rafting and Tubing

There are rivers, lakes, creeks and streams everywhere here in the Blue Ridge Mountains!   As a result, there is plenty of water activity, including rafting and of course tubing!  Popular locations include:

  • Nantahala Outdoor Center, Nantahala River NC
  • Nantahala Outdoor Center, on the Pigeon River NC
  • Rolling Thunder River Company, Bryson City NC
  • New River Adventures in Galax VA 
  • Rolling Thunder Adventure Company in McCaysville Georgia

If you prefer to keep things a less risky, or if you have kids, tubing here in the Blue Ridge is super-fun for all ages!   Popular Tubing destinations include: 

  • Deep Creek, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  • Chrokee NC
  • Helen, GA
  • McCaysville, GA
  • Pembroke, VA
  • Shenandoah, VA

Scenic Drives and Motorcycle Rides

Whether you're a Motorcycle enthusiast, or just prefer a nice relaxing scenic drive, the Blue Ridge Mountains have the perfect roads for you.   One of the most popular drives in the World, goes from Virginia to Cherokee NC, the famous Blue Ridge Parkway.

Waterrock Knob, on The Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway offers everything you could ever want in a drive.  Hundreds of scenic overlooks, waterfalls, points of interest, and wildlife.  The Parkway always you to drive along the tops of some of the largest mountains and peaks in the Blue Ridge.

There are also numerous other scenic drives all through the states of Virgina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee that offer exciting motorcycle rides and relaxing drives.

World Class Fishing

The creeks, streams and rivers of the Blue Ridge Mountains are world famous for fishing, especially for Trout.   

Many of the popular waterfalls and swimming holes along water full of native and stocked Trout.  Whether you enjoy traditional fishing or fly fishing, you'll find more places to fish than you have time!

About the author

Larry Deane is the co-owner and voice behind Blue Ridge Mountain Life, a travel resource built from more than two decades of exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains firsthand. A Western North Carolina local, Larry has spent 20+ years hiking the trails, visiting small towns, chasing waterfalls, and documenting life in the mountains he calls home.

Alongside his wife Jenn, he created Blue Ridge Mountain Life to share their real-world experiences with others who love — or are just discovering — the Blue Ridge. Larry is a seasoned travel writer, photographer, and videographer with a background in journalism, and his work reaches more than 500,000 mountain lovers each month. Whether he's deep in Pisgah National Forest or strolling Main Street in a mountain town, you can count on Larry to give you the inside scoop from someone who’s truly been there.

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