mountain trips from myrtle beach
Living at the beach is amazing but there is something deep and powerful about being in the mountains, especially in the fall. We’ve got a few recommendations if you’re looking for mountain trips from Myrtle Beach that are especially family-friendly!
york county sc
One more plug for York County. It’s not in the mountains but it offers a lot of similar experiences with a much shorter drive. You can get there in 3–3.5 hours.
YOU’LL FIND | Apple picking, fall festivals, big attractions like Carowinds, small town charm, delicious kid-friendly dining, shopping, green spaces for hiking and more.
asheville, nc
This is a place we go often so it deserved it’s own post. Read all about Asheville here.
boone & blowing rock, NC
DISTANCE: 5 hours
SUMMARY: A small town in the Blue Ridge, home to App State and lots of ski resorts.
WHERE TO STAY: Plenty of AirBnB’s high up in the mountains. Also, some good spots closer to town. When you go up the mountain, you’re up there, so beware if twisty-turny drives bother you.
FOOD & ATTRACTIONS:
THE CARDINAL for burgers!
For finer dining, BISTRO ROCA.
MELANIE’S for bfast and brunch.
We haven’t been but hear good things about COYOTE KITCHEN, BOONESHINE and PEPPERS.
OTHER INFO: There is a WIZARD OF OZ-THEMED ATTRACTION in Beech Mountain. The area is also great for SKIING AND SNOW TUBING!
TWEETSIE will be the biggest hit for the kids.
MEMORIAL PARK IN BLOWING ROCK and walking the shops.
THE BLOWING ROCK to see what the town is named for.
The MAST GENERAL STORE is iconic for the area and has so many toys and treats to delight the kids.
GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN is beautiful and it’s very cool to cross the mile-high swinging bridge.
BEST TIME TO GO: The fall is beautiful but it will get so crowded that it’s not really worth it with small kids, especially if there is an App State home game that weekend. The restaurant waits are so long and traffic in the small town is just horrible. The spring and summer are great for hiking and general exploring. And if you want to go in the fall try to go during the week!
Bryson City, NC
DISTANCE: 6 hours
We wrote more in detail about this place here. We loved our ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad and plan on repeating that again, maybe at Christmas for the Polar Express! It’s about an hour farther west of Asheville and is much less crowded. It’s got a very cute little downtown, some good restaurants, a brewery, and the big attraction is the railroad.
greenville, sc
DISTANCE: 4 hours.
SUMMARY: We spent some time in Greenville when we lived in Asheville but haven’t properly explored there. It has a cool downtown area and plenty of good restaurants and parks to enjoy. The team at Kidding Around Greenville do a great job of covering all the kid-friendly aspects of the city so check out their page for all your Greenville recs.
GATLINBURG, TN
DISTANCE: 6.5 hours
SUMMARY: We wrote a whole post about our recent Gatlinburg trip which included a day at Anakeesta and Dollywood. Both get 5-stars from us! Read all about that here.
anywhere on the blue ridge parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is huge any any strip of it is truly stunning. I grew up going to parts along south central Virginia. One of the areas we visited every fall is one of the most photographed spots along the parkway.
MABRYS MILL | This is a small spot in the Meadows of Dan community. It’s an old homestead featuring a gristmill and replicas of old homes and work buildings. And there are several more outlooks along the parkway.
When we go we love to drive through Cana, VA to hit the produce stands and also Nancy’s Fudge.
FLOYD, VA | Floyd is another amazing mountain town. It’s lesser known but it has so much charm, history and beauty. We had an incredible day trip here over the summer and hope to come back for FloydFest. It’s a family-friendly festival that gets surprisingly big performers.
pointsett state park
We’ve got a list of some of SC’s state parks that we’re eager to get to this fall/winter. This one ranks highest because it’s fairly close and it is known as the “mountains of the midlands”. We haven’t been to Poinsett State Park yet but we’re excited to explore and report back!
more day & road trip ideas here...
Check out our day and road trip page to get more ideas good for now or any time of the year!