Brookside Retreat

Travel guide · North Carolina

Asheville

Asheville sits at about 2,134 feet where the Swannanoa River meets the French Broad, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. It has the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway along its eastern edge, the River Arts District and a brewing scene that draws visitors on its own. Hurricane Helene flooded both rivers in September 2024; two years on, most of what visitors come for is open again, and this guide says what still isn't.