Family-friendly summertime day trip ideas near Asheville

Thanks to Marburger Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Shelby, NC for collaborating on this post. As always, opinions are my own.

Living in the mountains of North Carolina, we often take for granted the activities we have close by. The past several years, we’ve gone out of state for vacations, and while we do have one trip planned, we are actually looking at several day trip activities to take on this summer! If you’re looking for a quick overnight or weekend trip (or a one-day trip!) I have a few summertime day trip ideas near Asheville that are within two hours drive time. 

Camping – Western NC is full of camping locations, and we have a camping (or glamping) weekend planned in June! A few years ago, we went on our first family camping overnight trip, and my kid had a blast. This will be our first family trip since our daughter was born, and I am convinced she will have a blast. Looking for a really family-friendly campground in WNC? Jellystone Park has campgrounds in Marion, Cherokee and Golden Valley (the Blue Ridge Mountains.) All relatively close to Asheville. 

Sunset Drive-In in Shelby, NC – We drive through Shelby a few times a year. We head down Highway 74 on our way to see my husband’s family in eastern NC and we often talk about the Sunset Drive-In. Shelby is not that far from Asheville, and this drive-in theatre is the only one I know of in the region. (Asheville had one that closed many, many years ago.) How fun will this activity be to introduce to our kids? And we all love a good movie. At only $12 a car load, I think it’s a steal. 

Looking for a family-friendly vehicle to enjoy your drive-in movies? Be sure to check out Marburger Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram – a premier full-service car dealership located in Shelby.  And if you’re looking for servicing, check out their site for coupons to help you with the maintenance. 

Get out and hike! There’s a Kids in Parks program and if you sign your child up, they can earn free things for doing various hikes or even disc golf courses. There are a LOT of hikes in and around the Asheville area. We’ve done them all across North Carolina, and my kids love them. We’ll be hiking this summer, and it’s great because we can stay close to home or pack up the car and drive an hour or two to somewhere equally spectacular. 

Looking for more activities to do in and around Asheville? My list of kid-friendly Asheville activities is updated (and I add to it as new attractions open!)