After leaving the
Inn at Iris Meadows, we ventured to the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped in to see if we could get a room at the
Pisgah Inn. The inn is typically booked every night of the season but we lucked up and just happened to come by right after two families had checked out a day early, leaving two rooms available. The other one had already been booked.
The inn sits at about a 5000’ elevation over-looking the Blue Ridge Mountains and has a great restaurant attached to it with a menu that ranges from cheeseburgers to venison. I recommend the trout (which they will filet at your table) and a
Highland Mocha Stout to wash it down. The great thing about the restaurant is that despite it’s impressive upscale menu, there is not much of a dress code. I’ve walked in many times filthy from a day of hiking wearing a hat and t-shirt and it’s no problem.
Each room has the same view. This was taken from our balcony. (Click image to see larger view.) Despite this amazing view the rooms are only $99 a night. The rooms themselves are nothing special. They are very basic with no phone or cable, but they are clean and everything is in working order.
Even if you don’t stay at the inn, it’s a great place to stop for a meal, a drink, or just to restock from their gift shop or country store. Across the street from the inn is a great little campground where every site is enclosed by rhododendron. The
Mountains-to-Sea trail runs behind the inn and there are several other local trails including the Mt. Pisgah summit trail.
Mt. Pisgah as seen from the parking lot of the inn.
Mt. Pisgah in October.
Location: 35°24'10.95"N 82°45'16.30"WDistance from downtown Greenville: 70 miles
Local Geocaches
The area is covered in an abundance of wild edibles and wild flowers including blueberries, blackberries, queen Anne's lace, Daisy's, rhododendron, mountain laurel, flame azalea's, etc. Much of the trail is covered in a highland peat bog with hemlocks and spruce towering above, often reminiscent of the pacific northwest and smelling of Christmas.
Watch out for snakes.
Water is scarce when you get to the ridge, but there is one small spring near the top of Shortoff. Of course during dry seasons it may not exist. 
Located just off the Blue Ridge Parkway on the Mountains-to-Sea trail, Skinny Dip Falls is a beautiful cascading waterfall. 
The water is crystal clear. Unfortunately these images don't do it justice. To reach the falls, park at the Looking Glass Overlook located at milepost 417. Cross the street and take the connector trail to the Mountains to Sea Trail and turn left. You'll reach the falls in about a half mile. 
Named after an avid hiker from Brevard, the Art Loeb trail is a 30 mile trail running from Pisgah National Forest through the Shining Rock Wilderness. Several peaks over 6000 feet can be reached via the trail including Black Balsam, Tennet Mountain, Shining Rock and Cold Mountain. The trail starts near the Davidson River and ends near the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp.
Clingman's Dome is the second highest peak east of the Mississippi (next to Mt. Mitchell) and the highest peak in Tennessee. Located in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, you can drive within a half mile of the lookout tower at the summit, although that half mile is a doozy. If you would like a little more scenery and solitude on the way up, the Appalachian Trail runs just below the lookout. (I started at Indian Gap, six miles north on the AT, and found it to be a beautiful section.) This is also the beginning of North Carolina's Mountain's to Sea trail. There are a couple of shelters within 2-4 miles available for camping although, one of them (Mt. Collins shelter) is currently closed due to "aggressive bear activity."
On the way out of the park I was fortunate enough to see two elk, a rare sighting in this part of the country. 
The inn sits at about a 5000’ elevation over-looking the Blue Ridge Mountains and has a great restaurant attached to it with a menu that ranges from cheeseburgers to venison. I recommend the trout (which they will filet at your table) and a Highland Mocha Stout to wash it down. The great thing about the restaurant is that despite it’s impressive upscale menu, there is not much of a dress code. I’ve walked in many times filthy from a day of hiking wearing a hat and t-shirt and it’s no problem. 
Each room has the same view. This was taken from our balcony. (Click image to see larger view.) Despite this amazing view the rooms are only $99 a night. The rooms themselves are nothing special. They are very basic with no phone or cable, but they are clean and everything is in working order. 
Mt. Pisgah as seen from the parking lot of the inn.
Mt. Pisgah in October.
