The Camp Counselor’s Day Off Guide

by Falling Creek on Monday, March 17, 2025

Exploring Local Activities, Restaurants, & Time Off Spots Around Camp!

Our 11-week “Couch to Camp” countdown continues with the theme “Location & Tour” for 10 weeks to go! The goal of this countdown is to share all the important details you need to be ready for All-Staff-Orientation on May 30th, 2025.

In this blog, what’s the location surrounding camp like? Are there any recommendations for things to do in town on your time off? This part of Western North Carolina (and nearby SC) has a lot to offer!

We’ll share some recommendations for things to do near camp in the towns of Flat Rock and Hendersonville, as well as the larger surrounding cities like Asheville, NC and Greenville, SC, which are both less than an hour away.

Keep reading to learn about all the great outdoor recreation opportunities in western North Carolina that you can take advantage of!

Hendersonville:

Hendersonville is our closest large town, about 25 minutes from camp with a quaint downtown area. You can walk down Main Street for local restaurants, boutiques, ice cream, or to just enjoy some window shopping. The greater Hendersonville area is also the closest place for “real life” stuff, where you can find the nearest Walmart, groceries, fast food, and car parts.

The Hendersonville Visitor’s Center and their official website are great resources.

Hendersonville Restaurants:

  • West First Woodfired Pizza: is downtown, with great thin crust woodfired pizza, homemade pasta, and fresh salads.
  • Pi-Squared: is a great pizza option if you prefer thicker Detroit-style pizza. It’s like having a pie on a well-crafted piece of focaccia.
  • Papa’s and Beer: delicious Mexican food with great fajitas and a salsa bar.
  • Taqueria Gonzalez: authentic and delicious tacos, great prices, at 525 Kanuga Rd, Hendersonville. (May be cash only)
  • Umi Japanese: great sushi, udon noodles, tempura sets, and all your favorite Japanese foods right downtown in Hendersonville.
  • Thai Spice: delicious Thai food downtown with big portions. Recommend the noodle dishes or the curry. The crispy tofu is excellent if you are vegetarian, and plenty of vegan options.
  • Mike’s On Main: a classic 50’s style soda shop on Main Street, with American lunch favorites and milkshakes.
  • White Duck: White Duck Tacos has a number of locations around North Carolina, including one in Hendersonville’s 7th avenue district. The food is quick (counter service) and has outdoor seating. The Asheville locations (especially the River Arts District one) are great too. It’s pretty affordable for some inventive tacos (pork belly, thai peanut, lamb gyro type stuff) made out of fresh ingredients, and they always have yummy frozen beverages. Plenty of vegan options as well.
  • Ready for dessert? Hendersonville’s Ice Cream Trail is a map of some of the best places to get ice cream in Hendersonville.
You can always enjoy a day on the nearby Green River!

Things to Do in Hendersonville:

  • Dupont State Forest: Hiking, Biking, and Waterfall Tours! Talk to our Outdoor Adventure Director, Will Wilson, for more advice on places to enjoy the trails in this area. We’re spoiled for choice with the wealth of outdoor recreation options available for free here!
  • Epic Theatres of Hendersonville: The Local cinema! Epic has the advantage of being a mere 18 or so minute drive from Falling Creek, so you won’t have to spend as much time driving as for other places. Scroll down to see other theater options in the Asheville area.
  • Appalachian Pinball Museum: Part museum, part arcade! Only $13 for all-you-can-play access to their full range of classic arcade games and pinball machines.
  • Apple Valley Model Railroad Museum: an impressive working collection of model railroads which you can operate, or simply admire the trains running along the detailed tracks and station replicas.
  • Jump Off Rock: Just outside downtown in the Laurel Park neighborhood is a great view off Jump Off Rock. There are also some trails here.
  • Art: You can find a list of art galleries and craft markets on Hendersonville’s website here.
  • Mini Golf: The Laura E Corn mini golf course opens for the season in May and is just $3 per adult. It’s located downtown across from the high school!
  • Jackson Park: Jackson Park is the largest municipal park in Western North Carolina, and is located on the southeastern edge of Hendersonville’s limits. It features a number of trails, picnic shelters, fields, connects to the Oklawaha Greenway, a small bike park with a pump track, and has a brilliant 18-hole disc golf course.
  • Tarheel Lanes Bowling: the closest bowling alley, with drinks and concessions inside
When the sailing docks aren't being used by campers, staff are also welcome to enjoy Lake Summit, a 10 minute drive from camp.

Flat Rock:

If you want to enjoy some great food and shopping, but don’t want to drive far, Flat Rock is the closest option. “Rainbow Row” is home to shops, restaurants, and even the occasional Farmers Market in the back parking lot. Located only 20 minutes away, it’s the closest place to get a great bite to eat.

  • Flat Rock Village Bakery: house made pastries, excellent sandwiches, wood-fired pizza, and satisfying coffee. They have a beautiful outdoor courtyard area for seating.
  • Hubba Hubba Smokehouse: delicious BBQ and incredible sides. Quick counter-service food with outdoor seating.
  • The Wrinkled Egg: fun gifts and souvenirs.
  • Flat Rock Playhouse The state’s official theater! Watch live plays and performances here.
  • Carl Sandburg Home: Carl Sandburg was a National Poet Laureate in the mid-20th century who made his home in Flat Rock. It features a goat farm (you can pet the goats!), tourable house, and some amazing trails. Also a great local place to watch a sunset – the steep hike up to Glassy Mountain is absolutely worth it!
  • Flat Rock Park: A former golf course that has now been outfitted with pedestrian paths, gazebos, and an extensive playground. Great place to hammock by their ponds and run/walk around the trails.
  • Flat Rock Cinema: a unique movie theater that shows a limited amount of re-run classics, for an affordable price. They sell food in addition to the typical concession fare inside, making it a fun “dinner and a show” option.
Grab your friends and carpool up to Asheville during your time off for a day in the big city!

Asheville:

About an hour north of camp is downtown Asheville, home to some incredible art galleries, bookstores, breweries, granola grocers, coffee shops, mind blowing cuisine, museums, artisanal goods, and working studios. Asheville is known for it’s Art Deco architecture, beautiful panoramic views of the mountains, and plenty of walkable boutique shopping options.

  • Chai Pani: A James Beard award winner for Outstanding Restaurant! Innovative, fun, affordable and delicious Indian street food. Great for social occasions since the dishes are made to be shareable. The Okra Fries are a surprising hit.

Other Food Options to Explore:

  • Tupelo Honey (southern breakfast) $$
  • Vinnie’s Italian (South Asheville location is much more convenient) $$
  • Rocky’s Hot Chicken $$
  • Red Ginger $$
  • Farmburger $
  • Limones $$$

There are simply too many incredible downtown restaurants to list in one blog post, so please use these resources to help plan your time in Asheville:

Asheville Area Movie Theaters:

  • Grail Moviehouse: Advertised as “Asheville’s Alternative Theatre,” Grail is located in the River Arts District and is your go-to for international, independent, avant-garde stuff in the city.
  • Asheville Fine Arts Theatre: Also a Sweet independent theatre, like Grail, though this one trends a little bit more towards the mainstream. Their management seems to be pretty choosy about what they screen so you can expect high-quality films.
  • Carolina Cinemark: Not an independent theater, but a favorite out of the chains. They have affordably priced tickets and a good blend of blockbusters/indie hits. Carolina Cinemark is in South Asheville, so it is a little bit further away, but is a pretty breezy drive.
  • Regal Biltmore Grande: This is going to be your go-to cinema for blockbusters or any mainstream film if you want large screens, stadium seating, and that classic multiplex vibe.

Asheville Museums:

Chill Spots in Asheville:

  • Dobra Tea: Tea shop with an incredibly vast and varied menu. They have a tea bible with more varieties than you could ever dream of. Take your shoes off and sit in the back room and vibe out.
  • Citizen Vinyl: This place is just too slick. It’s a working record press, vinyl shop, cafe, art store, coffee shop, and bar. And it’s housed in a SICK art deco building that also holds Asheville’s newspaper, the Asheville Citizen Times.
  • Well Played Board Game Cafe: A great hangout spot, especially for Under 21s! They have essentially any board game that you could imagine, and a variety of tasty beverages + snacks.
  • Asheville Yoga Center: Great teachers, beautiful studios, immaculate vibes. They offer affordable community classes early in the day.
A group of staff watching a local baseball game together during their time off!

Asheville Bookstores

  • Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar: Rare and used books, hors d’oeuvres, champagne. If sophistication/labyrinthine shelves is your vibe, then check it out.
  • Downtown Books & News: Named one of the best bookstores in Asheville. Feels a bit grunge inside, but great prices and well curated. All sorts of literary stuff, and goods from local artists. They also have all the zines/periodicals/cultural magazines/whatever else you could want.
  • Malaprop’s: Independent bookstore, new stuff, sister of DB&N. Good spot. They have a solid cafe. Tons of tourists. Will have any contemporary literature that you need in stock, for the most part.
  • Bagatelle Books: Cool spot out in West Asheville that’s worth a stop if you’re in the area. It’s a book nerd’s spot, filled with rare books, beautiful coffee table books, well selected reads, and all sorts of academic/theoretical texts.

Music Venues:

  • Orange Peel: The Orange Peel is a legendary live music venue located right in the heart of Asheville. They attract national talent, so you’ll probably recognize some of the names on their upcoming shows. They also have a reputation for hosting local or up and coming talent, so it’s worth checking out!
  • Rabbit Rabbit: Rabbit Rabbit is associated with Orange Peel, but is their larger capacity/outdoor venue. Their summer lineup is stellar, and most of the shows still have tickets available. I would check out their season of concerts sooner rather than later!
  • The Grey Eagle: Asheville’s longest running live music venue celebrating over 30 years, located in the River Arts District.

More Ideas in Asheville:

Visit the Biltmore House, go ziplining, or watch an Asheville Tourists baseball game!

A group of staff watching a Greenville Drive baseball game together during their time off!

Greenville, SC:

Downtown Greenville is about an hour south of camp. Being right on the state border, we’re as close to Greenville as we are to Asheville. This is another great option to spend the day in the city, with a fun downtown and beautiful riverside park right in the heart of the city.

Travelers Rest has a busy farmers market on Saturdays during the summer.

Watch a Greenville Drive Minor League baseball game together.

More Outdoor Recreation:

Consult Will Wilson for specific rock climbing, backpacking, or paddling recommendations. Great mountain biking options located nearby for free in Dupont and Pisgah Forest, or for a fee at Ride Rock Creek and Ride Kanuga.

  • Blue Ridge Parkway: Legendary, singular, awe-inspiring, etc. There are tons and tons of hikes off of it that are stupendous (Graveyard Fields, Fryingpan Tower, Black Balsam), views for days, and plenty of overlooks for photos. Consult guides/the internet for the best trails.
  • Pisgah National Forest Pisgah is listed separately from the Parkway, even though that road falls within the National Forest’s boundary. It is a 500,000 acre hardwood forest with miles of trails, fishing holes, mountain biking routes, climbing spots, and campgrounds. Outside designated campgrounds, primitive camping is allowed at no cost. Pisgah is an elite outdoor recreation area, and it’s well worth your time to explore its depths.
  • North Carolina Arboretum The North Carolina Arboretum sits in South Asheville, and has a wealth of trails and gardens to delight any nature-lover. It’s an amazing place for both education and recreation! An added bonus is that the arboretum sits right by an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Note that the arboretum charges a $20 parking fee.
  • Second Gear: an outdoor gear consignment store that has great options for affordable outdoor equipment and clothing.

You can also check out the town of Brevard in nearby Transylvania County, near the Pisgah National Forest entrance.

We hope this “Day Off Guide” gives you some ideas and resources for things to do in the area during your time away from camp. As always, you can reach out to any of the Directors (or returning counselors!) for more recommendations or information about the area. Enjoy!

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