Have Fun With Your Kids at The Cradle of Forestry

Ready for Fun at the Cradle of Forestry (NC) [1]

Surprise your kids with a season of fun at the Cradle of Forestry, located along the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest. Children and adults alike will have a great time at the site’s Forest Discovery Center where there are 15 exhibits tailored for interactive exploration. The center’s Adventure Zone provides special kid-friendly maps to help your little explorers plan the adventures you’ll have together both inside and outside. Challenge your kids to complete the Zone’s scavenger hunt, or watch their noses wrinkle with curiosity when they spy you through the bug’s-eye view provided by special “dragonfly lenses.” Other trails at the Center include the Forest Festival Trail and the Biltmore Campus Trail, two scenic trails paved for wheelchair and stroller access. The Forest Festival Trail is a 1.3-mile excursion that will introduce you to the forest and an antique portable sawmill while your kids can climb on a train, act the part of conductor, and even ring the bell! On the Biltmore Campus Trail, your kids can enjoy the bright sun and the fresh air along a one-mile trail while you contemplate the historical significance of a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, and cabins illustrating life in the early 1900s. See how many birds, animals, and bugs your kids can hear and recognize along both trails!

Finish the day with a snack from the Forest Bounty Cafe or the perfect trip memento from the Giving Tree Gift Shop. Many find more than one day’s worth of fun in the Cradle of Forestry, and camp overnight at sites such as the Davidson River Campground and the nearby Mount Pisgah Campground, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Hotels, motels, and inns are also available in Brevard, Hendersonville and Waynesville.  Summer may have ended, but the fun doesn’t stop along the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway!