Fall Day Trips 2024: Explore Foliage, Festivals, and Ghostly Adventures Across the Carolinas
Embark on fall 2024 day trips with excursions to enjoy the fall foliage from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the original capital of the Carolinas on the Lowcountry shores. Ghost walks, Oktoberfest celebrations, and horseracing fall 2024 day trips promise to keep your heart a-flutter and your horde entertained.
Mountaintop brews, hidden gem delis, and Oktoberfest shenanigans in Beech Mountain, NC
Snow on the Beech | Beech Mountain (Fall 2024 Day Trips in the NC Mountains)
Take the trail less-traveled at one of the highest parks east of the Rocky Mountains: the Emerald Outback. Most hiking enthusiasts recommend the 4.1 Outer Loop, which grants stunning peek-a-boo vistas of the valley. The Wizard’s Way trail takes less than 30 minutes to complete on foot, and mountain bikers will revel in the “no brakes necessary” topography and hidden ramp areas adjacent to the walking path.
Enjoy a hard-earned beverage at Beech Mountain Brewing Co., which serves up crispy, seasonal brews like the First Chair Coffee Blonde and Funky Mountain Brett IPA. For lunch, amble into the Backside Deli in Fred’s General Mercantile. Enjoy hearty sandwiches, soups, and salads at 5,046 feet above sea level.
Consider centering one of your fall 2024 day trips around Oktoberfest at Sugar Mountain Resort, a rollicking celebration of German beer, music, and food that takes place October 12-13, 2024. Highlights include scenic chairlift rides and a Bavarian costume contest. For those with more time to spare and a taste for the eerie, make the drive to witness the Brown Mountain Lights, where mysterious orbs of light have long defied paranormal investigators.
The Roanoke River Lighthouse (day and night) and seasonal cookies from Edenton Coffee House
A Trolley Ride through Time | Edenton (Fall 2024 Day Trips in the NC Piedmont)
Fall 2024 day trips to Edenton are like stepping into a well-worn historical fiction novel. Start your “first chapter” at the Historic Edenton State Historic Site, home of NC’s original colonial capital and numerous stops along the Maritime Underground Railroad.
Hop aboard the Historic Edenton Trolley Tour, embarking from the Penelope Barker House Welcome Center. Here, visitors can learn about its namesake’s courage in leading the Edenton Tea Party. Additional stops cruise by the historic Chowan County Courthouse – the site of the notorious pirate Blackbeard’s trial – and the Roanoke River Lighthouse. Guided tours are available at an additional cost.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the scent of freshly baked pastries at the Edenton Coffee House—a perfect spot for discussing all you’ve seen on your fall 2024 day trips. A menu featuring 20+ hot and cold sandwiches make it a crowd-pleasing lunch stop for even the pickiest eaters.
For a paranormal experience that will have you pinching yourself, stay the night and book the Original Edenton Ghost Walk. Reviews for the experience are littered with images of spectral sightings and the narration of Edenton’s history is just as enthralling as the ghost lore!
Do you have what it takes to win the Crazy Hat/Pants Contest at the Aiken Steeplechase?!
Off to the Races | Aiken (Fall 2024 Day Trips in the SC Lowcountry)
Autumn in Aiken means one thing: polo season at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum. Conjure the excitement of race day at one of the oldest and most revered training tracks in the U.S. or plan one of your fall 2024 day trips during the Aiken Steeplechase on November 23. Plenty of diversions will keep you entertained before the heart-pounding horse race, including the Parade of Hounds and Fancy Hat/Crazy Pants Contests.
For a more active itinerary, head to Hitchcock Woods, the largest privately-owned urban forest in the nation. Its 70 miles of trails are ideal for walking or horse-back riding; you can book a two-hour tour through the highly reviewed Rebel Ranch Horse Tours.
From there, gallop full-speed into Aiken’s culinary scene. Find locals saddled up at The Alley, a downtown taproom where you can enjoy beer, ciders, kombuchas, and other beverages by the ounce or pint. Dogs and outside food are welcome. If you wish to flaunt your fancy pants and hat in a more upscale environment, book a leisurely lunch at The Willcox, a storied hotel serving an elevated menu of Southern cuisine.
Discover more epic fall 2024 day trips in NC and SC:
