Hiking With Kids: Max Patch, North Carolina

Located about an hour outside of Asheville, North Carolina, Max Patch Mountain is an easy, scenic trail with stunning views! My husband and I love hiking with kids and this recent hike provided a day of wonderful family adventures outside during a visit to Asheville!

Brad and I certainly go through seasons where we hike with kids more and this hike seemed to get me back into the spirit of outdoor hiking with kids. Here’s an article I wrote about tips for hiking with kids. The Max Patch Hike is an ideal kid-friendly hike for both new and experienced hikers! The hike is fairly short with just enough elevation to get your heart rate up, the scenery is fun to explore and the summit views are breathtaking! Several friends and family had recommended this hike to us over the years and it was everything we expected and more!

About Max Patch

Max Patch is a 4,600-ft. Bald mountain located in the Pisgah National Forest. In the 1800s, the summit was cleared and used as pasture. It is also part of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. At the summit are incredible 360-degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Mitchell and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hiking with Kids to the Summit

Here are my best tips for hiking Max Patch with kids:

Plan the whole day — We drove from Asheville to the Max Patch Trailhead which took about 1 hour 15 minutes. We hiked and picnicked on top and spent several hours exploring before heading back to Asheville. You could also stop at the Hot Springs on the drive back. There were several camp sites available as well. After returning back to Asheville – we rested and then headed out for a big family dinner to talk about our adventure!

Hiking to the summit — There is a steep 1.4 mile trail or a slowly graded 2.4 mile loop to the summit. We took the easier hike up and then looped down the steep trail.

Bring a blanket & a picnic — We stopped at Trader Joes in Asheville for lunch and snacks and enjoyed a picnic lunch atop the Max Patch summit. 

Consider bringing a kite — When my girls and I reached the summit, another family was departing and they passed their kite onto us. It was perfect conditions for kite flying! When we left, we passed the kite onto another family at the summit. My girls decided we should always bring a kite to pass along atop Max Patch!

Bring Sunscreen and a Jacket — Depending on the season, you may need a warm jacket or wind-breaker. Due to the high elevation and bald mountain top, the temperatures are much cooler than in Asheville and the wind can pick-up. Also, without a lot of tree coverage, apply plenty of sunscreen.

Directions to Max Patch

Since Max Patch is deep in Pisgah National Forest, don’t rely solely on GPS (even though I did not have cell reception my GPS did continue to work, but I had taken a screenshot of milage just in case). For me, the hardest part of the Max Pax adventure is the drive up to the trailhead — especially in a minivan. The unpaved roads and switchback turns can be bumpy. 

From Asheville, take I-40 West about 40 miles to exit 7 (Harmen’s Den). Take a right on Cold Springs Road which almost immediately becomes gravel. Follow this road winding around and up for 6.2 miles to SR-1182 (Max Patch Road). Turn left onto Max Patch Road and drive 1.5 miles to the Max Patch parking area on the right. 

Do you hike with your kids? Any favorites hikes you’ve done? We can’t wait to return to Max Patch (with a kite!) and discover other kid-friendly hikes to continue encouraging our girls to love adventure and being outside.