This National Forest Has Appalachian Views Like The Great Smoky Mountains Without Crowds

"First rule of Pisgah is we don't talk about Pisgah," jokes one Redditor, quoting "Fight Club" to convey how zealously locals guard the semi-secret delights of Pisgah National Forest, less than half an hour from Asheville, North Carolina. Think of it as the under-the-radar alternative to the Great Smoky Mountains, the most-visited of America's national parks. If you desire to get away from it all to hike, bike, fish, hunt, or paddle through gorgeous mountain ridges, lush valleys, and crystalline rivers, Pisgah might be your secret destination, too. Just keep it quiet.

Pisgah and the Great Smoky Mountains, which straddle North Carolina and Tennessee, both comprise just over half a million acres of Appalachian wilderness. About an hour apart, they differ greatly while offering similar levels of majestic natural beauty. As a national forest, Pisgah is less rule-bound than a national park, with easier access and opportunities to hunt, off-road, hike with your dog, or wild camp without a permit in most places.

The legendary over 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail passes through the Pisgah, where you'll find a favorite spot among thru-hikers, Max Patch Mountain. A treeless mountain top blanketed by a verdant meadow, you'll discover views for miles in all directions. You can day hike there; who knows, maybe you'll get inspired to take off on a thru-hike of your own someday. Another trekking area that's as rewarding as it is rugged is the unspoiled Linville Gorge, where the rocky terrain of the 2,000-foot-deep canyon has protected old-growth forests from logging. It's a short, 1-mile hike up Hawksbill Mountain's jutting crags to epic views to rival any Smoky Mountain scenery.

The section of the Pisgah National Forest just outside the town of Brevard is known as the "Land of Waterfalls." You can find accessible views at roadside Looking Glass Falls (pictured above), a 60-foot plunge into a pool fit for summer splashing. For a quietly reverent vibe, hike on an easy boardwalk through ferns and rhododendrons under a leafy tunnel of green to Moore Cove Falls, or choose a more rigorous hike to majestic and wild Crabtree Falls. If you want a great adventure story to tell, rent a kayak on Lake Jocassee and seek out hidden and seldom-visited Laurel Fork Falls. Then, when you're in the mood for an adrenaline-fueled thrill, spend a day at Sliding Rock, a massive, natural rock slip 'n slide.

After a wet and wild waterfall ride, you can experience a manicured version of nature at the lush gardens surrounding the Biltmore Estate (pictured), which Samantha Brown has called an underrated outdoor paradise. This fairytale castle, the former home of the Vanderbilt family, is surrounded by 8,000 acres of fields, forests, and gardens designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also masterminded New York's Central Park.

The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, a.k.a. "America's Favorite Drive," is one of the most stunning road trips in the U.S., and it passes through Pisgah. The Pisgah Inn, at the parkway's highest point, has sweeping views from every table and a 30-day advance window for a reservation. If you score one, a hearty breakfast pairs perfectly with a short, steep postprandial hike through a shady oak forest to the top of Mt. Pisgah for even better views.

If you look to expand your outdoorsy skill set, Pisgah's Granite City, a landscape of massive boulders with ample routes, is one of the best places for the climbing-curious to tackle beginner-friendly bouldering problems. Or put your pedaling and paddling skills to the test on the Pisgah Paddler, a mixed trail for the hip new sport of bikepaddling. Half on gravel paths, half on the French Broad River, you'll spend one to three nights in the wilderness, but you'll also pass by two breweries where you can kick back with a cold one.