Beyond the Walls of Biltmore, an Outdoor Playground Beckons
More than 1 million visitors a year pass through the hallowed halls of the Biltmore House, a show-stopper of colossal proportions, draped in brilliant architecture, laced with captivating history and adorned with lavish antiquities.
But beyond the stone gargoyles and marble lions that guard the grand entryway, a treasure trove of outdoor adventure is hidden in plain sight. Segway tours journey through bucolic vineyards, bike paths course along the French Broad River, and horseback trails explore the woodlands of the 8,000-acre estate set in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.
The top-notch team of Explore Biltmore guides are more than just outfitters. Sure, they know their game—they can help you hone your cast, teach you to shoot, guide you down the river, and lead you over trails. But they also double as Biltmore ambassadors, capturing the sense of place that permeates the estate by spinning yarns and weaving stories of Biltmore’s heyday into every tour.
“We delight and surprise our guests with these extra experiences, but the experiences are all tied back to the history of the estate,” says LeeAnn Donnley, Biltmore’s public relations manager. “We tell the story of the Vanderbilts and create a bridge between the historical and present.”
George and Edith Vanderbilt were gracious hosts and filled their home with guests, including famous authors, presidents, ambassadors and aristocrats of the era. Travel was difficult in the early 1900s, so guests came for a week, a month or even an entire season to experience the lavish country manor life.
“Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt bent over backwards to make sure their guests felt like family. They liked to have fun and they liked for their guests to have fun,” Donnley says. “They loved to set up outdoor experiences for the guests who were staying with them.”
Between morning tea, afternoon repasts and evening billiard games, guests who journeyed to the Biltmore Estate discovered a wealth of outdoor pursuits at their disposal.
“Whatever you wanted to do, he would arrange for it, whether it was fishing or shooting or golf or croquet,” says Dale Klug, director of the Explore Biltmore Estate outdoor programs.
That same mission drives the outdoor experiences at Biltmore today.
“That’s why we are here—to provide enchantment and a break from the every day,” Donnley says.
Over the past decade, Biltmore has systematically grown its portfolio of outdoor experiences, paralleling the expansion of on-property dining, lodging and entertainment catering to multi-day guests. Whether it’s a girls’ get-away, a special anniversary, or a family vacation, Biltmore’s outdoor programs cater to every interest.
“It’s 8 to 80,” Klug says.
There are classic mountain adventures, like rafting or biking, simply made better by the one-in-a-million setting. Other experiences, like sporting clays, aren’t every day finds.
“We get shooters of every level from professional shooters who want to up their game to our most common demographic, women between the age of 45 and 75 who have never held a gun in their lives,” Klug says.
Biltmore’s fleet of outdoor equipment is top rated, from its Orvis fly rods to Beretta shotguns, ensuring guests are outfitted with best-in-class gear for their adventures.
“We have the newest, latest and greatest stuff every year,” Klug says.
After all, George wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“That’s what we are here for—the best guest experience we can provide,” Klug says.
Tally-ho, Biltmore
Cocked sidelong in her saddle, Kelci McDaniel keeps a subtle but watchful eye on the horses behind her as she launches into a historical romp about the lawn of the Biltmore Estate.
Riders on McDaniel’s trail ride run the gamut from seasoned equestrians to first-time-on-a-horse. But a quick crash course—tug left for left, right for right, and back for stop—puts the riders at ease and on their way. Just don’t drop your cell phone, McDaniel cautions.
As the group saunters along, McDaniel weaves a rich tapestry of the Vanderbilt legacy. Stories of young Cornelia’s birthday parties. Trivia about the Vanderbilts’ 40 horses and 20 carriages. Accounts of gentryed guests experiencing the outdoors.
The trail ride offers a rare glimpse into the natural landscape of the estate. It was a passion of George Vanderbilt’s, a pioneer of forest stewardship and sustainability in his time.
Even horses know luxury at the Biltmore Estate. The 27 trail horses get mandatory 30-minutes breaks between rides, are pampered with fans in their stables on hot days, and roam free in large pastures overnight.
As the horses break through a clearing, the majestic spires of the Biltmore House crest into view.
“You are looking at the only place on the 8,000-acre estate where you can see the whole house — left to right, top to bottom, all six stories,” McDaniel says. She’s been a pass holder at Biltmore since the age of 12, and as a guide, has merged her love for the house with her love for horses.
“This view is exclusive to our trail program,” McDaniel says, leaning back in her saddle while the riders take their fill of photos. “I never saw this view until I got this job.”
Bets are, it never gets old.
Flight of Fancy
Step on a Segway tour at the Biltmore Estate and soar over the vast estate grounds for an exhilarating ride, from manicured river trails to off-road rambles.
One of the most popular options, the West Side tour, goes behind the scenes of Biltmore’s sustainable agricultural operation. Learn how canola crops are transformed into biodiesel for farm equipment, how clover, rye, corn and soy is grown for the estate’s farm animals, and how the vineyards are harvested for the Biltmore Winery.
Customize your adventure with a wide range of outdoor recreation experiences on the 8,000-acre grounds of the Biltmore Estate. Saddle up for a trail ride, learn to fly fish, test your aim with sporting clays, navigate terrain obstacles in a Land Rover, hone your cast on a drift boat trip, breeze along river paths and rolling fields from a Segway, cruise the French Broad on a stand-up paddle board, take to a raft, or find your own tempo on 22 miles of hiking trails and custom-built mountain bike trails from beginner to advanced.