Explore Flat Rock for a Dog’s Day Out

Flat Rock is the spot for a day date with your pup

It takes some planning to bring a pet on an overnight trip, but a day trip is simple. Dog-friendly travel may narrow options, but that’s a wonderful thing. Day trips are meant to feel quick and satisfying, so bringing a pup along–for the ride, and the meals, and the exploration—amps up the fun.

Flat Rock is south of Hendersonville, making it a solid half-hour closer to the Upstate than Asheville. And though the town is best known for Carl Sandburg’s home, Sky Top Orchard, and the Flat Rock Playhouse, we decided to leave the hot spots to the throngs that show up each fall.

The plan was to hike, shop, eat, sip, sightsee, and grab an early dinner before heading home. We wanted our pup to fully participate in our big day out, so the itinerary was vetted with him as our third traveler.

Juiced up from coffee for the quick ride over the mountain, we pulled up to The Park at Flat Rock. It may need a spunkier name, but the grounds of this 66-acre park deliver in big ways. Just a handful of years ago, it was an often-ignored par 3 golf course. Today, the stunning landscape offers well-defined paths abutting King Creek, part of the French Broad watershed. This is definitely the place to bring a dog for an outing. The Perimeter Trail skirts naturalized ponds, and a water hazard converted into a lily pad port of call. It is ablaze with color in the fall.

With our legs stretched, we took a quick drive over to Sweet Magnolia Gallery. Jeweler Melinda Lawton is an award-winning artisan, and her studio offers sparkling gifts from $50-$5,000. Carrie Underwood is a client, and your leashed pup is welcome to visit, too.

Little Rainbow Row was up next. The hamlet of colorful stores creates perfect photo opportunities. A gift store named Dogwood is chock full of handmade items. The most famous tenant on the row, The Wrinkled Egg, has stood in its location since 1891, originally as Old White General Store. Today, it offers curated children’s items, designer clothing, kitchen and seasonal goods, and hand-selected items for the home. At the back you’ll find the entrance to the Flat Rock Village Bakery, famous for their artisanal thin-crust pizzas. Shop here for lacquered baked goods, fresh bread, and pound cake.

We had lunch on property at Hubba Hubba, a wood-fired smokehouse set in a flower-filled backyard, replete with heirloom chicken friends. Our pup was happy for the shady spot as well as the errant bite of brisket.

An afternoon drive took us to Marked Tree Vineyard, the vision of married winemakers Tim Parks and Lance Hiatt. A massive patio overlooks vistas of grape vines, and the couple rotates their art collection on the walls and with installations on the grounds. We shared a flight and bought several bottles of the 2022 Grüner Veltliner to bring home. The winery is super dog-friendly, and our server brought over a dog bowl filled with fresh water before we could even inquire.

No fall day trip is complete without a trip to a graveyard, and Flat Rock is home to the historic St. John in the Wilderness. Dating to 1834, it is WNC’s oldest Episcopal parish. Legend claims a long-deceased bugler blows his horn on foggy nights, and a quick Internet search displays numerous stories of hauntings.

Under a pine canopy with plenty of squirrels to ogle, the terraced cemetery is beautiful to traverse. At the back of the property sits a slope of 100 hand-carved crosses, marking the graves of enslaved and freed servants who worshiped here during their lifetimes.

We wandered back in the late afternoon light to Campfire Grill (which notably opens at three, though some items, like the Friday night Prime Rib, aren’t available until four). Come here for local trout, fried chicken, salads topped with seasonal ingredients, and craft cocktails. The menu is a winner, and it’s worth over-ordering to haul leftovers back with you to SC.

It felt like an all-star fall day for all three of us, and a quick look in the backseat on the way home found a happily snoozing pup.

For more info, VisitHendersonvilleNC.org, which has plenty to share about Flat Rock and Henderson County.