The Road We Trod Black Travel Guide to Asheville

American society insists that the demographics of Appalachia are poor and white. That's a lie.

Hello good people! Thanks for coming back for a brand new Black travel guide. I apologize for the fact that this guide is late. Between back to back work travel, a sinus infection and a strained back trying to lift something I should have left alone, your girl has been going through it! Anyway, now that I’m (mostly recovered), I’ll be working hard to get you an extra guide next month, but for now, Asheville.

Sure, the Biltmore Estate is the #1 attraction in Asheville, but in my honest opinion, it’s not something that needs to be experienced more than once. It’s very rich, very white and gets a bit old after a while. It’s pretty though!

Some of you may have seen that I covered Asheville’s burgeoning comeback after last fall’s devastating hurricane Helene for The New York Times this January. It was an honor to include my favorite Blue Ridge mountain town as part of their ‘52 Places to Visit in 2025’ list, but my love of Asheville has lasted for more than a decade. I first fell in love with the food scene back in 2013, but more recently I’ve dug deep into the region’s Black history and culture. There’s even a specific term for the Black culture that’s unique to this part of the country: Affrilachia. First coined in 1991 by Kentucky poet Frank X Walker, the term highlights the cultural contributions of Black folks who live in Appalachia, a region that greater American society would want you to believe is ONLY poor and ONLY white thanks to people like the current weirdo vice president. Note: Read more about Black writers and Affrilachia here.

After spending some time in Asheville on what was probably my 8th or 9th trip, yet first time doing a deep dive into Black culture there for this 36 Hours in Asheville story for The New York Times, I decided I wanted to flip this “poor and white” narrative on its head and highlight the Black communities that have been in this town for decades. I learned about the thriving middle class Black communities that existed here, and the Black communities of today working to share their heritage with the masses. In a time where our government is literally trying to erase us, it’s more important now than ever to support these communities with our love and dollars.

Below, The Road We Trod’s Black Travel Guide to Asheville.

*Note, this is not a comprehensive list, but covers the places I personally have visited, and places I plan to visit in the near future.*

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