The 9 Best Proposal Spots in Asheville, NC
If you’re thinking of Proposing in Asheville, NC, and are looking for the Best Asheville Proposal Spots, you’ve come to the right place. With years of experience, seeing all the different weather seasons, and hundreds of proposals, the team at Perfect Proposal has compiled our Top 9 list, each with a little bit of professional advice or information. And if this article has you itching for more info, you know how to reach us. So read on!
One thing to quickly note - we’re always in search of “The Unicorn,” which we define as a location that is easy to access, visually scenic, with secluded intimate space for the proposal itself, and not terribly suspicious to be dressed a little fancier at. Most of these hit 3 out of 4, so keep in mind that there are few unicorns in the world.
#1 - The Biltmore Estate
It might come as no surprise to folks that The Biltmore Estate sits at the top of our list. It’s truly one of the best Unicorns (scroll up a little if you missed that bit) and is our most popular location. We’ve done a ton of work to make Biltmore Proposals as easy and successful as possible, so check out these other blog posts for a ton more information on the Best Locations at The Biltmore for your proposal, and our Complete Guide to Biltmore Proposals.
Pro Tip - Outside of those guides, our biggest pro tip is to plan on doing a morning proposal (usually 9:30 am is ideal) for a weekend proposal here to avoid the busiest (and warmest) part of the day.
#2 - The Omni Grove Park Inn
The Omni Grove Park Inn (also referred to as “The Omni,” “The Grove Park Inn,” or “GPI”) is a gorgeous and luxurious location. With the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background of your proposal, this iconic hotel with a view to match is one of our favorite spots. Big thing to note: This option is our most difficult to secure because of limitations around the hotel.
Pro Tip - Start your planning early and have some flexibility around the date and time of your surprise proposal if you want to have it at The Grove Park Inn.
#3 - Pretty Place Chapel
While Pretty Place (also known as the Fred W. Symmes Chapel) isn’t in Asheville, we still consider it in the radius of our area (about 60 minutes south of downtown Asheville), and for good reason. Popularized by TikTok in 2020, this is one of the most scenic and easy to get to spots for our couples. Be mindful of a couple things though - fog as thick as a concrete wall has been seen here, so mother nature does play a part in this view. A good place to start when planning your Pretty Place Surprise Proposal would be their Visitation Schedule for available hours. When open to the public, it’s fair game for a proposal, but if you want to reserve the space, pricing starts at $1,400 for weekday slots, and $2,000 for weekends.
Pro Tip - The early bird gets the worm, and the best pictures. Sunrise is almost required to have photos like the one above, so know yourself and your partner and if this makes sense.
#4 - The Botanical Gardens at Asheville
One of the closest nature spots to downtown Asheville, the Botanical Gardens at Asheville (often referred to as just “The Botanical Gardens”) hosts a number of photographic spots - a gazebo structure, curved wooden bridge, a small stream with rock access. This gives folks a number of locations to choose from, as well as the only free outdoor covered spot in case of inclement weather. This also is one of our main locations for folks wanting to add a Luxury Picnic on to their proposal, which you can read more about at the bottom of This Page.
Pro Tip - Think about the seasonality of the foliage when choosing here. Brilliant fall leaves, spring wildflowers, and everything in between are seen here throughout the year.
#5 - The North Carolina Arboretum
The NC Arboretum is another great nature location close to downtown Asheville. With a nice mix of flower gardens, forests, and paved walkways to connect it all, this is another great easy access nature location. Tickets are $20 per vehicle, and hours vary throughout the year but usually include early morning into sunset, giving folks a lot of flexibility.
Pro Tip - Check out the Arboretum’s yearly exhibits calendar if you’re looking for something unique, like their yearly Winter Lights season in November and December, or Bloom with a View in May.
#6 - Black Balsam Knob
Black Balsam Knob is one of the most popular mountaintops in the region, and for good reason. Once you take the 45 minute drive from downtown and hike the 1/2 mile trail to the first good overlook, you’ll be greeted with a 180° view of the Blue Ridge Mountains that works for both sunrise and sunset. Good walking shoes are advised as there is a rock face to ascent at the end of the hike, and temperatures here are generally a good 10 to 15° cooler than in downtown Asheville. But for nature lovers looking for a true mountaintop experience, this is one of the best around.
Pro Tip - Plan around the weekend. Hiking and other adventure activities become much more populated on the weekends, so if you’re looking to have the mountaintop somewhat to yourself, work around the “normal” popular times.
#7 - Looking Glass Falls
Not too far from Black Balsam (our #7 spot) is Looking Glass Falls, one of the best waterfalls in the area. 45 minutes from downtown Asheville, and a quick walk down two flights of stairs puts you at the base of this 60 foot waterfall. Because of this easy access scenic spot, it can be quite popular at times, with folks swimming in the pool below sometimes even. Because of this, we always suggest weekdays, mornings, or being patient with other folks wanting to take their picture in front of the falls.
Pro Tip - Footwear is key here, as the rocks can be very slippery. Or, as seen in the photo above, embracing the barefoot look!
#8 - Stone Ashe Vineyard
Just south of Asheville are a fair number of vineyards, but none as gorgeous and luxurious as Stone Ashe Vineyard. There are two great proposal spots, with nature views on one side of the property, and endless rows of vines on the other. The team at Stone Ashe are extremely helpful and friendly to all, and they’re our vineyard of choice.
Pro Tip - Nature looks good year round, but vines will be at their fullest from September onwards.
#9 - Somewhere Unique!
Maybe our favorite option, but somewhere unique almost always wins in our books! Just to name a few ideas we’ve seen over the years - Ski Mountains (pictures above, Cataloochee Ski Area, 60 minutes west of Asheville), Breweries (our favorite is Highland Brewing with it’s nature and industrial vibe), on a Hot Air Balloon (through Asheville Balloon Company), or privately at a beautiful Airbnb. There are endless options!
Pro Tip - Know your partner and your relationship, and do something that feels authentic and true to you two, not just what you’ve seen done online. Folks with a good backstory around the decision for where they want to do their proposal always make us smile!