Looking for a short getaway? Check this guide for fourteen destination activities (that are worth the trip!) within two hours of Greensboro, NC:
North Carolina Zoo
Asheboro, NC – 30 minutes
The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro is home to 1,700 animals of more than 250 species, primarily representing Africa and North America. It is one of two state-supported zoos in the United States. The zoo is open daily, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The Pottery Capital of the United States
Seagrove, NC – 40 minutes
Seagrove has the largest concentration of working potters in the United States, with over 50 pottery shops within a 20-mile radius. Use this interactive map to plan your trip.
Lexington Barbecue
Lexington, NC – 40 minutes
Celebrating 60 years, Lexington Barbecue has gained national fame for its delicious western-style barbecue. Among other national recognitions, Southern Living magazine has named Lexington Barbecue the best barbecue joint in North Carolina. The locals know it as the “Honeymonk” or “The Monk.”
Animal Park at the Conservators Center
Burlington, NC – 50 minutes
The Animal Park is home to over 70 animals representing many different species from around the globe, including a lemur. Public Tours are available Saturday and Sunday all year.
Pilot Mountain State Park
Pilot Mountain, NC – 1 hour
Pilot Mountain State Park centers around the iconic geologic knob, a beacon or navigational landmark. The park attracts outdoor enthusiasts with its trails, camping, climbing, and scenery.
JOLO Winery and Vineyard
Pilot Mountain, NC – 1 hour
JOLO Winery and Vineyard has been rated 1 of the top 7 wineries outside of California by TripAdvisor, one of OpenTable’s 100 Best Brunch Spots in America, and within the top 10% of TripAdvisor’s attractions worldwide. Make a reservation for dining or wine tasting.
Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show
Mount Airy, NC – 1 hour
Andy Griffith fans can visit his hometown and Mayberry favorites, like Floyd’s City Barber Shop, the Old Mayberry Jail, and Snappy Lunch. You can even see Andy’s childhood home. If that’s not enough, The Andy Griffith Museum has the world’s most extensive collection of the show’s memorabilia. Here’s a list of the things Andy Griffith fans can find in Mount Airy:
- Andy Griffith Playhouse
- Mayberry Squad Car Tours
- Mayberry Replica Courthouse
- Wally’s Service Station
- Rent Andy Griffith’s childhood home
- Snappy Lunch
- Floyd’s City Barber Shop
- Aunt Bee’s Room at the Mayberry Motor Inn
- TV Land Statue
- See Mount Airy on a Good Time Trolley tour
- The Andy Griffith Museum
Hanging Rock State Park
Danbury, NC – 1 hour
Visit the “mountains away from the mountains” at Hanging Rock State Park. You can access the Dan River for kayaking, canoeing, and tubing from the park’s north side.
Dan River Tubing
Danbury, NC – 1 hour
The Dan River Company provides tube, canoe, and kayak rentals and shuttle services at Hanging Rock State Park. The General Dan Tubing Co offers tubing down the Dan River and is three miles from Hanging Rock State Park, adjacent to Moratock Park, next to Danbury General Store.
Things to take for a tubing adventure:
- Cooler with food and beverages
- Rope for tying coolers to tubes and to keep a group together (available for purchase at The General Dan Tubing Co)
- Towels
- Change of clothes
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
Stone Mountain State Park
Roaring Gap, NC – 1 hour, 30 minutes
Stone Mountain is one of the state’s most popular parks, offering some of the best rock climbing in NC and trout fishing. The mountain is a National Natural Landmark known for being the best example of a granite monadnock (an isolated hill of bedrock standing conspicuously above the general level of the surrounding area) in North Carolina.
Carowinds
Charlotte, NC – 1 hour, 40 minutes
Carowinds is 407-acre amusement and water park in Charlotte, North Carolina. It sits on the state line of North Carolina and South Carolina.
TopGolf
Charlotte, NC – 1 hour, 40 minutes
TopGolf has two Charlotte locations: Charlotte Southwest at 8024 Savoy Corporate Drive and Charlotte University at 9110 Drivers Way. TopGolf is a sports entertainment complex featuring a high-tech golf game everyone can play. Enjoy food and beverages with wait service while playing in your climate-controlled hitting bay.
In case you have yet to hear, there’s a rumor TopGolf will open a location in Greensboro. According to the Triad Business Journal, “Arco Murray National Co., a frequent builder of TopGolf sites, recently filed for a Guilford County building permit for the site at 609 Guilford College for a 49,676-square-foot facility with an estimated cost of $10.5 million.”
Sims Country BBQ
Granite Falls, NC – 1 hour, 40 minutes
Sims is very different from Lexington Barbecue and something everyone should experience at least once. Sims is a no-frills all-you-can-eat bbq joint at the end of an old dirt road. They’re open Fridays and Saturdays from 5-9 pm and offer live entertainment, bluegrass music, line dancing, and clogging.
Tweetsie Railroad
Blowing Rock, NC – 2 hours
Tweetsie is a wild west theme park that’s great for kids and families. Tweetsie has action-packed shows, rides on a historic steam locomotive, kid-friendly amusement rides, and Deer Park Zoo.
