Ready for a day trip? Local mom Lacey Keigley and her family visited Flat Rock, NC. In this review, she is sharing insight on what not to miss if you visit Flat Rock with your family! It’s smaller than an amusement park, but it’s loads more fun. Just over the mountain, a short drive north of Travelers Rest, it’s an easy, beautiful drive. It’s a perfect place to spend a day.
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Plan your visit to Flat Rock
- Where: Flat Rock, NC (Henderson County), about a 45-minute drive north of Greenville, SC.
- Cost: Free to explore the village; the Carl Sandburg Home tour is $10 for adults and free for kids 15 and under, and The Park at Flat Rock is free.
- Best for: Families with kids of all ages.
- Best time to go: Year-round – visit in late summer or fall if you want to add apple picking at Sky Top Orchard.
- Don’t miss: The Carl Sandburg Home and goats, the playground at The Park at Flat Rock, BBQ at Hubba Hubba, and (in season) Sky Top Orchard.
A morning in Flat Rock
Flat Rock Village Bakery
Open daily, 8 am – 5 pm.
Buy a scone, a muffin, or a danish and coffee or tea and dine on the back deck under the branches of a fabulous tree that grows up and around and right through the deck.
Carl Sandburg National Historic Site
Park your car and breathe in the fresh air. Wander up the lovely trail that takes you up to the Nobel Prize-winning author’s last home. Take a tour of his home – it’s only $10 for adults and free for kids 15 and under (tours are guided; reserve ahead at recreation.gov), and it’s absolutely worth it to see a snapshot of his life, left as if he might be entering his old study at any moment.
If you’ve got energy and time on your side, take a hike that begins behind the home, near the adorable barn teeming with goats who are direct descendants of Sandburg’s wife’s prized goat herd. Little Glassy has a view completely worth the manageable trek. Very family-friendly. When you reach the giant rock and take a break, you can pull out one of your new books and read for a little bit on the mountain top.
Open 10 am – 4 pm daily.
Head right back to where you started for lunch. (And after your hike, you’ve earned your lunch.)
The Park at Flat Rock
Or, check out the super amazing playground at The Park at Flat Rock.
The Park at Flat Rock is free to visit and open dawn to dusk daily.
The Park at Flat Rock
55 Highland Golf Drive, Flat Rock, NC
828.435.0397
Afternoon in Flat Rock
Hubba Hubba BBQ
For lunch, we chose a local BBQ hot spot. Friends, you just won’t find tastier BBQ in North Carolina. Sure, they have great fish tacos and delicious sides (try their deviled eggs and potato salad) but it’s their classic BBQ that draws the crowds. You pick pork or chicken and then you add your own sauce choice. (I lean to the vinegar variety, but you’ve got options and none of them are bad.)
Open Thursday–Tuesday, 11 am – 3 pm (closed Wednesdays).
(If your kids just aren’t into BBQ, you can order a pizza from Flat Rock Village Bakery and let them have that. The seating is all outdoors and is combined in a convenient way with the bakery so it’s no problem to grab options from both restaurants.)
The Wrinkled Egg
After eating and drinking and feeling satisfied, step upstairs to The Wrinkled Egg – an endearing shop filled with quirky souvenirs, home decor, eclectic design, local art, and even a pet rabbit who loves to be petted, along with a few beautiful songbirds. Kids and grown-ups will quickly call this store their favorite.
Open Monday–Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm, and Sunday 12 – 5 pm.
SkyTop Orchard
If you happen to be visiting Flat Rock in late summer or fall you will want to drive back in the direction you came for a millisecond and turn right and head up to SkyTop Orchard.
You can’t beat the views and the apple picking is convenient and feels perfectly autumnal. If you have room remaining, you can dessert on fresh apple cider donuts and cold apple slushes – or warm apple cider, depending upon the weather and your mood. Either way, you won’t be disappointed. The kids can have a hayride, visit the animals, wander through the bamboo forest, or romp on the playsets. And you get to take him the best reminder of your day out – fresh North Carolina hand-picked apples! Before you go, be sure to read our tips for apple picking with kids!
Open daily 9 am – 6 pm during peak season, shifting to 9 am – 5 pm after the time change. The season typically runs from mid-summer through early December – check skytoporchard.com for current dates before you go.
Evening in Flat Rock
Flat Rock Wood Room
If you still have time, money, and inclination, stay for dinner and eat at the Flat Rock Wood Room.
Open Wednesday–Sunday, 11:30 am – 8 pm (later on weekends); closed Monday and Tuesday.
Enjoy a movie or live theatre
You can catch a movie at the neatest local theatre – Flat Rock Cinema. Showtimes vary week to week – films typically screen Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with live music and comedy midweek, so check their website for the current schedule. You can order popcorn, but they also serve BBQ and full menu options.
You can even take in a live theatre show at North Carolina’s State Theatre – Flat Rock Playhouse.
That’s a full day packed and overloaded with all the good things the fabulous little town of Flat Rock has to offer you.
It may be small in size, but it is full and wide in charm and activity.
Flat Rock, NC FAQs
How far is Flat Rock, NC from Greenville, SC?
It’s about a 45-minute drive north – an easy day trip just over the state line in the North Carolina mountains.
Is the Carl Sandburg Home free for kids?
Yes. Guided house tours are $10 for adults and free for children 15 and under, and the grounds, trails, and goat barn are always free to explore.
When can you go apple picking at Sky Top Orchard?
Apple season runs from late summer into fall. Sky Top Orchard is open daily 9 am – 6 pm during peak season (9 am – 5 pm after the time change) – check their website for current dates.
Is there a playground in Flat Rock?
Yes – The Park at Flat Rock has two playgrounds, including a big obstacle-course play structure, plus paved trails. It’s free and open dawn to dusk daily.
What is your favorite thing to do when visiting Flat Rock, NC?
Sandburg did not win a Nobel Prize. He was, however, the recipient of three Pulitzer prizes.