One of the most popular excursions in the Boone area is visiting Grandfather Mountain. The mountain has plenty of activities to do from visiting the museum, multiple animal habitats to observe, and of course trails to hike with the mile high swinging bridge as the highlight.
If you are looking for casual trails to hike, Grandfather Mountain does have those too. The Black Rock Trail is a 1 mile trail which offers lots of stunning mountain views and rock formations. It is a mostly shaded trail and only descends a total of 300 feet so is a not very strenuous walk back to the car.
The Woods Walk & Picnic Area is a 1/2 mile trail which is perfect for all ages, including small children. It is a very wide trail with many benches to sit down and rest. There are also signs along the trail which describe the different plants and animals in the park.
The Bridge Trail is another 1/2 mile trail which ascends 300 feet in elevation and has many rock formations on the side to enjoy. The highlight of the trail is walking under the mile high swinging bridge. This trail is slightly more strenuous than the others but not too bad.