Despite Helene, there are plenty of kid-friendly outdoor activities in the Black Mountain region

False spring No. 1 came and went like a mirage. The second time, we anticipated the cruel deception. But now, the long-awaited season of revival has arrived.

It feels different this year: There’s the eagerness to see the beautiful landscape show off and burst with color, but there’s also bittersweet nostalgia for last spring, before Tropical Storm Helene changed the whole terrain.

With several parks, greenways and businesses still closed, parents might be wondering, “What’s open? And where can I take my kids to have fun?” For those looking to get outside Asheville, consider venturing eastbound on Interstate 40, where you’ll find plenty of activities within 20 minutes of downtown to keep kids and families entertained.

Parks and trails 

• Grovemont Park, 251 Stonewall Ave., Swannanoa, will soon transform into a spectacular sight thanks to volunteers who planted 10,000 donated tulip bulbs last December. The unexpected gift came when a company from the Netherlands — Dutch Grown — heard how Helene ravaged the Swannanoa community. The flower garden symbolizes the hope, joy and beauty that grows after a hard recovery. Tulips bloom in late March and early April, so grab a book at the Swannanoa Library next door; admire the spring colors and mountain backdrop; let the kids explore the playground and run through the park; and clear space on your camera roll for pictures.
• Montreat’s Robert Lake Park, 317 Texas Road, is another great option. Freshly mulched and largely unaffected by the storm, this park will delight the whole family. The drive is beautiful and worthwhile as the sprawling park has plenty to occupy an adventurous kid for the afternoon. There’s a variety of play structures, picnic tables and benches spread out across the forest setting. A shallow, rocky creek winds through the park and creates a series of small islands connected by wooden footbridges. Children love splashing in the cool waters, balancing on rocks and searching for gems and salamanders in the wide creek. Of course, parents and guardians will want to pay attention for any hazardous storm debris in the water, as well as check water quality reports before their visits. 
• Warren Wilson College has an extensive network of hiking trails long loved by trail runners, furry friends and young explorers. Much of the river section remains closed and unsafe to access, but parts of the wooded Berea Trail System have been cleared and are open. Park in the gravel lot across from Berea Baptist Church, 2578 Riceville Road, and enter the forest to start your hike. Mayapples, ferns and trillium grow across the forest floor, but don’t forget to look up at the trees for other springtime arrivals: Birds love this habitat.
• If your family prefers an easy walk, consider Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 Laurel Cir Drive, Black Mountain. A half-mile walking trail loops around the lake, which is teeming with waterfowl, trout and, occasionally, spiffy RC Sailboats racing around the water. The playground includes a jungle gym, a huge sandpit, swings and a rotating contraption that spins the kids until they’re silly. The park also has a community center. 

Eats and drinks 

If you’re looking for places where kids can be engaged and adults can order some drinks or food, there’s plenty of venues open for business in east Buncombe. 

• Peri Social House, 406 W. State St., Black Mountain, is part coffeehouse and bar, part event space and part boutique hotel. When you enter through the front of the artistically renovated 1936 Georgian Revival house, head to the back of the building where coffee and espresso drinks, an infallible wine selection, craft cocktails and juice boxes await. Then head outside to the cozy patio or through the garden to find a fully fenced-in kid area with a ball pit, toddler swings, ring-toss games and a giant rock sensory bin. Thursday through Sunday, the Abbiocco Pizzeria food truck serves up wood-fired pizzas crafted by a chef whose impressive resume includes work at Michelin-starred restaurants.
• If you’re seeking a pastry and latte, head to Recess Coffee and Baked Goods, 107 Black Mountain Ave. Each month, the shop introduces a new menu of breakfast treats alongside staples such as the scrumptious ham-and-cheese pretzel croissant. The lamination on the croissants is so buttery and flaky, you’ll be enjoying the crumbs that you find later in your knitted scarf, beard, baby’s hair — wherever. The interior of Recess is seasonally decorated with locally sourced foliage and flowers and will make you feel nostalgic for coming-of-age summer camp movies from the ’70s. In the back hallway, there are shelves of toys and games that actually are from the ’70s and will keep kids of all ages entertained sans screens (unless you count the Etch A Sketch as a screen). The venue’s outside has generous seating and picnic tables. By summer, the owners hope to put a fence around the grassy area and install a playground for children.
• Also in Black Mountain, The Grange, 120 Broadway Ave., offers a family-friendly menu of American classics, local beers on tap and ample indoor and outdoor seating. On the side of the building there are mounds of dirt and ditches where kids can quarry. 

Looking ahead

• Longtime favorite for runners, bird-watchers, fishers and parents teaching their kids to ride a bike, Swannanoa’s Charles D. Owen Park has no timeline to reopen as of yet. The damage done by Helene’s flooding will indisputably change how the whole park gets laid out. In a written statement to Xpress, Mac Stanley, program coordinator for Buncombe County Parks and Recreation writes: “Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa sustained significant damage during Tropical Storm Helene, with every facility in the park affected and many completely destroyed. Buncombe County Parks and Recreation is actively coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to clear debris and the Buncombe County Permits and Inspections Office to assess the storm’s impact on park structures. One major challenge is the rerouting of the Swannanoa River, which now flows through the park’s former fishing ponds instead of along its original course. Despite these obstacles, we are committed to restoring Charles D. Owen Park to its role as a thriving community destination.”
• Flooding also tore through Veterans Park in Black Mountain. The baseball fields there will have fencing installed this spring, but the playground won’t reopen until later. The Splash Pad in downtown Black Mountain will reopen in May and is an easy stroll from the weekend farmers market.
• From 3-5 p.m. on Tuesdays in March through May, Grovemont Park will host Buncombe County Parks and Recreation’s CORE (Community Outreach and Recreation Experiences). The events are free and the staff provide fun games and recreational activities for all ages.