Hiking
Ranging from challenging backcountry hiking to easy family strolls, the High Country offers many types of hiking adventures. Favorite family friendly hikes include Bass Lake off the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Town of Boone Greenway, while more strenuous hikes include several higher altitude hikes at Grandfather Mountain State Park and Linville Gorge Wilderness Area. Majestic scenic waterfalls can be found along trails at Crabtree Falls, Linville Falls, The Cascades and Glen Burney Falls.
A few popular and not-to-be-missed hikes include:
| Cone Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway is home to not only the grand Flat Top Manor, but also 25 miles of carriage roads offering leisurely walks and more challenging uphill trails. The Bass Lake trail is an easy, level 0.8-mile loop around the scenic lake that is unpaved but even suitable for wheelchairs and baby carriages. Continue past the dam on the 3-mile trip through the The Maze for more exercise and enjoy the pleasant forest. For incredible 360 degree views, start at Flat Top Manor and wind through lovely forests and meadows for 2.6 miles to the fire tower on Flat Top Mountain.(Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Marker 294) |
| Phone: |
828-348-3400 |
| Price Lake Loop Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway is an easy, level 2.4 mile hike with views of a lovely mountain lake and canoe rentals. Other trails also wind through Julian Price Park. (Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Marker 297) |
| Phone: |
828-348-3400 |
| Crabtree Falls Loop Trail is a moderate 2 mile round-trip hike that offers a 70 foot cascading waterfall located on the Big Crabtree Creek. (Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Marker 339) |
| The Profile Trail is a strenuous 7.5 mile round-trip hike up Calloway Peak, but the views of the Watauga River and Grandfather Mountain are worth it. (parking area off Highway 105 about a mile north of Highway 184) Other trails are also located in Grandfather Mountain State Park. |
| Phone: |
828-963-9522 |
| Beacon Heights Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway is an easy .25 mile hike leading to a large rock face which looks out over the Blue Ridge Mountains. (Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Marker 305) |
| Phone: |
828-348-3400 |
| The Town of Boone Greenway continues 6 miles around town and is an easy, accessible, paved and gravel trail for walkers and cyclists. With benches and picnic tables, it follows and crosses the South Fork of the New River through open meadows and forests. Trailheads for the main greenway are the Watauga County Recreation Complex or adjacent Clawson Burnley Park. |
| Phone: |
828-268-6230 |
| Linville Gorge, part of the Pisgah National Forest, includes 39 miles of trails, offering experienced hikers views of rock formations, rock climbing and backcountry camping. |
| Phone: |
828-257-4200 |
| Glen Burney Trail is a strenuous and steep trail that follows a creek with views of waterfalls while descending into the John’s River Gorge for 1.6 miles. (trail head located off Laurel Lane in Blowing Rock at Annie Cannon Gardens) |
| Phone: |
828-295-4636 |
| Elk Park, a newer state park near Boone, has several scenic trails that lead to amazing long-range views at the summit. |
| The famous Appalachian Trail has a trailhead about 45 minutes from Boone near Roan Mountain, Tennessee. This scenic section of the trail leads through Rhododendron Gardens and Carvers Gap. |
| Phone: |
304-535-6331 |
| The Mountains-to-Sea Trail extends almost 1,000 miles from Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The scenic section in our region runs parallel to and can be accessed in several locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. |
| Phone: |
919-825-0297 |
| For experienced hikers with trail maps, the Wilson Creek Wilderness Area has beautiful vistas, secluded coves, whitewater rapids, and waterfalls as well as challenging trails. |
| Phone: |
828-652-2144 |
