Believe it or not, this is what Price Lake at MP 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway looks like after the dam broke recently. Let’s hope the lake fills up again soon!
Blue Ridge Parkway
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Although extensive renovations are underway at Flat Top Manor at Moses H. Cone Park (MP 294, Blue Ridge Parkway, you can still visit the Southern Highlands Craft Guild shop and wander along the many scenic trails. Don’t miss it!
Sims Pond Overlook
Another great place to stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Sims Pond Overlook at MP 295.9. You can also pick up the Green Knob Loop Trail here.
Thunder Hill Overlook
A very popular scenic spot at MP 290.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Thunder Hill Overlook features nice mountain views from a trail that can be picked up across the Parkway from the parking area. A short hike will take you to the top of the hill where you will also see a variety of apple trees. Definitely worth a stop the next time you’re cruising the Parkway just north of Blowing Rock!
Mount Mitchell State Park
The peak (no pun intended) of my recent Blue Ridge Parkway excursion featured a side trip to Mount Mitchell State Park, which, at 6,684 feet, is the highest point east of the Mississippi. Yes, you can buy a T-shirt at the gift shop (which I did, of course), but there are also several great hiking trails right off the parking lot near the top. Don’t miss it!
Blue Ridge Parkway
Last month, I got the opportunity to leisurely make my way down the Blue Ridge Parkway from Blowing Rock to Asheville with stops at any overlooks that appealed to me. Highly recommended!
Blowing Rock, NC
“Blowing Rock, named for a nearby geological oddity, is an old resort town filled with beautiful homes that once belonged to wealthy early-20th-century industrialists. It’s a small town, but the surprising array of restaurants, cafes and galleries make it pleasant to stroll, window-shop and sit to enjoy an ice cream. Blowing Rock also offers easy access to Moses Cone Manor and other notable landmarks.” – Jason Frye, Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip, 2018
“The village of Blowing Rock sits on the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of approximately 4,000 feet. Its location near the Blue Ridge Parkway is fortunate and provides additional recreational amenities. Unique restaurants, mountain inns and fascinating shops offer a myriad of opportunities to visitors. Ordinary visitors have also been joined by many famous visitors to the town, including Dwight Eisenhower, Pearl Buck, Annie Oakley, Richard Nixon, Margaret Mitchell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.” – Donna Akers Warmuth, Images of America: Blowing Rock, 2004
Camp Creek Overlook
A cool spot to take a break as you journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, the Camp Creek Overlook at Milepost 315 features a very short but rather steep hike to the scenic creek in question. For more details about hidden treasures along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I strongly recommend The Blue Ridge Parkway Guide by William G. Lord. Happy travels!
Chestoa View Loop Trail
A true hidden treasure along the Blue Ridge Parkway (MP 320.8), the 0.6-mile Chestoa View Loop Trail provides an easy leg stretcher through a scenic forest capped off with a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Or you can opt to skip the trail and make a beeline straight to the rock balcony. However I highly recommend the hiking trail so you get the full experience of the Chestoa View Overlook!
Hebron Rock Colony Falls
The incredibly scenic Hebron Rock Colony Falls can be accessed via the Boone Fork Trail at Julian Price Memorial Park (MP 297) on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.
Wandering Florida 