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State Parks
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Avery’s main access points are US 221 to Linville & Blowing Rock (MP 305.1) and NC Hwy 181 to Pineola & Morganton, NC (MP 312). To find more access points throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway, visit https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/parkway-map/.
As fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year, Ney says to look out for the highest points to capture the best views.
“We usually tell folks to expect peak leaf color in mid-October,” Ney said. “But there are many factors that affect the timing of leaf change. Any trail or overlook that has a long range view will be great in fall because you can see foliage at different elevations and have a greater opportunity to see fall color in some level of progression. Leaves start turning first at higher elevations and on the northern slopes. So the lower elevations and drier southern slopes experience fall color change later.
“The amount of rainfall, daytime sunshine and nighttime temperature also add to the equation and fall storms can often blow the leaves right off the trees,” Ney continued. “As a visitor drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway, they will encounter a variety of
The Blue Ridge Parkway offers many scenic getaways such as the Boone Fork Trail.
PHOTO BY ANDREW COLE The Lump in Millers Creek just off the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great place for your next photo shoot, as Rosalie Harper displays.
PHOTO BY ANDREW COLE
elevations, aspects and ecosystems which receive varying amounts of rainfall and with varying temperatures.
“For example, from the James River in Virginia — the lowest point on the Parkway at 649 feet — to Apple Orchard, the Parkway climbs over 3,000 feet in just over 10 miles of distance. We always recommend that travelers visit a longer section of the parkway to see a variety of elevations and aspects so they will be sure to see color change somewhere along the way.”
In addition to her information, Ney provided certain hotspots on the Blue Ridge Parkway that are sure to fulfill your scenic desires.
Highlands (milepost 217-340): Linn Cove Viaduct (MP 304), Linville Falls (MP 316.4), Doughton Park (MP 239-248) and Grandfather Mountain (MP 305.1).
Whether you’re looking for the perfect spot to take photographs, have a picnic, relax or drive into the sunset, the Blue Ridge Parkway is your getaway this fall.
For more information on the Blue Ridge Parkway and its offerings, visit www.blueridgeparkway.org.
IF YOU GO
If you decide to plan a visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway: • Remember that face coverings are required in all federal buildings (and some outdoor areas with high use, like the Linville Falls Viewing Area) regardless of vaccination status. • Take note of closures and detours. • Don’t forget your camera! • Breathe in the fresh mountain air.
PHOTO BY MARISA MECKE The vegetation changes higher on Mount Mitchell, with hardwood forests of American chestnut, oaks and hickories and rhododendrons below 5,000 feet and red spruce and Fraser firs growing above 6,000 feet.
State Parks
IN THE HIGH COUNTRY
BY JORDYN DANIELS
Visitors looking to lace up their hiking boots and explore the scenery of Western North Carolina have no shortage of options for trails, lookouts and camping. State parks throughout North Carolina provide locations to enjoy the outdoors, but those in the High Country specifically feature unique environments, mountain views and trails ranging from mild nature walks to challenging mountain ascents.
Grandfather Mountain
Featuring vast biodiversity and tall, craggy peaks, Grandfather Mountain offers backcountry trails and hiking as well as extensive educational experiences, amenities and more at their attraction in Linville, N.C., operated by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. The swinging bridge and exhibit of non-releasable, rehabilitated animals greet visitors in Linville looking to learn more about the unique environment atop the mountain and the animals native to western North Carolina.
In 1992, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named Grandfather Mountain as the only privately owned designated Biosphere Reserve in the world. The designation is awarded considering the location’s unique environment as well as the operating organization’s permanent protection of the land from uncontrolled development, provision of training for resource management professionals and its dedicated to raising consciousness to current environmental issues.
Within the boundaries of the state park, adventurers may visit the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation’s site atop of the mountain which features several attractions and educational opportunities.
To learn more about the attractions at Grandfather Mountain visit www. grandfather.com.
To find trail maps and further information regarding the state park, visit www.ncparks.gov/grandfather-mountain-state-park.
Mount Mitchell
Featuring the tallest peak east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell State Park is situated 35 miles northeast of Asheville and offers craggy mountain ascents, verdant spruce-for forests and breathtaking views.
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Onsite, there are many ways to explore the mountain from short hikes to the summit to long trails for multi-day backpacking trips. Attractions in the park include a museum of cultural and natural history, a concession stand, a nine-tent campground during warm weather months and roads leading up the mountain to make the summit more accessible. The full service restaurant is closed until May 2023 for renovations.
For those looking for more rugged adventures, trails of varying difficulty lead up and around the mountain and provide ample opportunity for backcountry camping. On the mountain, visitors can hike through Mount Mitchell and exit the Mount Mitchell State Park and enter Pisgah National Forest trails, National Park trails and the NC State Trails in the Black Mountains.
To find trail maps, camping information and more visit www.ncparks.gov/ mount-mitchell-state-park.
Mount Jefferson
In the northwest corner of North Carolina in Ashe County, Mount Jefferson reaches up to 4,700 feet in elevation. Mount Jefferson is a designated National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service due to its ecological diversity and many unusual plant communities, such as a rare virgin forest of large northern red oaks as well as American chestnut. In the spring and summer, visitors can catch glimpses of Catawba rhododendron, mountain laurel, flame azalea, dogwood, and wildflowers including trillium, false lily of the valley and the pink lady slipper, a variety of wild orchid.
Trails wind up and around the Mount Jefferson State Park and include a variety of short jaunts for those looking for a more leisurely hike. Exploring forests and the variety of understory plant species, the Lost Province Trail clocks in at a moderate 0.75 miles. For those looking for a moderate trail with a better view, the 1.10-mile Rhododendron Trail follows a horseshoe-shaped ridgeline along the mountain and passes visitors by an outcrop of black volcanic rock that gives Mount Jefferson its dark appearance.
To find trail maps, event information and more visit www.ncparks.gov/ mount-jefferson-state-natural-area.
Elk Knob
One of North Carolina’s newest state parks, Elk Knob State Park features a high peak at 5,520 feet and is the only state park in North Carolina with trails for cross-country skiing. The park is North of Boone and near the Tennessee border and was established in 2003 to protect the headwaters of the North Fork of the New River.
Unlike some other state parks, Elk Knob aims to stay open year round despite the harsh winter weather of the northeast corner of the state. While trees atop the mountain may be gnarled by harsh winds, the park features crosscountry skiing trails for use during the winter months and at lower elevations has primitive campsites.
For more information on camping and skiing visit https: www.ncparks.gov/ elk-knob-state-park
New River
Winding through the mountains of North Carolina, the New River offers camping, swimming, paddling and more to visitors. One of the five oldest rivers in the world, the New River’s headwaters begin in the New River State Park which straddles Allegheny and Ashe counties. For those looking for an educational experience on the river, the visitor center has environmental education opportunities and houses a teaching auditorium and a laboratory-classroom.
The end of the New River in West Virginia is home to the newest National Park, New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Fishing accesses at the north and south forks of the New River feature great locations to catch smallmouth bass as well as red-eyed bass.
To find more information about camping, boat access and more visit www. ncparks.gov/new-river-state-park.
PHOTO BY MARISA MECKE Halfway across Grandfather Mountain’s swinging bridge is a green marker denoting the one-mile high marker visitors cross while traversing the bridge.
A view from atop Grandfather Mountain. PHOTO SUBMITTED
