In the last edition of Take It Outside, you learned about the popular Moses H. Cone Memorial Park located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As you travel farther south on the parkway you come to another Blue Ridge Parkway highlight, Julian Price Memorial Park.

During the 1940s Julian Price, CEO of Greensboro, NC based Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company, purchased the 4,264 acre property for a company employee mountain retreat. Price was killed in an auto accident in 1946. The insurance company and Price’s family donated the land to the National Park Service in his memory. The park now features the Blue Ridge Parkway’s largest water feature, 47-acre Price Lake, and the largest campground with 129 individual camping sites. Popular with day hikers are the 3 area trails, Price Lake Trail, Boone Fork Trail and the Green Knob Trail.

Price Lake Trail is located at Parkway milepost 297.2. The perfect 2.5 mile loop trail makes for an easy afternoon walk. The trail, through a mature mixed oak forest, circles Price Lake and offers many wildlife viewing opportunities. Price Lake gives birdwatchers the chance to view migrating and wintering waterfowl including Pied-Billed Grebes and Common Loons. The 47-acre lake is stocked during fishing season with Rainbow, Brook and Brown Trout. Non-motorized boats are allowed on the lake. From May to November, the Price Lake boathouse has canoes and rowboats to rent for an hourly fee.

The Boone Fork Trail at Parkway milepost 296.4 is a moderately strenuous 4.9 mile long trail that has much to offer. From the picnic area just north of Price Lake, access the trail by crossing the bridge behind the restrooms. The trail starts out by following Boone Fork with some small waterfalls, travels through stands of Birch and Rhododendron, before ending in an open meadow, with views of Grandfather Mountain. The trail ends by following the path through the camping area back to your car.

The final area trail to enjoy is the Green Knob Trail located at Parkway milepost 295.9. The trail starts at Sims Pond overlook on the side of the Parkway. The moderate rated trail has everything from wildflowers and mountain Laurel to pasture lands and views of Grandfather Mountain. A Blue Ridge Parkway handout map for all 3 trails is available at the Price Lake Campground check-in station. The National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map # 783 also has all 3 trails depicted.

After a day of hiking in the Price Lake area, a good night’s rest is in order. The nearby towns of Boone and Blowing Rock, NC have everything from quaint bed and breakfasts to major hotel chains. But if a little more back to nature is what you are after then the Price Lake Campground may be just what you need. The largest camping area on the Parkway, Price Park Campground offers both tent and RV camping. Operated by the National Park Service, the campground is open from May 1st to October 31st. Each site has a picnic table, tent pad, and fire grate. Restroom facilities and water are available. Campsites are first come first served and no reservations are required. Additional information is available at 828-298-0398.

The 469-mile long Blue Ridge Parkway, which winds its way through Virginia and North Carolina, is full of many unique experiences. Two of the most popular are located within only a few scenic miles of each other. After visiting both areas, Moses H. Cone and Julian Price Memorial Parks may become your favorite Blue Ridge Parkway destinations.

Help support the Blue Ridge Parkway by supporting the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The Foundation provides funding for Parkway projects that may otherwise go unfunded. Through the sale of items from the Blue Ridge Parkway Collection, money is raised for such projects as visitor facility improvements at Bass Lake and Graveyard Fields. The Mast General Store has teamed with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to help protect the Parkway. Look for the Blue Ridge Parkway Collection items available at Mast General Store locations. Visit the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation website, www.brpfoundation.org, for more information. Stop by your local outdoor outfitter for all the gear you need when you Take It Outside along the Blue Ridge Parkway.