Trails We Took in September

Trail Length: 0.7 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Surface: narrow gravel path with some natural terrain and stairs

Trail Use: hiking, leashed dogs ok

Blaze: N/A Trail marked with signage

Getting There:

Take Hwy 221 South towards Linville for about 1 mile. Turn right onto the Blue Ridge Parkway access ramp then turn right onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the signs for Flat Top Manor and Craft Shop. The turn will be a right less than a mile up the Parkway. It will lead you to a loop that offers parking for Flat Top Manor and Highland Craft Guild Store. Once you park you can take the stairs or the ramp down to the Manor House. From there, there are signs directing you to the Figure Eight Trail.

Trail Length: 2.2 Mile Loop

Difficulty: moderate to strenuous

Surface: natural with some gravel areas

Trail Use: walking, dog walking, bird watching

Blaze: N/A

Getting There:

From Blowing Rock, take US-321 towards Boone. Continue on US-321 for 1.9 miles then turn right onto Aho Rd. Go 0.2 miles on Aho Rd. and you will see the Blue Ridge Conservancy on your left and the turn for the trail is the next left. It has a clear parking area.

Trail Length: 1 Mile 2 out and back

Difficulty: Easy

Surface: Wide Paved Surface

Trail Use: Hiking, biking, leashed dogs ok

Blaze: N/A

Our walk along the trail was quiet and reflective. We did see a few people, but mostly we were alone among the wildflowers and butterflies. Please remember to Leave No Trace and leave the wildflowers as they are, that way everyone can enjoy them! The trail wound around, following a river that we could hear babbling most of the hike. The trail was flat and easy to walk on. It is very obvious when you get to the end of the trail, then you turn around and walk back. The whole thing took us about 2 miles. 1 mile out and 1 mile back. On the way back we could hear the sounds of soccer practice coming from Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex, where the Appalachian FC play. As you are reapproaching the loop, you can either go back the way you came, which is flat and handicapped accessible, or you can go to the right. The right has a steep incline and takes you to the parking lot level. However, many trees have grown roots that have pushed up the pavement here causing it to be difficult for wheelchairs and strollers. That is why I recommend going back the way you came.

Getting There:

From Blowing Rock, take HWY 321 into Boone and turn right onto Deerfield Rd. Take Deerfield Rd. for about a mile then turn left onto Wilson Ridge Rd. Continue about 1 mile then turn left onto Bamboo Rd. Continue on Bamboo Rd. for 1 mile then turn left at the light for US-221 S/ US-421 N. Go 450 ft. then take a right onto Brookshire Rd. Then Brookshire Park will be on your right.

Trail Length:  3.5 miles as a loop

Difficulty: Strenuous

Surface: mostly rocky and root-filled dirt trail

Trail Use: hiking, leashed pets ok

Blaze: multiple trails: white feather, white diamond, orange blaze, blue blaze

From the Boone Fork Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the path to the backcountry trailheads is relatively easy. A short connector trail provides access to Tanawha Trail, which we followed past a couple of minor junctions before crossing the footbridge and arriving at the hiker/camper registration kiosk. From there, the hike is another 0.4 miles or so past the Nuwati Trail junction to the start of Daniel Boone Scout Trail on the right. It’s marked by a white diamond or blaze. The steep steps at the trailhead set the expectation for this trail- it climbs steadily to the top of Grandfather Mountain! The bottom half of the trail is the easier portion, a moderately strenuous hike over rocky inclines and through pine forest and thickets. Gnarled and winding pine roots are a consistent feature on the trail so the footing can be tricky at times. The trail opens up at the Daniel Boone Campsite after 1.3 miles. The site is blanketed in pine needles and multiple signs indicate trails and distances. This spot is also the junction of Cragway Trail, marked with an orange blaze. 

Cragway Trail is aptly named, a strenuous path that rises and drops over craggy boulders and rocks. On our late September hike, the wild blueberry bushes were starting to show vibrant red foliage. Top Crag View is found about halfway along the 1 mile trail, opening up to a wide vista of the Boone Fork Bowl. To the northeast, the view stretches over layers of blue ridges. From there, the journey is a steep path downhill to the junction of Nuwati Trail. We turned right to head back to Tanawha Trail. Nuwati is markedly different from the rest of this loop. The 0.6 miles back to the junction with Tanawha Trail is mostly flat and wide, making a great cool-down section. The loop closes at the next junction and a left turn took us back along Tanawha Trail to return to the parking area.

Getting There:

Boone Fork Overlook is located at milepost 299.9 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, about 6 miles south of Blowing Rock. If the Parkway is closed, access to Tanawha Trail is available via Asutsi Trail, which begins on U.S. 221 approximately 1.6 miles south of Holloway Mountain Road.

Looking Ahead

For October, we’ll continue exploring some great, varied trail options. We’ll be exploring the Boone United Trail, another portion of Tanawha Trail, and Valle Crucis Park Trail! See more about Year of the Trail in Blowing Rock >> There is also ongoing maintenance on the Parkway. To see if it will affect your hiking plans, see our page: Improvement Projects on the Blue Ridge Parkway.