An Under-The-Radar Scenic Trail In North Carolina Takes You Through Breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountain Views

With its vast network of highways and majestic landscapes, America has plenty of amazing scenic roads to delight drivers. However, only one road can be the best scenic drive in the country, and for yet another year, that honor goes to the magical Blue Ridge Parkway. As one of the most popular National Park Service sites — nearly 17 million visited in 2024 alone — the Parkway is America's favorite drive, especially when fall colors hit. 

Yet far from being just a scenic drive, the Parkway's 469-mile expanse through Virginia and North Carolina also passes some special parks and hiking trails. On the North Carolina side, one lesser-known hiking treasure is the challenging yet worthwhile Tanawha Trail. Like most of the extraordinary trails along the Parkway, this one is conveniently located right off the road, a mere two hours from both the Asheville Regional and Charlotte Douglas International Airports. 

The Tanawha Trail is unique among Blue Ridge Parkway hikes in that it showcases a distinctly diverse and complex range of the region's ecosystems. Even if you're not a botanist, you'll easily see that the trail's scenery is some of the most beautiful in the Blue Ridge Mountains. And to top it all off, the Tanawha Trail passes right under the shadow of the most acclaimed and picturesque mountains in North Carolina, culminating with a spectacular viewpoint that matches any in Appalachia. 

Even with stiff competition within the ancient Blue Ridge Mountains, the Tanawha Trail exudes a particularly memorable type of beauty. Although the trail is just 13 miles long, it encompasses a diverse range of Blue Ridge ecosystems and climate zones, offering a tour of the vibrant biodiversity that makes the Blue Ridge Mountains one of the world's most important environments. During your hike, you'll encounter magical mountain heather forests, groves of spruce and hemlock, thickets of eye-catching mountain laurels and rhododendrons, and open mountain meadows. 

The trail also links several superb parks. Most hikers will begin the route in scenic Julian Price Memorial Park, a 4,200-acre recreational preserve next to Parkway Milepost 297. During this stretch of the hike, you can enjoy excellent mountain views from the shore of the 47-acre Price Lake. From there, the trail passes underneath prominent Blue Ridge peaks like Buck Knob and Ash Bearpen Knob, before concluding at the magnificent Beacon Heights (complete with several rocky outcrops that make excellent natural observation decks). 

However, the trail's defining attraction is undoubtedly the towering and distinctive profile of 5,946-foot-tall Grandfather Mountain. As one of the most famous mountains in the Blue Ridge, Grandfather Mountain is notable for its family-friendly summit park, adjacent state park, UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve, and the adrenaline-inducing Mile High Swinging Bridge — America's highest suspension footbridge. Since the Tanawha Trail passes along Grandfather Mountain's southern slope, hikers will get no shortage of amazing shots of the acclaimed mountain, with the option of visiting one of its many attractions.

Given its length and complex terrain, the Tanawha Trail is by no means the easiest hike in the region. Besides its 13-mile length, the trail also involves around 2,260 feet in elevation gain, with a few particularly strenuous sections up steep boulder walls to keep hikers on their toes — literally. The good news is that the trail has many access points, so hikers can limit themselves to the easier sections. Many of these sections have hiker-friendly infrastructure, including footbridges and steps. The average hiker should be able to complete the full route from Julian Price Memorial Park to Beacon Heights in about six to seven hours (not counting time for sightseeing and photography). 

While the most common route begins at Julian Price Memorial Park, hikers can also begin at the opposite end near Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 305.5. This section provides excellent views of Beacon Heights and the impressive Linn Cove Viaduct, without requiring the entire six-hour hike. The trail also has several convenient parking areas at Beacon Heights, Stack Rock, Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor Center, Wilson Creek Overlook, Rough Ridge Overlook, Boon Fork Overlook, Cold Prong Pond Overlook, and Price Lake Campground. 

Though you can complete the Tanawha Trail in one day, you also have the option of camping overnight at the Julian Price Campground next to Price Lake, or the backcountry campsites in Grandfather Mountain State Park. Just 20 minutes away from Julian Price Memorial Park is North Carolina's artsy Asheville-alternative mountain town of Boone. Boone offers plenty of fun attractions and top lodging options to complement an invigorating hike along the Tanawha Trail.