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 As one of the most popular National Park Service sites —  — the Parkway is America's favorite drive, especially when fall colors hit. 

Yet far from being just a scenic drive, 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  Like most of the extraordinary trails along the Parkway, this one is conveniently located right off the road, a mere two hours from both and  

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 Tanawha Trail exudes a particularly memorable type of beauty. Although the trail is just 13 miles long, it encompasses a 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 a  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 and before concluding at the magnificent (complete with that make excellent natural observation decks). 

However, the trail's defining attraction is undoubtedly of As one of the most famous mountains in the Blue Ridge, Grandfather Mountain is notable for its 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 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 with a few particularly strenuous sections up steep boulder walls to keep hikers on their toes — literally. The good news is that 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 (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 This section provides excellent views of Beacon Heights and without requiring the entire six-hour hike. The trail also has 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 next to Price Lake, or t Just is North Carolina's artsy Asheville-alternative mountain town of Boone. and to complement an invigorating hike along the Tanawha Trail.