This is one of the few if not the only lake on the blue ridge parkway! If I'm not mistaken the…read morelinville area is the only other water area. We stayed several weeks back during a holiday weekend (towards the end) all camp spots on the app were booked or closed due to dead trees and storms. We drove in and found a spot on the water side.. I'm impressed with these camping areas friendly folks and quiet!!!! Unbelievably quiet! Than once I realized you can walk around the WHOLE lake!! How cool is that! Just an awesome place! And we live here!!! I've drove by. I've drove through. I've dropped the kids for events here. But I've never experienced the park myself! I'm now hooked! You can be there and not really understand that there quite possibly is 1000's of people around you.. not really noticeable.. pretty awesome.. there's places to go and not far from you where there will be nobody! It's quite amazing!! I like to feel alone and this place works!!! Campsites are perfectly private and spaced as such! Love this place!

On our way to the top for leaf peeping, we stopped here for a bit and enjoyed the scenery. Located…read moreat milepost 297 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the part encompasses over 4200 acres of rolling mountainous terrain that include campgrounds, hiking trails, picnic sites and Price Lake. The highlight is the Tanawha Trail that runs 13.5 miles and includes Grandfather Mountain. There are canoes available for rental and the lake is stocked with fish. This time of year with the leaves turning, it was a beautiful spot and we enjoyed our time here. Five stars. [Review 15917 overall - 3132 in North Carolina - 1422 of 2021.]

Beautiful park in the heart of Blowing Rock's downtown area. The space is well maintained with…read moregardens, tennis and basketball courts and even a large playground to let your kids run around and burn off some energy. I was very impressed by the playground, rather than dirt or mulch, the entire space is finished with a rubberized ground cover, with a good bit of spring and cushion to it, offering a soft landing spot for any kids that fall. There is also a large public restroom, which was clean and well maintained. Bravo on the well maintained public space!

This is a lovely little park along Main Street in Blowing Rock - well maintained, and includes a…read morecouple nice sitting areas, a playground, and a covered gazebo-type space with multiple benches. The building along the side (which contains The Gifting Tree on the outer wall) includes restrooms as well. While the park isn't especially large, it's feels proportional to the area... and it's a great place for people watching, passing through, or taking a moment to relax. Lovely and highly recommended.

About 1.6mi to the end of the trail. Do you need hiking shoe, not really unless the ground is wet…read more There are a lot of rocks so when it is wet you can slip and fall. The are muddy spot too but you can walk around it carefully. Another thing is there are about 500' of elevation change so hiking back to the parking lot will raise your heart rate. These are all the caution I can think off. Now the views, yes it is not a big waterfall but still nice. Glen Marie fall you can walk next to it if water flow is not too heavy. Trails are clean which is good, meaning people pick up after themselves. If you can't find start point, just drive slow on Laurel lane and you will see a small sign for parking.

Beautiful!!!! The falls were so fun. I loved seeing them. Also, this is a really convenient…read morelocation (so close to downtown blowing rock!) and it was not very crowded. This might be a difficult hike, though. If you want to get all the way to the falls, there is a lot of elevation change. It's tiring! We also saw a snake on one of the bridges and had to be extra careful to cross without disturbing the snake.

Tourist trap by some accounts, but we enjoyed the visit on this beautiful fall day. Great for…read morefamilies. Fee is $12 a person, $10 seniors. Don't remember kids price. Great grounds to wander. Do not recommend wheelchairs or walkers. There are uneven walking trails for further exploring the grounds or just stay on main level of paths. I'm glad I visited. Its off my 'bucket list'. Be sure to walk through the gem building and gallery to view history, folklore, and other memorabilia of the area. Turtle pond and floral were beautiful. Simple enjoyment of nature. Colors were starting to come in at this elevation.

We traveled to Blowing Rock, NC to visit friends and to explore the area - what I didn't know is…read morethat our friends live only a few hundred yards from this beautiful marvel in a cliff side home over-looking the beautiful valley below. The Blowing Rock itself is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea-level overhanging John's River Gorge 3,000 feet below. I've read the legends of this rock and my friends have told me during the winter storms the snow blows upward from the cliffs and from their back porch the snow rises from the valley and appears to fall upward. The air currents that flow upward prompted scientists to surmise this location is "the only place in the world where snow falls upside down". I climbed up the blowing rock that protrudes over the valley to get the best view possible and felt the breeze rising upward, it was pretty cool while a little unnerving at the same time, I admit it was a crawl to the very edge and not a place I felt comfortable standing it's very steep and treacherous in my opinion. The entire facility is well maintained and the staff here was very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a snack bar with outdoor tables and a nice gift shop. On the day we arrived there were several artists with their canvases painting the blowing rock and backdrop. There's plenty of parking and as beautiful as it is I think allowing less than an hour here is more than enough time to see it all and explore the observation platform and hiking trails...

Blowing Rock really has a lot going for it, from the busy downtown scene with restaurants, shops,…read moreboutiques, sweets, breweries, fine dining, you name it. And then just a 15min walk (or 2 minute car ride) from downtown, Bass Lake is right there for your hiking pleasure. The lake itself is serene with great views from the circumferential hiking path around it. But it doesn't end there. Miles and miles of trails break off from the main lake for a longer outdoor experience. Plenty of parking with clean bathrooms at the main parking area. This is perfect for a shorter stroll around the lake, or a day's adventure across the many trails leading from here.

Great park to go for a walk. I bet they have hiking trails also but I have never been on those. We…read morejust stick to the path around the lake which is an easy walk and gorgeous everywhere you look. They have signs about the different fish in the lake so I believe you can fish there although I've not seen anyone fishing yet. Definitely worth checking out if you're on the area.

About the best I can say for this overlook is that there is plenty of parking. The views from this…read moreone were poor with too many high trees blocking any view of the valley. There is a small trailhead if you want to take the train down to Bass Lake or such. There was no trash and no trash cans. The curb is high enough to keep you from accidentally doing something dumb with your car. There is a short loop off the Blue Ridge Parkway here, so that's going to cut down the noise and traffic just a little, but they do tend to whip around that bend rather quickly so watch out. Note that this overlook is completely separate from the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park as it is about 3/4 of a mile to the east. [Review 15916 overall - 3131 in North Carolina - 1421 of 2021.]

Located at the intersection of Skyland View Drive and US-321, this marker recalls the place where…read morean educator had an impact on the local community. The marker reads, "Emily Prudden, 1832-1917. Missionary. Founded 15 western N.C. schools including Pfeiffer College forerunner. Her Skyland Institute stood here." Online, there is more information. "Few educators were better known in western North Carolina at the turn of the century than Miss Emily C. Prudden (1832-1917). In his eulogy Congregational minister George Dickerman estimated that no less than 10,000 students had passed through her schools." "Prudden was one among many "Yankee schoolmarms" who came South in the late nineteenth century. At age fifty-one, she left her native Connecticut, where she had raised her late sister's orphaned children, to serve as housemother at Brainerd Institute in Chester, South Carolina. Her accomplishments over the next thirty years were all the more remarkable in light of the fact that from the age of seventeen she was deaf. She began her work in North Carolina in 1884 when she acquired fifty acres at All Healing Springs in Gaston County. Her school there was known in time as Jones Seminary and later as Linwood College. In 1888, she established Lincoln Academy nearby for black females. From this beginning she went on to found schools at Blowing Rock, Connelly Springs, Saluda, Elk Park (one white, one black), Mill Springs, Cedar Valley, Lawndale, Brevard, Tryon, and near Lenoir. This last one was her greatest success. Oberlin Home and School, transferred to the care of the Woman's Home Missionary Society in 1903, was the direct forerunner of Pfeiffer University at Misenheimer." "The strategy she followed at Oberlin was the one she used elsewhere: to establish a school and, after a few years, transfer control to an organization (usually religious and most often the American Missionary Association) better able financially than she to keep it going. Consequently Prudden usually did not stay in one community more than two or three years. Upon retirement in 1909 she returned to Blowing Rock, site of her Skyland Institute founded in 1887. Prudden's body was returned to Connecticut for burial. The site of Skyland Institute and her home is now the location of a condominium complex." [Review 15910 overall - 3126 in North Carolina - 1415 of 2021.]

Wonderful location in downtown Lenoir to bring your sweet fur baby to play. They have a selection…read moreof beer (and other non-alcoholic beverages) to enjoy while you watch your dog enjoy their play time indoor (as well as outdoor) with other patrons and their dogs. They are also part of the social district which means you can take your drinks with you! They have an agility course for dogs, even a ball pit, and pools are located outside. Everyone is super friendly and they also have a few other dog related items for sale such as buddy budder, lick mats and even a dog beer called Tailwaggers. How cute is that!?!?! They offer training, dog nail trims and do fun crafts. Give them a visit, you won't be disappointed when you see how much your dog enjoys running around.

From the owner: Barks and Rec Play Park specializes in: Dog Park, Dog Socialization, Dog Training, Pet Photography,…read moreDog Bar, Dog Obstacle Course, agility, Dog Beer, Dog Products