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    Moses H Cone Memorial Park

    5.0 (13 reviews)

    Moses H Cone Memorial Park Photos

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    Jason G.

    I've been here a couple times. it's a really cool stop for tourists. Take time to tour the mansion. And be sure to get onto the trail that leads up to the tower. It's about a 5 mile hike round-trip. This place has some gorgeous views and is great for picture taking. When I had gone into the mansion the staff seemed extremely helpful. P.S. the mansion is closed during the pandemic

    Amazing waterfalls
    Joe D.

    Wow! Aside from the manor house, built by Moses Cone, the 19th and 20th Century supplier for Levi Strauss denim from his North Carolina Mills, the series of trails and parks his heirs left to the state are truly fantastic. The particular trail we hiked yesterday, the Glen Burney Trail, was truly pretty amazing. It starts next to the main street of the cool, art-sy town of Blowing Rock, is moderately challenging and is astoundingly beautiful. We hiked with our friends Laura and Carole, but forgot the hiking poles even though it had rained and was a little slippery. The element of danger with the sheer drops off granite cliffs was my fault (LOL), but the park and trail were pretty amazing. The rewards of the hike are the gorgeous waterfalls and rocky outcroppings at every twist and turn. The hike is moderate exertion but doable. Everyone is remarkably friendly and full of advice (go right to see the best view of the waterfall, etc), and I've never seen so many adorable dogs in one spot. The best part aside from the vistas? It's absolutely free, including parking in a parking deck clad with fieldstone so it fits right in with the landscape. The truly bizarre part? Until the 1920s / 1930s this was the sewage treatment and runoff plant for the town of Blowing Rock: it's definitely a testament to how nature can correct mankind's bad decisions. The small plant is now a romantic stone ruin, but you get the idea of what it must have been like, with a giant old pipe that opened into the downhill end, right into the pristine mountain stream... : )

    Moses Cone Manor
    Robbie C.

    Located off the Blue Ridge Parkway, the manor and grounds are free to explore and hike. There are 25 miles of hiking paths, some shared by horses and horse drawn carriages. Really spectacular views and the main trail from the house is paved. We arrived after the manor was closed but very glad the bathroom was open til dusk.

    Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
    Evan G.

    Moses H. Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock is a beautiful and well maintained park with great views and trails. I like the history and the story of the house and the park. This is well worth a stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the view alone and much more.

    Moses Cone house (under renovation 4/2021).

    This is a beautiful trail to walk. Bass Lake is just gorgeous and I'd love to go again if I were in the area. The only drawback is the horse droppings, on most trails, but it doesn't take away from the beauty.

    View of Bass Lake from the Manor.

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    Free and fun. Great walk for the family. You can bring your dog which is a plus for us dog moms and dads.

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    Ask the Community - Moses H Cone Memorial Park

    Is there an option to rent a carriage ride for 4 (plus need a driver)?

    https://www.carriageruncarriageservice.com offers carriage rides at the manor

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Moses H Cone Memorial Park

    Cone Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock is a beautiful and well maintained park with great views and trails.

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    The Blowing Rock

    The Blowing Rock

    3.1(67 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    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...

    I went here for the penny, I have to admit but I'm glad that I did. The views are stunning from the…read moreobservation area. It was beyond foggy the day we went, they warned us before we paid but I wanted to press on. The gift shop is nice and has literally something for everyone. The properly has 3 kitties roaming around. The rock itself is sorta a gimmick but the story behind it is full of culture and myth. The property is VERY well maintained and beautiful. There is a small cafe/snack shop halfway to the observation tower. There are some stars but also a ramp. There is a view finder for a few quarters on the deck you can make use of. The paths are short and this place is pretty accessible. I really liked the gem room too it was very interesting, there is also a tiny museum with some history and artifacts. Blowing rock is pet friendly!!

    Photos
    The Blowing Rock
    The Blowing Rock
    The Blowing Rock

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    Murray's Mill Historic Site

    Murray's Mill Historic Site

    4.5(6 reviews)
    46.4 mi

    Murray's Mill is easy to find from I-40. The gristmill was built in 1913 and the Murray & Minges…read morestore from the 1890s is also open. When you arrive, find a spot to park on either side of the street. Then go into the Murray & Minges General Store to pay for your self-guided tour. You will receive a binder to read through of the history and photos of the equipment and what it does. You can tour all three levels of the mill as there are stairs to the top floor and stairs to the basement. The mill used the barter system to grind wheat and corn. The water wheel is 28 foot high and 4 foot wide. the buckets on it have rusted so they are raising money for the needed repairs. The water wheel is attached by a shaft to a gear on the wall and powers everything in the mill except the lights. The mill is still operational and grinds on the 3rd Sunday of the month when it is warm enough. The stones weigh 2400 pounds and were used to cut corn and wheat. Leather belts were used and were pieced together to make them long enough. They could make 300 pounds of flour an hour which was much less than what modern mills could produce. 10 sets of pins are needed to make flour and roller mills are used to crush the wheat. Each screen has an elevator and each set basically sifts the flour to get it to where it needs to be. Making flour creates a white dust and that dust is explosive. If you are looking for a historic mill to visit this one is a great one to visit and learn how the mill operated.

    A fun historical site, preserved so well & well worth the $7. Remarkable how industrious & sharp…read morethis family was. From a time when attention to detail was valued, all the chutes are made of wood with beveled edges & beadwork because...some of it is furniture quality. Pay your way & get the 3-ring binder of pics/info & step back in time. This is the heartbeat of America. "1965-1966 - Lloyd & brother Ernest run the milling operation by themselves to cut cost. In 1966 Lloyd let Ernest go & ran the whole mill on his own. Ernest went to work for Southern Furniture. 1967 - The mill closes due to government taxing. In 1964, the federal government levied a grain tariff that heavily taxed corn & wheat. Small mills were put out of business by larger industrial mills. Lloyd Murray had been working by himself for the last year, he locked up the mill & went home for the last time. He goes to work for Pinnacle Furniture Company. 1980/81 - With help from NC Preservation Fund & Stewart Family, the Catawba County Historical Assoc. purchases Murray's Mill, the General Store, & the Wheathouse for $68,000. 1982 - John Murray dies one month shy of his 105* birthday. At the time he had 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, & 3 great-great-grandchildren. 1986 - Murray & Minges General Store reopens to the public. 1988, April 30 - Murray's Mill reopens to the public after a $2M restoration". That's just a taste of the recent info, go get a history lesson...wheel is still in the process of being replaced

    Photos
    Murray's Mill Historic Site - Taking a Group Shot

    Taking a Group Shot

    Murray's Mill Historic Site
    Murray's Mill Historic Site

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    Grandfather Mountain - Wilson Discovery Center

    Grandfather Mountain

    4.3(255 reviews)
    8.6 mi

    Despite the colder than expected weather and the wind, my wife and I had a great time exploring…read moreGrandfather Mountain. The park is so nicely maintained, well mark, and cleared hiking trails for all skill levels. The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is an amazing add on with so much fun, and educational info for all ages. The Wilson center also has a cafe, offering reasonably priced "ball park" cuisine, well maintained bathrooms and a souvenir shop. Next to the Wilson Center is the Mildred The Bear Environmental Habitats where you can get up close and learn about some of the species that call this area home. Consider it a miniature zoo with habitats for some animals needing rehab. We were able to see some bears, bald eagles, river otters, and elk, OH MY! Each area had signs posted for ranger talks, which we caught for the river otters. They tell you about the animals, and and answer any questions people have. After exploring the Wilson Center and habitats, we continued our trek up on the mountain to the swing bridge, and that's when the wind really kicked in...with wind gusts, the temp dropped quickly, with a wind chill of -9degrees, but we trudged on, and made the most of it. In the end, we had a great time, and look forward to returning to explore more of the trails. Based on other reviews, some may feel that the $35 ticket price per person may be a bit much at the main entry, but it's a small cost of maintaining such an amazing resource. If you enjoy being outside, hiking, and exploring, this is a must visit NC destination

    Nice park and mountain, but $37 PER PERSON? With NO…read moresignage/pricing posted anywhere ... yikes I could understand for something like Yosemite or Yellowstone, but just a state park ...tough pill to swallow especially when it's not posted anywhere. I was planning to hike with some friends and we were going to start at one of the other lots but the roads were closed leaving us no choice but to enter the park. I really just wish the pricing/fees were posted somewhere-anywhere- because they weren't online or on the park signs out front. Had to pull up to the gate/window and even then the park ranger seemed to want to withhold that information as long as possible. The actual park is beautiful and well maintained- and you do get an audio guide plus map upon entry. But the lack of transparency here is a hard no for me. @azfitfoodfun

    Photos
    Grandfather Mountain - Exploring the Wilson Center

    Exploring the Wilson Center

    Grandfather Mountain
    Grandfather Mountain - Mile high bridge

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    Mile high bridge

    Moses H Cone Memorial Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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