Top 10 Quick Hikes on the Parkway
for 2010
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway by exploring some of its 100 hiking trails. There’s a big variety of hikes, ranging from easy strolls to strenuous climbs. Since finding the perfect day hike that offers plenty of mountain scenery can be a challenge, we created the Top 10 Quick Parkway Hikes. All of these hiking trails are easy to find and less than four miles, while providing plenty of reward for all fitness levels.
For a full page guide with photos of each hike, click the links. These hikes are located at various spots along a 120-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, starting from the north near Grandfather Mountain and working south:
1. Rough Ridge: This unique hike offers plenty of viewpoints and a wooden boardwalk over fragile vegetation. The one-mile climb to the summit features many rock outcrops and views of Grandfather Mountain. Milepost 303
2. Beacon Heights: This one-mile roundtrip hike has a big pay-off with spectacular views from a smooth rock face. Milepost 305
3. Linville Falls: See five viewpoints of the most photographed waterfall in North Carolina via two trails that begin at the Visitors’ Center. Milepost 316
4. Crabtree Falls: A 2.5-mile easy loop trail takes you to a beautiful 70-foot waterfall. Milepost 340
5. Mt. Mitchell: The best hike at Mount Mitchell is the Deep Gap Trail to Mt. Craig (the second highest peak in Eastern USA). The two-mile roundtrip hike through a lush forest includes a good bit of climbing, but it is not overly strenuous. Milepost 355
6. Craggy Gardens: There are two great, easy hikes here. The 1.5-roundtrip trail to the top of Craggy Pinnacle Trail provides exceptional 360-degree mountain views. The Craggy Gardens Trail crosses a rhododendron bald. Milepost 364
7. Mt. Pisgah: The popular three-mile roundtrip trail to the 5,721-foot summit is strenuous. Milepost 407
8. Graveyard Fields: This very popular hiking spot features two waterfalls in a mild-high valley filled with wildflowers and surrounded by Blue Ridge Mountains with 6,000-foot peaks. Milepost 419
9. Black Balsam Knob: For sweeping 360-degree views that lasts for miles along a trail, roam the bald mountaintops. Milepost 420
10. Devil's Courthouse: This short but strenuous trail climbs a half mile to the peak for panoramic views from the 5,720-foot peak. Milepost 422
Top 10 Stops Along the Blue Ridge Parkway for 2010 |