Blue Ridge Parkway- Tanawha Trail

Traveling North on the Blue Ridge Parkway the Tanawha Trail begins at the Beacon Heights Parking Area. The parking area is at the 305 mileposts

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The Tanawha Trail is everything I expected from mountain hiking. Gypsy and I climb, up, down, and between rocks. We were inches from steep drop-offs!

Where there are streams, there's going to be bridges. We walked on large and small bridges, some rather dull and others more elaborate in designed. 

 Like the bridges, the streams came in all sizes. Many were large swift cascading creeks, and some were little tributaries that could be stepped over.

The most spectacular mountain views were on Rough Ridge.  From the Parking area, it is a 1/3-mile hike to the observation platform. Here at 4773-feet you can see Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct.

870-feet North of Linn Cove we were crossing under the Linn Cove Viaduct.  The viaduct is an innovative bridge that skirts around a mountain ridge.

I am driving over the Linn Cove Viaduct on my way back to the motel. A storm was beginning to roll in, and the viaduct was just starting to be engulfed in the fog.

Blue Ridge Parkway- Crabtree Falls Loop Trail

Crabtree Falls Loop Trail is labeled "strenuous" not only because of the rocky trail but because of the 580-foot elevation gain. The elevation gain seems to come all at once on the return hike back.

When I reached the steps, I could hear the rush of the plunging water from the 60-foot waterfall. 

The two best view of the falls is from the bridge that crosses Crabtree Creek, or up at the top of the stone stairs.

The hike to the falls may have been rocky, at least it was downhill. Finishing the loop starts out climbing rock stairs then a narrow footpath that has a serious incline for a couple thousand yards.

A rock wall was built (I'm guessing) to keep the trail from washing away. There is a severe drop-off over the wall.

There is nothing more peaceful than closing your eyes and listening to the babble of the creek.

Blue Ridge Parkway- Price Lake

At the parking lot, this sign gives you the history of how Price Lake Park came into existence.

A strange sight considering it was still August.

 A beautiful view is looking over the lake with the mountains in the background. 

Along the backside of the lake, you have a boardwalk that goes through a swampy area.

The view from the boardwalk bridge that crosses the Laurel Creek.

About a third of the way along the North shore of the lake, I encountered this boulder that looks (to me) like a large snakehead.

On the Northwest side of the lake, there is a campground that I hike through. The trail becomes a narrow asphalt path. 

A bridge over the Cold Prong Creek a quarter mile from the campground.

Shelf mushrooms on a tree trunk.

The damned up Boone Fork Creek is what creates Price Lake. This view is looking at the creek from the other side of the dam.

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area-Summit, Rhododendron and Lost Province Trails

     

The view from Mt. Jefferson at an elevation of 4683 feet.

 Informative signs are throughout the nature areas. This sign tells all about the Rhododendron flower and its leaves. 

It's no accident the Rhododendron Trail has its name. Catawba Rhododendrons were everywhere. I came (by accident) at the right time in early June when the Rhododendrons was in full bloom.

 A unique portion of the Rhododendron Trail.

A short distance beyond where the Rhododendron Trail and the Lost Province meet there is Luther Rock. It is a rugged trail that follows a ridge that is only 40-feet wide in some places. There are some impressive views upon this 4000-foot piece of rock.

The hike back we took the Lost Province Trail.

Mountaintop views and Catawba Rhododendrons everywhere I looked made the Jefferson State Natural Area worth the 108-mile drive.