Took the trail from Dennis Cove rd. Beautiful well maintained trail. Fairly moderate until the…read morefinal climb down. Very steep but plenty of places to rest. Definitely one of my favorite waterfalls hikes yet.

An amazing place with a lot of tiny trails on the side. Great for photography and even just to…read morerelax.

DO NOT VISIT THIS PARK IN A RV or LARGE VEHICLE! We came from Boone which from our Google map said…read more23 minutes or 5 miles. The road to park is very steep in sections and has two (2) hairpin turns not designed for large heavy vehicles. When we got to the state park, at what felt like the top of the mountain, the only thing we saw were a dozen or so new picnic tables surrounded by a field of leafless trees ~ mid April. Very disappointed to say the least. IMPORTANT: On the way back down to Boone our brakes started to fail at about an .08 of the way down and we had the pull over and let them cool down for 45 minutes to let them stop smoking. This was a very scary experience and a poor decision to visit. Absolutely would not recommend this experience in any car or in an RV!!! Hope this helps someone.

Well marked trails in a beautiful clean natural environment. Easy to find state park just 11 miles…read morenorth of Boone. There is no park entry fee. Signage and way finding are very good. There are 5.5 miles of trails. To the summit seems a straight uphill climb. You need to have good shoes on and be somewhat in shape. The view is supposedly spectacular. Our party didn't make it, we took a flatter trail. There is a Junior Ranger Program and an interesting hiking guide to search for fungi. Picnic areas are available. There is a fee to camp. Dogs on leashes are welcome to outside areas, but not inside buildings.

We were looking for a place to go hiking where we could see good fall colors. We found a guide that…read moresaid this would be the perfect elevation for the weekend we wanted to go. There isn't much parking, maybe 5-10 spots, but tons of cars park along the road. The last few miles to get there is a bumpy gravel road. I had read that it was a 1.5 mile round trip hike, but it ended up being around 2.3 miles. It was a pretty short hike to the summit, but it was a decent climb. It's not marked all that well. At the first split, take a left. There is a sign that points you back to the parking lot which you can use in reverse to figure out which way the summit must be. There's another split close to the top. We were told that both ways will take you to the summit with the left being shorter and steeper. The views at the summit are breathtaking. You can get a view from the left side, but the actual summit is to the right. You can get 360 degree views that are stunning. It was incredibly windy at the summit. The hike up wasn't because of the trees blocking it, but it felt like you might get blown off the summit. We were a little disappointed because the views were still almost completely green, but leaves changing is probably happening a lot later than normal this year because of the warm weather. You can also drive a couple of miles down the road and hike to the Table Rock summit. We decided to call it a day after Hawksbill, but might come back another time. If you're looking for a short hike with awesome views, I would highly recommend this one!

What a gem this mountain is. The summit is gorgeous and plateaus in a really unique way. The view…read moreat sunset is breathtaking and there are a few areas to set up and camp. Not a lot of parking at the bottom on the dirt road so be prepared to park by the roadside.

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.

Beautiful and Serene Park…read more This park is located in the Cherokee National Forest. My Harley-Loving husband takes us here all the time, he has a ride he calls the Watuaga Lake Loop. It is a great ride in the hotter months because of the higher elevations. For him, it is a great ride through both the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests just getting to this lake. I love the ride because I love the water views with the mountains in the background at this lake. I have posted a couple of photos. There are actually a few parks around this lake however this particular one seems especially nice. I have seen small boats on this lake but never noticed any water sports such has water skiing. I imagine the water is probably too cold for that even in the summer. So that being said, it is a very quiet lake. We love boating also and are considering a pontoon for this lake. The park has the basics -- restrooms and picnic tables. We generally just stop for a picnic lunch. Cannot beat the views for lunch. I recommend this park for a picnic, or a solitary quiet time, or a romantic day trip to just name a few suggestions.

Area is amazing. Views are spectacular.read more

This is definitely worth the hike if you're a local or an out of town put this in your GPS pack you…read morea little cooler and some snacks and enjoy the outdoors at its best. Fun fact for you, Do you know the origin of Unicoi!??

Definitely not for babies or kids under 5 I'd say. Also not really for beginners as it ends up…read moregoing straight up the side of the mountain. Took our group about six hours round trip. But it was definitely worth it. Little waterfalls all the way up the trail to the big one.

Favorite trail on the blue ridge parkway! We love this hike. It's steep and rewarding. Single file…read morein most places, but offering gorgeous vistas from flat stone outcroppings. Not too long, with good parking availability. We have seen families with children and seniors hiking this trail, but I would still rate the difficulty fairly high for this region if you go all the way to the top.

Such a gorgeous reveal at the end of the trail. See Grandfather mountain in the left split and…read moreeverything else on the right. Seemed like an ideal spot for a picnic. I could have spent a long time just enjoying the views. The hike up was lovely. Will definitely do this hike again. Would be bonkers to see in the fall. Also rewarding if the rhododendrons are blooming. We really loved the trail.

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.