25 Hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway that you’ll absolutely love

There are more than a hundred hikes along the Blue Ridge Parkway. After hiking most of them, we’re sharing the very best can’t-miss hikes for your next Parkway trip. These hikes are the best of the best with gorgeous waterfall, wide open mountain views, and cabins trapped in time.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is home to history, striking overlooks, beautiful forests, and miles of hiking trails. Those trails connect visitors to sights that are completely hidden from the roadway.

We’ve spent years hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway and we wanted to put together a list of our favorite day hikes on the parkway. All of these hikes were chosen for the amazing views, rich history, or unparalleled beauty. All are either directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway or connected to the parkway by a very short spur road.

Whether you love waterfalls, sweeping vistas, or reconnecting with the history of the area, these hikes are for you.

And while there are some waterfalls on this list, we also have another post completely dedicated to waterfalls near the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you love waterfalls like we do, it’s worth checking out because there are lots of beautiful waterfalls there that didn’t make it onto this list.

The hikes below are organized from north to south along the Parkway. Before you plan any visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway you should check the NPS website for closures.

Best Hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Virginia is home to some of the most iconic spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s true that the highest mountains along the parkway are in North Carolina, but there is still much to look forward to in the Old Dominion.

Peaks of Otter is the highlight along the parkway in Virginia. One detour you may want to consider if you are visiting is taking in some of the awesome hikes near Roanoke.

Late October is the best time to visit because Virginia is blanked in deciduous trees, unlike the higher elevation mountains in North Carolina.

Humpback Rocks

Humpback Rocks is named after the rocky fin diagonally thrusting out of the ground and has one of the most dramatic views on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The hike to the rocks is steep, but the view from the top is amazing.

If you park at the visitor center, you’ll also get to explore a historic farm situated at the beginning of the hike.

This is an incredible hike with both stunning views and historical landmarks to explore.

Indian Rock Gap

Indian Rock Gap is one of the lesser known spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s one of our favorite quick stops on the parkway and our kids absolutely love visiting.

A short trail leads to these huge boulders hidden in the woods. The area around the rocks is easy to navigate and if you don’t want to scramble on the rocks, you can just enjoy walking around the area. As you explore, you’ll find short tunnels and a few other secret places.

Otter Creek Loop

Otter Creek is the lowest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway at 670 feet. The trail at Otter Creek goes around Otter Lake and has a man made waterfall on the western edge.

You don’t have to hike around Otter Lake to really enjoy this stop, but if you do the hike is easy and pleasant. Despite being a popular overlook to stop at, few people hike the trail.

There are multiple trails available from this overlook. The best is a trail that connects the Otter Creek trail to the James River Water Gap. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the James River but it is an easy trail.

James River Water Gap

The James River Visitor center is at the parking area for the James River Water Gap. There are a few trails that leave from the visitor center. The most interesting is the walk across the James River Bridge to an old river lock.

Aside from some stairs, the walk is very easy. You can enjoy relaxing near the river and investigating the archaic infrastructure.

This is also one of our favorite picnic areas. The picnic tables are spread out and it gives our kids plenty of space to run around after they eat.

Apple Orchard Falls

Apple Orchard Falls is one of our favorite hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. The hike to the 200 foot waterfall is steep. You’ll be hiking down to the waterfall so it’s easy to get to but tough climb out.

In addition to the towering waterfall, there is a second small waterfall you can splash in and beautiful mountain views. This is an incredible hike.

Johnson Family Farm

Johnson Family Farm is part of the Peaks of Otter area and leaves from the visitor center. While you’re there, I recommend spending some time in the visitor center. They have a lot of great information about the historic community that once lived there.

The hike to Johnson Family Farm is fairly easy and eventually reaches the historic homestead. Seasonally there are volunteers that work the surrounding gardens and are eager story tellers.

Sharp Top

Sharp Top is the most famous hike at Peaks of Otter and while it is short, it’s tough. All of your elevation gain is in the first mile and half. If you don’t want to tackle the entire trail, you can pay for a bus ride that lets you skip most of the hike.

Even though it’s work to reach the top, it’s worth it for the view. The rocky peak is the perfect perch for huge views. Abbott Lake looks like a tiny pool from the top and the surrounding mountains are stunning. Visiting during late October will take your breath away!

Smartview Loop

The Smartview Loop is a great trail if you love mountain views. The trail runs along a sloping mountain and past a historic cabin. The view from the cabin is beautiful but it’s not the only view.

You can also park near the cabin and avoid the hike, but you get so many more views if you take the hike.

Rock Castle Gorge

Rock Castle Gorge is a hike down to the valley along Rock Castle Creek. The hike is a combination of sweeping views, steep climbs, and calming waters. It begins on the rim of a huge gorge and descends to the gorge floor.

There are a couple options for hiking Rock Castle Gorge whether you want to hike the entire trail or just certain sections of it. If you are here for the views, you can park at either The Saddle (Milepost 168) or Rock Castle Gorge Overlook (Milepost 168.8) and just walk between them. The trip out and back is a bit less than 2 miles and elevation gain is around 100 feet.

If you complete the entire hike, between the distance and climbs in and out of the valley this is the toughest hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. After you finish, you will feel like you accomplished something.

Hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

The Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina are incredible. Beginning at Cumberland Knob, the plateau region of the parkway ends and you enter the highlands region. The mountains are a bit higher and some of the best mountain towns are here.

The Pisgah region begins near Craggy Gardens, mountains here have resisted modern progress and still hold primordial beauty. Many of the best overlook, hikes, and waterfalls in the eastern U.S. are in this stretch of mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway ends at the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

There are a lot of amazing hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. As you near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park you will be tempted to stop at every overlook because of the rugged beauty. Don’t resist the temptation.

Gully Creek Trail Loop

Gully Creek Trail Loop is at the Cumberland Knob Recreation Area. The hike is relatively short and strenuous. As a reward for your hard work, you reach a small waterfall and get to walk along the Gully Creek for a portion of the hike.

If you aren’t up for a tough hike, you may want to skip this one.

Cascade Falls

Cascade Falls is a beautiful, quick hike that is absolutely worth doing any time you are in the area. The hike is a short one mile loop down to the waterfall. Overall, this is an easy hike, but there are quite a few stone steps you need to take to get to the actual waterfall overlooks.

The hike takes you to two separate viewing platforms and each offers a different view of this tall, cascading waterfall. Back at the parking lot, after the hike, there are several picnic tables arranged with stunning views of the mountains as well as bathrooms. There’s also a second one mile hike you can take from the parking lot to an old log cabin and log church if you have a little extra time.

Moses H. Cone Park

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is the site of a beautiful historic home and miles of walking paths and carriage trails. It is one of the best spots to stop and explore with kids. Our favorite is the Trout Lake Carriage Trail.

The trail winds through the property and for about half of the walk you’ll be beside Trout Lake. Lakes with mountains in the background always gets my vote.

You can also take guided tours of the massive home when you visit. This is one of those rare places where you can hike and use a stroller.

Price Lake

Price Lake is in Julian Price Memorial Park and is a great place to stop for relaxing. You can rent a kayak or canoe at the park and enjoy being on the water or walk around the entire lake.

This is one of the best areas to spend a lazy afternoon. The hike around the lake is a bit more than two miles, but there is almost no elevation gain making it a great place for what I call nature walking. It’s sort of a slow wandering along a trail to see what you see.

Rough Ridge

Rough Ridge is at the top of our list for favorite hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The short hike is steep in certain sections but the overlook at the top is amazing, and not just amazing for the parkway, amazing for anywhere.

Near the top there is a huge rock fin with a boardwalk system built across it. There are a few spots where you stand above the surrounding area. I love overlooks like this because you get a bird’s eye view of the land.

Beacon Heights

Beacon Heights is a short but awesome trail. There are some similarities with view from Rough Ridge but it lacks the strenuous hike to reach. And there are two incredible overlooks.

Both overlooks are on enormous bare stone. This is the best leg stretcher length hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Tanawha Trail

The Tanawha Trail is a long trail that begins at Julian Price Park and ends at Beacon Heights. Several of the previous hikes mentioned are along the Tanawha Trail.

If you love long hikes, you will love this hike because there is a lot to see. You may want to have a friend drive separately so you can park one vehicle at Julian Price Park and one at Beacon Heights and not have to backtrack.

At around 13 miles this is fairly long for a day hike but this is an amazing stretch of mountains. Before you rule out the hike because of the distance, consider the elevation gain over that distance. It isn’t that terrible, it’s more just a long hike.

It took about five and a half hours for me to hike from Beacon Heights to Price Lake where we were camping and I didn’t feel nearly as tired as I expected.

Calloway Peak via Grandfather Trail

I debated on whether or not to put this trail on the list. It’s not directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it’s not free to enter. That’s two strikes. If it didn’t have one of the best trails I’ve ever been on, I wouldn’t have considered it. If paying a fee to hike is a no for you, then skip this one.

The hike to Calloway Peak is hard and technical, but it’s an adventure to an amazing overlook. Many years ago, this was the first time I had ever had to climb a ladder on a hike and one of the first times I rock scrambled.

If you want to have an adventure on your Blue Ridge Parkway trip, I can’t recommend this hike enough.

Flat Rock Trail

Flat Rock Trail is a very short, easy trail at just over half a mile round trip. Even though the trail is short, it’s an awesome sampler of some of the best of what the Blue Ridge Parkway has to offer – a peaceful walk through beautiful woods, exposed rocks with gorgeous mountain views, interpretive signs so you know what you are looking at, and plenty of blooming wildflowers in the right season. And you get all that wrapped up in a quick, easy hike. This is a fantastic hike for hikers of all levels including small children.

Linville Falls

Linville Falls is a powerful multitiered waterfall. There isn’t just one hike at Linville Falls; instead there is a trail system built around viewing the impressive waterfall. Here’s a quick description of the waterfall overlooks:

• Upper Falls Overlook – View of two small waterfalls above Linville Falls and Linville Falls directly above.
• Chimney View – Long view of upper two falls and Linville Falls.
• Erwin’s View Overlook – Long view of Linville Falls and into the Plunge Basin.
• Plunge Basin Overlook – Long side view of Linville Falls and Plunge Basin.
• Plunge Basin – View from the floor of Plunge Basin.

Hiking to the overlooks ranges from easy to very strenuous depending on which overlook you want to reach. Even if you decide to only visit the first overlook, you will have an amazing experience.

Upper Falls Overlook is pretty easy to reach and allows you to see the waterfall cutting through the rock up close. In contrast, the hike to Plunge Basin is incredibly steep but was my favorite overlook.

Crabtree Falls

Crabtree Falls is a tall and wide waterfall that launches off a rocky cliff and crashes to the rocks below. The viewing area feels like a natural amphitheater. The hike to Crabtree Falls is moderate with most of the difficultly coming immediately after reaching the waterfall.

Hiking to Crabtree Falls is a treat. If we could only visit one waterfall on the entire Blue Ridge Parkway this would be it.

Craggy Gardens

Craggy Gardens is an incredible hike – at the right time. What makes Craggy Gardens so awesome is the density of rhododendron and other flowering plants growing along the trail and the fantastic view at the end.

Spring is the best time to visit if you want to see the blooms but spring at 5500 feet is later than spring at 2500 feet. You’ll want to visit in June to see the flowers and even then, watch the weather. We had to visit twice on our last visit because thick fog was sitting on top of the mountain on our first try.

If you can’t visit during June, fear not, the view from Craggy Gardens is still amazing all year long.

Frying Pan Tower

Just a couple miles from Pisgah Inn you can find one of the few remaining fire towers you can still climb. This trail isn’t for the acrophobic, to get the best view you will climb nearly 70 feet up a steel fire tower.

You’ll have incredible views as you climb the fire tower even though access to the top platform is blocked. The surrounding mountains are some of the most pristine in the Blue Ridge.

Graveyard Fields

Graveyard Fields, named for the dead trees standing in the surrounding fields, is one of the most beautiful overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway for falls colors. Aside from the stunning vistas, you can hike to one or more of the waterfalls along the trail system that leaves from the parking area.

In our opinion, the hike to the lower falls is the best. You can look forward to a relatively easy hike with a spectacular waterfall overlook. There are a series of boardwalks and bridges that lead to the wide waterfall. It’s always worth visiting the waterfall, but even more so in October when the leaves change. Just be ready for crowds.

Black Balsam Knob

Black Balsam Knob is a high elevation bald. A bald is a grassy field on a mountain top which means you have amazing views. This hike is along a portion of the Art Loeb Trail. The section to Black Balsam Knob is short but the Art Loeb Trail stretches almost 32 miles.

On much of the hike, you will have 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains and it is breath-taking. Don’t be surprised if you gets chills when you reach the overlook.

Waterrock Knob

Waterrock Knob is our favorite overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The overlook is a mesa among mountains and the views are awe inspiring. The hike to the peak at Waterrock Knob is somewhat steep but not terribly far.

For your effort you get even more incredible views from the top. Waterrock Knob is one of the highest mountains east of the Mississippi and it towers over the nearby peaks. The trail winds up the mountain and there are so many beautiful spots to gaze out.

Okay, but which one is the best?

I think lists like this are good because it can help narrow down lots of good options to a fewer great ones. And that’s what the list above is, a lot of great options. You won’t regret doing any of these hikes but what if you want the single best option? Well, I can’t give you that but I can add a little more food for thought.

The very best hike(s) on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

The best hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia is either Apple Orchard Falls or Sharp Top and that depends on your obsession with waterfalls. I like Sharp Top more because mountains make me happy and the view during fall is hard to beat. What both of these places have in common, along with Johnson Family Farm Trail, is how close they are to Peaks of Otter.

So visit Peaks of Otter, maybe stay at the lodge, or in Bedford Virginia, and hike to Apple Orchard Falls or Sharp Top or both. There are even more hikes near Peaks of Otter that you may want to consider adding to fill out your trip.

The very best hike(s) on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

North Carolina is a tougher decision. I love Rough Ridge because the pay off is great but I want to be at Black Balsam Knob and meander along the bald and take in the huge views.

I think the best option is to either hike the Tanawha Trail and get all the amazing views between Price Lake and Beacon Heights or to camp at Price Lake for a few days and do as many of the hikes between E.B. Jeffress Park and Beacon Heights as you can because every single one is incredible.

I think I’ll have to leave Black Balsam Knob as a mystery. It’s a place you need time to experience and I think if you visit, you’ll realize this is a trail in need of a backpacker.

Crabtree Falls is the best waterfall hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway and if you are a waterfall chaser, you probably want to check out our post on the best waterfalls near the Blue Ridge Parkway. We cover the best waterfalls on the parkway and also the ones that are just a short drive off the parkway.

There are so many amazing hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway and there is something for everyone, whether you love short easy walks or long difficult trails.