Price Lake: Planning your visit so you don’t miss anything

Price Lake is an awesome place to spend a few hours up to a few days exploring. There are so many things to do. Arguably too many things. That’s a good thing! We’ve broken down a long list of things you don’t want to miss on your next visit.

Price Lake in Julian Price Memorial Park is one of four lakes on the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 297 and is the largest. It is a beautiful manmade lake and a very popular spot for camping, hiking, kayaking, and fishing near Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

This is one of our favorite areas to visit and we are sharing some of the best things to do and a few tips to make the most of your visit. Below is a map of the area with the things we think are most likely make for an amazing visit.

Price Lake is a 47 acre lake surrounded by thick forest in one of the most popular section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The land was originally owned by Julian Price, a local businessman, but was donated to the United States after his death.

Price originally planned to develop the area into a recreational area. During the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway the land was indeed developed and the park bears his name.

Camping at Price Lake

Price Lake is an amazing place to camp because of the beautiful views along the shore. There are both RV and tent sites available between May and October.

You can book your visit at Recreation.gov or try your luck by checking at the camp office for any open sites. It is very unlikely you’ll be able to get lakeside site unless you reserve it in advance.

Choosing when to camp

When the camping season begins in May it can still be very cold overnight. By late June the overnight temperatures can still dip down into the upper 40s.

July and August are most pleasant month to visit for both daytime and overnight temperature. In October the overnight temperature drops into the 30s and 40s at times. This is more for my fellow tent campers, RV campers can avoid the low overnight temperatures.

Picking the best camping spot

When we last visited Price Lake we wanted to make sure we got a spot with a view of the lake. There are a lot of campsites a Price Lake but there are not very many with a view.

Here are the things you need to know:

• There are 29 tent sites near the lake. Loop A is the only loop that has any tent sites with a lake view.

• Only 6 RV sites are near Price Lake. None of those spots are directly beside the lake but there is a good view of Price Lake. A30, A32, and A34 have the best view.

• 13 tent sites have a great view of Price Lake. These sites have the best view in the campground. A19, A22, A23, A25, A26, and A27 are the very best of the sites.

• Sites can be booked 6 months in advance. Beginning in December you can begin booking trips in June.

• It is very competitive to get a lakeside spot. If you want to get one of the lakeside spots book it as soon as possible. If you don’t care about getting a spot in Loop A you should be able to book a spot relatively close to your visit unless it is near peak fall colors in October.

On our visit we were able to book a spot at A19 and we loved it because there were two trees that were perfect for hanging our hammock near the lake.

We really enjoyed relaxing in the hammock watching the water drinking some coffee. Despite the campground being popular it was surprising quiet at our campsite.

Hiking near Price Lake

This section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is packed with beauty and there are a lot of nearby hikes. In fact some of the best hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway are in this section.

We’ve broken the hikes down into easy, moderate, and strenuous.

Easy hikes

These hikes won’t leave you exhausted and you should be able to do several of them.

• Beacon Heights. Beacon Heights is one of our favorite nearby hikes. There are two amazing overlooks at the end of this short, somewhat steep trail. If you can only do one short hike, it should be this one.

• Flat Rock. Flat Rock Trail is a short, easy trail at just over half a mile round trip. It’s an awesome sampler of some of the best of what the Blue Ridge Parkway has to offer. There are plenty of blooming wildflowers in the right season, so don’t skip this one in early June.

• Stack Rock. Stack Rock isn’t about an amazing view, instead this trail takes you to a really cool rock formation. The trail climbs up and beside the unusual rock. This is a great option for people that like interesting hikes.

• Price Lake Trail. The trail around Price Lake surrounds the entire lake and has almost no elevation gain. You can enjoy as much or little of the lake as you like and catch a lot of great views.

Moderate nearby hikes

These hikes are a bit harder and have a bit more elevation gain but don’t take up an entire day.

• Rough Ridge. In our opinion this is the best hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway because of the incredible view. There are mountains, sheer cliffs, flowers, and a boardwalk. Rough Ridge is amazing.

• Boone Fork Trail. The Boone Fork Trail is within the Julian Price Memorial Park bounds. You can reach Hebron Falls along this loop trail. Mostly the trail winds through the thick deciduous forest.

• Green Knob Loop. Green Knob Loop passes along Sims Pond and up the steep mountain to the top of Green Knob. The section along picturesque Sims Pond is the prettiest. This is a great option if you like getting away from the crowds.

Strenuous Hikes Nearby

These trails great for long day hikes. They will take most of the day to complete and you will need bring ample water and a bit of food.

• Tanawha Trail. The Tanawha Trail is 13.5 miles and encompasses some of the best nearby hikes. You can reach Beacon Heights, Stack Rock, and Rough Ridge amongst other great spots along the trail. This trail will take between 6 – 8 hours to complete and we have a full guide if you are considering it.

• Calloway Peak. Calloway Peak is in Grandfather Mountains State Park. There are other great hikes but this is our favorite. Overall the hike is just under 7.5 miles if you begin on the Profile Trail and will take 4 -5 hours to complete. The climb is steep but the views are amazing.

Kayaking and fishing at Price Lake

Price Lake is a beautiful place to get out on the water. You can find the boat launch at the Price Lake Boat Launch.

Bringing your own kayak or canoe is fine or rent one from the Price Lake Boat Rentals. They have variable hours throughout their season (March – October) so be sure to check their website.

Their rentals rates are hourly and include paddles and life vests. Pay attention to the time when you are attempting to rent, they stop renting at 5pm daily.

You can also buy snacks, drinks, floatation devices, and firewood at the rental shop.

It is important to know that motorized boats and swimming are prohibited on Price Lake. You are also required to wear a personal floatation device while boating.

Fishing at Price Lake

Fishing is allowed but a North Carolina or Virginia fishing license is required if you are 16 or older. These rules apply to fishing on any of the Blue Ridge Parkway waters. You can review the rules at the NPS website.

I am not a fisherman so you may want to check some other websites for more information. Blowingrock.com has some helpful information about fishing at Price Lake and the wider area.

Other nearby things to do

One of the best things about Price Lake is how close it is to awesome things to do. The town of Blowing Rock is very close by as well as some of the best overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Grandfather Mountain State Park.

Stop by Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock is an amazing mountain town that manages to embrace being a huge tourist destination but also maintains its connection to the natural beauty.

Here are a few of the top things to do when you visit Blowing Rock.

• The Blowing Rock. The Blowing Rock is privately owned and tickets to see it cost $9 per person. With your admission, you not only get to see and even climb on the famous Blowing Rock, but also take in stunning views of the gorge below from various overlooks. There are also a few very short trails through the area you can explore.

• Blowing Rock Art and History Museum. The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum is a free museum in a beautiful stone building right on Main Street in Blowing Rock’s downtown. This museum has a pretty impressive permanent collection of art as well as rotating exhibits that change throughout the year.

• The 1888 Museum. The 1888 Museum is another free museum downtown. There are quite a few artifacts in the small building from the 1900s. Even though it only takes a few minutes to tour the museum there is a lot to see.

• Memorial Park and Broyhill Park. Memorial Park is right on Main Street. It has a large gazebo for taking a break from the sun along with a huge playground for kids. Broyhill Park is a couple of blocks behind Memorial Park. It’s a beautiful green space with a large pond in the center with a fountain.

• The Glen Burney Trail. This short trail begins downtown and passes three different small waterfalls. Many of the other hikes listed previous have much more dramatic views, but this is a fun hike because you can leave from downtown.

• Grab some great food. There is a lot of great food in Blowing Rock. You can find a wide range of places to eat from fine dining to cheap quick bites. Blowing Rock Brewery is on our short list every time we visit.

Visit Moses H Cone Memorial Park

Moses H Cone Memorial Park is a massive estate that was donated to the NPS in 1949. There are miles of hiking trails along carriage trails, the impressive Flat Top Manor, and a few vendors of local handcrafted items.

• Tour Flat Top Manor. Flat Top Manor is an impressive home. The lower level houses several vendors as well as a park office. Tours are ranger led and are a deep dive on Moses and Bertha Cone. They are interesting but children may find them a bit dry. This is one of the spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway where kids can get Junior Ranger badges.

• Hike to Bass Lake. Bass Lake is the largest lake within the park and the trail around it is just under 1 mile. You will probably want to drive to Bass Lake and hike from the parking lot. You can technically hike from Flat Top Manor but that makes for a very long out and back trip.

Visit Grandfather Mountain State Park

Grandfather Mountain is very popular because of its high peaks and biodiversity. There are several great hikes, epic views, and the world famous Mile High Swinging Bridge. You can enter Grandfather Mountain State Park for free but there is a fee to drive up the mountains and for the bridge and nearby parking as well as camping.

• Walk across the Mile High Swinging Bridge. If you are terrified of heights maybe skip this one. The narrow metal bridge stands over a deep chasm. The overall elevation of the bridge is over one mile above sea level, not one mile above the chasm.

• Take one of the awesome hikes. There are a lot of hikes in Grandfather Mountain State Park. The hikes range from easy to strenuous to sort of crazy. We’ve already mentioned Calloway Peak, but you may also want to consider Black Rock Trail for a beautiful view along an easy trail. For thrill seekers take the Grandfather Trail, be warned though, you are exposed to dangerous falls on this trail.

• Take a drive up Grandfather Mountain. The view along the drive is stunning. Even if you only drive and never stop at an overlook the view is great. Driving the road to the top requires paying the entry fee so don’t rush through your visit.

Overlooks near Price Lake you should visit

I can’t image visiting Price Lake and not stopping at some of the amazing overlooks on the parkway. There are some great places to see a beautiful sunrise or sunset, glimpse the rolling high mountains, or check out the most famous stretch of road in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Many of these overlooks are on our list of the best overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

• Grandview Overlook (Milepost 281.4, great for sunrise). This is one of the best places on the parkway to see layers and layers of mountains. The view from the overlook shows churned terrain that looks more like choppy water than a mountain range.

• Raven Rocks (Milepost 289.5, great for sunset). The main draw at Raven Rocks is the exposed rock cliffs. The view is wide and, if you are feeling adventurous, you can climb around on the rocks. Be careful if you attempt this, there is definitely the potential to get injured.

• Thunder Hill Overlook (Milepost 290.4, great for sunrise or sunset). The view here is awesome and it is a great spot for both sunrise and sunset. For sunset you’ll need to cross the road to watch the dying light from the grassy knoll.

• View Wilson Creek (Milepost 302.1). The huge view from this overlook is of the beautiful surrounding mountains. There isn’t a great view of Wilson Creek oddly, but the mountains stretching to the horizon far in the distance is perfect.

• Yonahlossee Overlook (Milepost 303.9). This is the overlook where you can catch the best view of the Linn Cove Viaduct. The picture from the parking area isn’t the picture you find all over the internet. There is actually a specific rock you have to climb up to get the angle to really see the viaduct. We have a separate post where you can find more information about Yonahlossee Overlook.

When should you visit

Late spring through early fall are the most popular times to visit and are probably the time you want to head to the area.

Winter in the high mountains is longer than the surrounding area and much of the Blue Ridge Parkway closes in North Carolina for extended periods of time.

There are three major events to consider planning a visit to the area around.

• To see the spring flower bloom. Spring in the mountains comes at a different time than the lower elevations. Early to mid June is prime time to see the pink and white Rhododendron ignite the high forests.

• To escape the summer heat. Late July into August it gets really hot across the south. It’s not uncommon to have frequent 90 degree plus weeks. In the mountains it almost never reaches 90. Hiking during the deep summer is even better because of how dense the forest canopy is.

• To see peak fall colors. The fall colors are really intense in the mountains around Price Lake and peaks before the end of October. It gets very crowded in the area this time of year. You can avoid some of the crowds by visiting mid week and getting out on a trail.

It’s hard to argue with visiting during peak fall colors. This is definitely the most beautiful time to visit with the spring bloom being second. If crowding puts you off here are some other places to see fall colors.

Crowding isn’t a huge issue during spring and summer and on some days, if you can visit mid week, you can hike some of the trails and not see anyone else.

The Price Lake area is one of the most beautiful areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Honestly, it’s one of the most beautiful in all of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

If you haven’t visited yet or haven’t fully explored the area consider going to Price Lake and taking time to explore some of the amazing natural beauty.