Tanawha Trail: The best trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Tanawha Trail is a 13.5 mile trail that runs from Beacon Heights to Julian Price Memorial Park near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It’s a long trail with a lot of really amazing views and interesting things to see. But there are a number of things you need to know before you hike the Tanawha Trail.

The Tanawha Trail is just a tiny section of the Mountain to Sea Trail in North Carolina along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of the most beautiful spots in the Blue Ridge Mountains are along this stretch of mountains.

Hiking for 13.5 miles may sound like a lot and, to be honest, it is. But not all miles are made the same and if you know why you are hiking sometimes those miles are easy. The Tanawha Trail definitely has it’s harder sections, I’m looking at you Rough Ridge. Overall, though, the distance isn’t so hard.

You may be wondering what “Tanawha” means. It’s a Cherokee word that means fabulous hawk or eagle. The trail bears the original name of Grandfather Mountain, although the trail doesn’t climb to its peak.

Things you need to know before Go

• The very first thing is to check for closures. The Blue Ridge Parkway closes frequently for fog and this area can get very foggy.

• Second, unless you plan on hiking 27 miles you need to have a plan for getting back to your car. This is a point to point hike. I had my family drop me off at Beacon Heights and walked to our campsite at Price Lake. Bringing two vehicles is another option.

• You should download a digital map or bring a paper map. The trail is pretty well marked but there are a few intersecting trails. You don’t need anything fancy. You can find the NPS map here, it isn’t very detailed but it is at least something. I used a map on All Trails and it kept me on trail at intersections.

• Bring at least 2 liters of water if you are hiking the entire trail. There are a few streams along the trail where you can filter some water but you shouldn’t need to unless it is very hot.

• You can’t camp along the Tanawha Trail.

Which Direction should you hike it?

If you are camping at Price Lake hiking from Beacon Heights is the best choice.

Starting at Beacon Heights puts the most difficult section on the first half of the hike. It is also where most of the beautiful views are.

Once you pass Rough Ridge the trail is a mostly steady decline. If you were to start at Price Lake you would have a mostly steady incline and a steep climb near Rough Ridge followed by a steady descent to Beacon Heights.

Maybe you aren’t convinced you should hike the Tanawha Trail. Let’s Change that.

So Many Amazing Views

There are a lot and I mean A LOT of beautiful views on this trail.

Every single one of these spots is worth visiting on their own. Putting them all together is an overflow of stunning beauty.

Here are all the things you get to see when you hike the Tanawha Trail.

Beacon Heights

There two amazing overlooks at Beacon Heights. Both are the kind of views that can take your breath away with their wide views from the bare rock overlooks.

Beacon Heights is a half mile detour from the Tanawha Trail and worth every single step. Neither overlook is better than the other, they are equally stunning.

Stack Rock

Stack Rock is less of a grand view and more of a super interesting section of the hike.

The trail weaves around and climbs over the huge boulders in this area and as you exit the Stack Rock area you come across one of the many small waterfalls along the Tanawha Trail.

Linn Cove Viaduct

The trail slips under the Linn Cove Viaduct so you won’t get the incredible views of the serpentine bridge, however you get to see the interesting terrain below it.

The Linn Cove Viaduct is an engineering marvel, walking under it exposes the complex mountain slope that made it necessary.

The massive boulders and strange tree I’m calling the Octopus Tree were a happy surprise.

Wilson Creek

Wilson Creek drops and slides down the mountain creating a small but still beautiful waterfall. The bridge over it is no less beautiful, with its long curving beam.

The flowing water is peaceful and there is little to no foot traffic at this section of the trail making it perfect to take a moment and relax.

Rough Ridge

Rough Ridge is the highlight of the Tanawha Trail. When I think about the best that hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway can be I think about Rough Ridge.

There are rhododendron, deciduous and evergreen trees, weather worn exposed rock cliffs and rolling tree covered mountains as far as you can see.

The hike up to Rough Ridge is the toughest section of the Tanawha Trail no matter which way you have decided to hike up.

Tanawha Trail after Rough Ridge

Rough Ridge marks the end of the sweeping mountain views. The next section of the trail is the longest by far at almost 10 miles. The trail maintains a slight decline, making it fairly easy.

The most interesting thing about the trail through this section is how many different types of forest you pass through.

The area around the Grandfather Mountain Park Trail System stood out with a huge foot bridge.

The section where the trail slices through the thickest Mountain Laurel is it’s own kind of beautiful.

Make sure you pay attention to signs around Grandfather Mountain State Park, even though there isn’t a fee to enter you still have to fill out a permit to hike the trails in the park.

There is kiosk to fill nearby where you can fill out a permit.

The final section that stands out is the section where the Tanawha Trail passes through farmland. There are a few spots where you can see the mountains far in the distance but it’s nothing like the areas around Rough Ridge or Beacon Heights.

Price Lake

The last section of the hike takes you to Price Lake. This is the only section of the hike where I thought you could get turned around.

The Tanawha Trail and Boone Fork Trail intersect here. You can take either one to Price Lake and that will depend on if you have a campsite or are going to a parking lot.

What if you can’t hike the whole Tanawha Trail?

There may be several reasons why hiking the whole trail isn’t an option.

• Having one vehicle
• Not being up for a 13 mile hike
• Limited time
• You are here for the views not the miles

It doesn’t really matter why, sometimes you can’t do an entire hike. That’s okay. Hiking is for fun, do your version of fun.

Here’s the part not to miss

The section between Beacon Heights and Rough Ridge is the best part, by far. It’s probably the most beautiful hiking section along the entire Blue Ridge Parkway.

The hike from Beacon Heights to Rough Ridge is 3.9 miles point to point.

That is still a round trip of almost 8 miles. Still a long hike but it’s a lot less than 13 and while the hike is a mostly steady climb to Rough Ridge it won’t be difficult on the way back.

If you have two vehicles and want to hike the absolute easiest way, start at Rough Ridge and go to Beacon Heights. There is still a steep climb up to Rough Ridge, but it’s mostly hiking down from there.

There isn’t anything wrong if your experience of the Tanawha Trail is finding the easiest way to hike to the viewpoints you want to see.

An even easier option is if you cut out Beacon Heights and only hike to Rough Ridge. You miss out on Beacon Heights and Stack Rock, but it’s still a beautiful hike.

Other Nearby Activities

There is so much to do in this section of the parkway. Some of the best hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway are nearby, including Crabtree Falls and Linville Falls. As well as Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Yonahlossee Overlook.

This section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of our favorites to visit because it’s jammed packed with beauty. When I think of the Blue Ridge Parkway I think about the 10 miles on either side of Rough Ridge. Hiking the Tanawha Trail is the perfect way to connect to this unparalleled beauty.