A glimpse of Cragway Trail, Photo credits to Ella Jennings.
Ella Jennings, Community Desk Lead to The Powderhorn
Every winter, the Blue Ridge Parkway closes during the winter season due to potentially hazardous conditions. The combination of snow and ice, along with the inability to salt roads can pose serious risks for the public. This year, the lasting effects of Hurricane Helene have left sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway closed until further notice. Throughout this closure, I have discovered some of my new favorite trails, none of which are located directly on the Parkway. Some feature trailheads outside of The Parkway, but you can hike onto it from their access points.
The Astuti trail off US Highway 221 hooks up to dozens of trails and hikes, most notably the Boone Fork Trails. From here hikers can venture to Storytellers Rock; my personal favorite on this list, the top of Grandfather Mountain, and other scenic trails such as Cragway. I like to grab a sweet treat at Blue Deer in Blowing Rock, then drive down 221 and spend the day hiking these trails. Some of the hikes are more strenuous but there are plenty to choose from.
The Holloway Mountain Road Parking Area meets the Tanawha Trailhead.
Holloway Mountain Road in Foscoe leads to a trailhead which connects to the Price Park Loop and Boone Fork Trails. Holloway Mountain Road is a winding gravel road with a bit of hurricane damage. If you are able to get past the drive, it connects to the Tanawha Trail which leads to Boone Fork’s network of trails and the five-mile Price Park loop. Pictured is a scenic meadow on one side of the parking area. Difficulty: 4/10.
Linville Falls Erwin Viewpoint.
There are three overlooks on the Linville Falls trail: Overcreek, Cragway, and Erwin Views. On this hike, you can see the back of the falls and two views of the falls from higher elevations. This hike is well worth the trip because of the amount of views you get to see for a relatively short hike. It is only about one mile up to hit all three overlooks. After the hike, you can drive up to Wiseman's View to get an overlook of Linville Gorge. Difficulty: 2/10.
Little Lost Cove Cliffs.
Little Lost Cove isn’t very popular, so there’s not a lot of foot traffic on the trail. This trail features a moderate incline, a panoramic view of the mountains, and Wilson's Creek. The photo pictured is from Little Lost Cove Cliffs but there are also Little Lost Cove Creek Falls, which is also worth checking out. The hike to the cliffs is 1.6 miles round trip, and completely worth it for the scenery.
Difficulty: 6/10.
Elk Knob Summit Trail.
Just one mile into this hike, there’s a small but beautiful overlook of the mountains. The trail is two miles long and ends with two overlooks on the north and south ends of the mountain. Both overlooks have printed pictures of the view, which identify the mountain peaks. This trail is popular but well worth it because of the views it has to offer. Difficulty: 7/10
While these trails are accessible year-round, be cautious of snow and ice on trails if conditions are hazardous. All of these hikes are great options to enjoy the snowy days, and all are dog-friendly.
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