Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Price Lake to Boulder Field Overlook - Blue Ridge Parkway


Continuing my June 2017 drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, I headed south from Price Lake at mile 296.7 to Boulder Field Overlook at mile 302.3 with stops at View Calloway Peak Overlook and Green Mountain Overlook.

Trees have grown and eliminated the view at the View Calloway Peak Overlook at mile 299.7. However, the ½ mile Upper Boone Fork Trail begins here and ends upstream at the Boone Fork Parking overlook on the parkway. I walked down the trail a short distance and followed a side trail to Boone Fork.

Trailhead

More stair steps

Switchback

Left branch leads down to Boone Fork

The side trail stops at Boone Fork

Looking upstream at Boone Fork

A closer view of the rushing water

View downstream

Continuing south on the parkway, I stopped at Green Mountain Overlook, mile 300.4. The overlook is on a spur of Grandfather Mountain named Green Mountain.

View northwest

Pilot Ridge to the south

View east into the Racket Creek watershed

Rhododendron thicket

The clouds and fog were moving in as I stopped at Boulder Field Overlook, mile 302.3. When the clouds cleared a bit, views of Grandmother Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct appeared.

Clouds obscure the view of Grandmother Mountain

Linn Cove Viaduct on the side of Grandfather Mountain

Grandmother Mountain (4600') with WUNE TV broadcast tower

Entry to the parkway is free.

The parkway website is https://www.nps.gov/blri.

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