Drivers turn to the Blue Ridge Parkway for its broad panoramas of fall foliage. But for hikers, the Parkway offers much more. A scenic drive can be combined with a day hike to create an unbeatable fall day trip, whether the leaves are at their peak or well past their prime. This duo is easy to find on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which boasts more than 100 trails along its 469-mile route.

To make the logistics easy, we have selected four short (3-5 mile) loop hikes to allow time for exploring the Parkway before you head back home.

Harkening Hill
3.9 miles

The Peaks of Otter area is a popular place to view fall foliage on the Parkway. Crowds of visitors hike in a single file march up the steep trail to Sharp Top. But, if you want to enjoy the scenery without the crowds, you needn’t look far. The nearby Harkening Hill and Johnson Farm Trails offer relative solitude, nice views and a glimpse at the Parkway’s agricultural past.

From the visitor center, follow the path to the Peaks of Otter Lodge. The second trail to the left is the Johnson Farm Loop Trail, which forms the second leg of this hike. Nearly a mile from the visitor center, you will reach the site of the Johnson Farm. This idyllic spot was farmed from 1766 until the 1940s by several families. Just over a quarter mile beyond the farm, turn right on the Harkening Hill Trail. In three-quarters mile, reach the 100-yard sidetrail to Balance Rock, a massive boulder balanced on a small rock. About 175 yards beyond this sidetrail, you will reach the summit of Harkening Hill (elevation 3,364 feet) with views to the north. Continue following this trail as it descends, sometimes steeply, to the visitor center.

Getting There
From I-81 at Buchanan VA, take VA 43 east five miles to the Parkway. Go north to the Peaks of Otter visitor center at Parkway mile 86.

Bluff Mountain
4 miles roundtrip

The spruce-covered summit of Bluff Mountain offers few views but is still a beautiful setting for a picnic. It is an 1,100 foot climb from the Parkway over Punchbowl Mountain to the destination of this hike. This mountain top is said to be haunted by the ghost of Ottie Cline Powell, a four-year-old who wandered away from school one autumn afternoon in the late 1800s. His body was later discovered here and a plaque now marks the spot.

From the Parkway, cross the road from the parking area and climb south on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). At 0.4 mile, you will pass the side trail that leads a quarter mile to Punchbowl Shelter, sitting on the shore of pretty little pond.

Continue hiking on the A.T. And in half a mile you will pass over the wooded summit of Punchbowl Mountain. At two miles, you will reach the summit of Bluff Mountain (elevation 3,372 feet) at the site of an old firetower. Return to the Parkway by retracing your steps north on the A.T.

Getting There
From I-81, take US 60 east through Buena Vista to the Parkway. Drive south on the Parkway to milepost 51.7. The trailhead is a pullover on the east side of the Parkway. The hike begins on the west side of the Parkway.

Smarts View
3 Miles

Golden brown ferns line the Smart View Loop Trail after the first hard frost of fall as the trail meanders by commanding views and through mature hardwoods. This trail is never far from the Smarts View Picnic Area, but it is a much better hike than the leg stretchers that come to mind when you think of a picnic area trail. It is an easy path, and makes a great way to walk off your picnic lunch before continuing a drive on the Parkway.

The loop begins at the parking lot you pass through on the way to the picnic area. In just under a half mile, you reach the short sidetrail to Smart View Overlook. After detouring to the overlook, continue hiking and in three quarters of a mile, reach the Trails Cabin. There is a fine view to the east from this 1890s cabin. Cross a creek on a stone bridge and bear left. Pass by another viewpoint on the hike back around to the trailhead.

Getting There
From US 220 in Roanoke, drive south on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trailhead is in the Smarts View Picnic Area at mile 154.5 of the Parkway.

Boone Fork Trail
4.9 miles

In the shadow of Grandfather Mountain, Boone Fork Trail is never far from water as it crosses Boone Fork and Bee Tree Creek in excess of 20 times during its nearly five mile ramble through Parkway land. An extensive birch grove is one of the fall highlights of this trail. Rhododendron tunnels leading to open meadows and the cascades of Boone Fork Falls are among the contrasts offered on one of the Parkway’s prettiest hikes.

This loop hike shares its pathway with both the Tanawha and Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Watch trail signs carefully. From the trailhead, hike through an ancient lakebed whose rich soils support a variety of plants. The caves in the surrounding cliffs housed Native Americans long before Europeans arrived here.

For the first two miles, you will be paralleling Boone Fork (named not for Daniel Boone, but his nephew Jesse). At mile 1.8, you will reach a view of Boone Fork Falls, which cascades 25 feet over immense rocks. A half a mile later reach Bee Tree Creek. The trail continues through woods and meadows (bear left at forks in the trail) before passing through the campground on its way back to the picnic area.

Getting There
From Blowing Rock NC, take US 221south to the Parkway. Follow the Parkway south to milepost 296.4. The trailhead is near the restrooms at the picnic area.

Graveyard Fields
3.2 miles

Like having a piece of the Rockies in North Carolina, the barren rocks and sparse trees of the Graveyard Fields area are unique. The rushing waters of the Yellowstone Prong of the East Fork of the Pigeon River pour over golden rocks in two falls along this trail. The area got its name after a devastating firest fire in 1925, which burned out the timber leaving stumps. Covered with moss, the stumps resembled tombstones in a cemetery. Two short sidetrips to view the falls on Yellowstone Prong are combined with the Graveyard Fields Loop Trail to form this 3.2 mile hike.

From the parking area, follow the paved trail down to Yellowstone Prong, which is crossed on a footbridge. Turn right and descend a quarter mile to view the broad 60-foot cascade of Second Falls. Return to the bridge and continue upstream 1.1 miles to the Upper Falls, a fifty foot falls rushing between two rocks down a stone channel. Backtrack a half mile and continue following the loop trail through Graveyard Fields back to the trailhead.

Getting There
From where US 276 crosses the Parkway in Pisgah National Forest, go south to Garveyard Fields Overlook at Parkway mile 419.

For More Information

Walking the Blue Ridge by Leonard Adkins
University of North Carolina Press; $11.95

The Trails of Virginia, Hiking the Old Dominion by Allen de Hart
University of North Carolina Press; $18.50

North Carolina Hiking Trails by Allen de Hart
Appalachian Mountain Club Books; $14.

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