One of the best things about visiting Boone is that you do not have to choose between downtown and the mountains.

You can have both in the same day.

Wake up on King Street.

Spend the morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Hike.

Find an overlook.

Come back downtown for dinner.

Then finish the evening looking back toward the mountains from a rooftop.

That is our kind of Parkway day.

How Close Is Boone to the Blue Ridge Parkway?

Very.

The Boone-area section of the Parkway stretches through some of the most recognizable scenery in North Carolina's High Country, with dozens of overlooks, hiking opportunities and landmarks within easy reach of town.

The Parkway itself is designed for slower travel, with much of the route in the Boone area posted between roughly 35 and 45 mph.

That is part of the point.

You are not taking the Parkway to get somewhere as quickly as possible.

The drive is the attraction.

Start With Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

For an easy introduction, head toward the Blowing Rock section of the Parkway.

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park around Milepost 294 combines mountain scenery with historic architecture, lakes and miles of former carriage roads.

It works particularly well if everyone in your group has a different definition of "hiking."

You can walk.

Explore the grounds.

Take photographs.

Or simply enjoy the view without committing to an all-day trail.

Keep Going Toward Julian Price

Continue south and the Parkway quickly turns into one long series of reasons to pull over.

Julian Price Memorial Park sits around Milepost 297 and adds trails, picnic areas and Price Lake to the day.

In autumn, the combination of mountain color and reflections on the lake can make this one of the easiest places to understand why fall weekends in Boone fill so quickly.

Then Comes Grandfather Mountain

Keep driving south and the landscape changes again.

Rough Ridge, Grandfather Mountain and the Linn Cove Viaduct are clustered within a relatively short section of Parkway.

The Linn Cove Viaduct at Milepost 304 curves around Grandfather Mountain and represents one of the Parkway's most famous engineering achievements. The viaduct was designed to cross the mountain while minimizing damage to its fragile environment.

This is the stretch where you should stop looking at the clock.

Do You Need to Spend the Entire Day on the Parkway?

Not at all.

That is one advantage of using downtown Boone as your home base.

You can spend two hours exploring.

Or six.

Turn around whenever you feel like you have seen enough.

The goal is not to collect every overlook in one afternoon.

It is to enjoy the drive.

Come Back to King Street

Eventually, mountain exploring works up an appetite.

Back in downtown Boone, you are within walking distance of restaurants, breweries, shops and bars along King Street.

If you are staying at The Horton, that also means you can park the car for the night.

There is something nice about that transition.

Parkway in the morning.

Downtown in the evening.

No complicated itinerary required.

End Where You Can Still See the Mountains

The Horton Rooftop offers 360-degree views across downtown Boone, Appalachian State and Howard's Knob.

Which makes it a pretty fitting place to end a Blue Ridge Parkway day.

You spent the morning driving through the mountains.

Now you get to sit above King Street and look back at them.

Order something to drink.

Find a seat.

Let the light change.

Tomorrow, you can go explore another overlook.

Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway From Boone

Is the Blue Ridge Parkway close to Boone?
Yes. Multiple Parkway access points and attractions are within easy driving distance of downtown Boone.

What Blue Ridge Parkway attractions are near Boone?
Popular nearby stops include Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Julian Price Memorial Park, Rough Ridge, Linn Cove Viaduct and Grandfather Mountain.

Where is Linn Cove Viaduct?
Linn Cove Viaduct is located around Milepost 304 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Can you do the Parkway as a half-day trip from Boone?
Yes. You can easily choose a few nearby overlooks or trails and return to downtown Boone the same afternoon.

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