North Carolina / Watauga County / Blue Ridge Parkway / Julian Price Memorial Park

Julian Price Campground

Closed — Closed for the winter season. Typically reopens in May. The 2025 season saw limited operations with only Loop A open starting August 15 due to ongoing repairs from Hurricane Helene damage, including water system work and debris removal.

About

Julian Price Campground is the largest campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway, situated at Milepost 297 in the scenic highlands of North Carolina. Located adjacent to Price Lake, the campground offers 197 sites spread across multiple loops, including both tent-only and RV-accessible sites. The surrounding forest features hemlock, white pine, oak, hickory, and birch trees with vibrant wildflower displays in spring and brilliant fall foliage. The campground provides access to Price Lake for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Canoe rentals are available at the lake, and a fishing dock is provided. Hikers can explore the Price Lake Trail that circles the water, as well as the Boone Fork Trail leading to Hebron Falls, the easy 1-mile Cascades Trail, and the Tanawha Trail. The Moses Cone Estate with 25 miles of carriage roads is nearby. Wildlife is abundant, with frequent sightings of black bears, wild turkeys, grouse, owls, and hawks. Campsites include picnic tables, grills, and lantern poles. The campground has comfort stations with flush toilets and a dump station. No electric, water, or sewer hookups are available. Both reservable sites and first-come-first-served sites are offered. The town of Blowing Rock is 20 minutes away.

Directions

From Boone, head south on US-321 S for 6.3 miles. At the Blue Ridge Parkway sign, turn right onto the connector road. At the stop sign, turn left (south) onto the Parkway and drive 4.4 miles to the campground on the right. From Blowing Rock, take Main Street to US-221 S. Drive 1.6 miles, turn right at the Parkway sign, then left (south) onto the Parkway for approximately 2 miles to the campground on the right.

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