Blue Ridge Running

Tanawha Trail

Tanawha Trail is a point to point adventure through gorgeous woods, overlooks, and pastures. The trail parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway. Much of the trail is runnable. From Beacon Heights to Boone Fork Loop Trail in Julian Price Park, the Tanawha Trail is also part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

The most notable exception to runability is Rough Ridge, which has a lot of steps, boardwalks, and (usually) people. More significantly, the trail is very narrow at points and traverses an extremely sensitive area. So, no animals are allowed in this section and it is recommended that you do not run through here. Of course, the views from Rough Ridge make a leisurely walk up there worth your time.

The rest of trail is typical NC mountain single track with roots, rocks, steps, water crossings, fallen logs; but, also with smooth, easy sections. Generally, the further northeast you get, the better the trail gets.

If you are doing the whole trail at one time, it may interest you to know that the Beacon Heights terminus is approximately 800 feet higher than the Price Lake terminus. Adjust expectations accordingly!

There is a new gravel parking area that has been built at the Holloway Mountain Road crossing. This is a really nice addition to the parking areas associated with the other trail access locations.

One other note: the first/last 1.14 miles southwest of Holloway Mountain Road are in and out of pastures -- you should always be nice to the cows: remember that they have the right-of-way!

Distances

Included on this page are the one-way distances along the main trail, the one-way distances from each trailhead, and the round-trip distances of the loop trail at Cold Prong.

Tanawha Trail Total distance of 13.05 miles, with a detour around Rough Ridge, as detailed below. Following are one-way distances along the main trail.
   0.89 mi. Beacon Heights junction to Stack Rock turnoff (technical!)
   0.67 mi. Stack Rock turnoff to Linn Cove visitor center (technical!)
   0.08 mi. Linn Cove visitor center to NW edge of parking lot
   1.25 mi. Linn Cove parking lot to Wilson Creek turnoff (technical!)
   0.91 mi. Wilson Creek turnoff to Rough Ridge parking trailhead
                 (this is the one section that deviates from the trail,
                 combination of trail and Parkway)*
   0.73 mi. Rough Ridge parking area turnoff to Boulder Field
                 Overlook parking area turnoff
   2.55 mi. Boulder Field Overlook turnoff to Daniel Boone Scout Trail
   0.23 mi. Daniel Boone Scout Trail to Nuwati Trail
   0.32 mi. Nuwait Trail to Boone Fork parking area turnoff
   1.75 mi. Boone Fork parking area turnoff to Cold Prong turnoff
   2.05 mi. Cold Prong turnoff to Holloway Mountain Road
   1.07 mi. Holloway Mountain Road to Boone Fork Loop Trail
   0.15 mi. BFLT junction to right-turn to leave Boone Fork Loop Trail
   0.40 mi. BFLT to northeastern terminus

Trailheads - following are the one-way distances from the trailheads at parking areas to the intersections with the main trail:
   0.08 mi. Beacon Heights parking area
   0.02 mi. Stack Rock parking area
   0.09 mi. Wilson Creek parking area
                 (the location of this trailhead may not be intuitive: it is
                 located on the north side of the parking area and descends
                 down steps away from Tanawah Trail. Never fear, for the
                 access trail loops back under the Parkway and up to
                 Tanawah)
   0.04 mi. Rough Ridge
   0.09 mi. Boone Fork parking area
   0.21 mi. Cold Prong parking area
   0.19 mi. Price Lake, from sidewalk at boat ramp parking area on
                 south side of Parkway

Other Trails
   0.45 mi. Cold Prong Loop (loop distance off the northeastern edge
                 of the parking lot)
   0.48 mi. Upper Boone Fork Trail (one way distance from Boone
                 Fork Trail parking area spur - 370 feet from the parking
                 area - to Calloway Peak parking area (the longer way
                 around the hill at the parking area yields a 0.50 mile
                 distance)
   0.13 mi. Beacon Heights from Tanawah Trail to MST turnoff
   0.07 mi. Beacon Heights from MST to fork near the top of the
                 heights; there is a bench located at the fork. And you
                 really don't need to run past there -- we don't want you
                 running off the side of the mountain!

*The section over the top of Rough Ridge really shouldn't be run. So, this distance includes 0.24 miles on the trail, an 80 foot path to the Parkway, and then 0.65 miles up the Parkway to the Rough Ridge parking area trailhead. The turnoff of the trail is at a low point on Tanawha in the shadow of a 30-40 foot vertical face with an outcrop on top -- it is a singular rock formation that is very close to the Parkway and the only logical place to depart the trail. In the SW bound direction, the small path into the woods is tough to find, but it is just about 200 before the "Overlook Ahead" sign.

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