Julian Price Memorial Park
Encyclopedia
Julian Price Memorial Park is a park of 4200 acres (17 km²) at the foot of Grandfather Mountain
in North Carolina
, named in honor of Julian Price
. It is at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway
and directly adjacent to the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
. Together these parks comprise the largest developed area set aside for public recreation on the Parkway. The park is managed by the National Park Service
which received the lands from the Jefferson Pilot Standard Life Insurance Company shortly after Price's death when they received it through his will
. The grounds are also known for the fact that the nation's largest National Lumberjack Association rally is held here annually.
The donor of the lands requested that Boone Fork be dammed to create a lake in Julian Prices' honor, which is now called Price Lake. The Blue Ridge Parkway goes over the top of the dam. The 47 acres (190,202.4 m²) lake is visible from the road and is stocked with various fish. Among wildlife around the man-made lake are beavers, ducks, and frogs.
The park provides over 100 picnic sites, various campgrounds, rest rooms, nature walks, hiking trails, and a 300-seat amphitheater. Visitors can also rent canoes and boats for use on Price Lake. Many residents of the towns of Boone
and Blowing Rock
, which are nearby, do fishing
, hiking
, and canoeing
in the park. The park has the largest campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as a popular picnic facility. This land was obtained in Price's will first by the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
and a few years later donated to the National Park Service on the condition that it be developed out as a public recreational area. It is directly adjacent to Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
and together they are the largest developed recreational areas for public use on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is a mountain, a non-profit attraction, and a North Carolina state parknear Linville, North Carolina. At 5,946 feet , it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, named in honor of Julian Price
Julian Price
Julian Price was an insurance executive who made his fortune in the first part of the twentieth century by developing the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company, at the time the largest corporation in North Carolina....
. It is at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
and directly adjacent to the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is a country estate in honor of Moses H. Cone in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It is on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 292 and 295 with access at Milepost 294. Most locals call it Cone Park. The park is run by the National Park Service and is open to the...
. Together these parks comprise the largest developed area set aside for public recreation on the Parkway. The park is managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
which received the lands from the Jefferson Pilot Standard Life Insurance Company shortly after Price's death when they received it through his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
. The grounds are also known for the fact that the nation's largest National Lumberjack Association rally is held here annually.
Overview
Price was an insurance executive who purchased the acreage in the late 1930s and 1940s to create a retreat for the employees of his insurance company. His premature death in 1946 postponed these plans and the lands were deeded over to his company. They in turn donated the lands to the National Park Service / Blue Ridge Parkway for public recreational use with the cooperation and approval of Price's son and daughter.The donor of the lands requested that Boone Fork be dammed to create a lake in Julian Prices' honor, which is now called Price Lake. The Blue Ridge Parkway goes over the top of the dam. The 47 acres (190,202.4 m²) lake is visible from the road and is stocked with various fish. Among wildlife around the man-made lake are beavers, ducks, and frogs.
The park provides over 100 picnic sites, various campgrounds, rest rooms, nature walks, hiking trails, and a 300-seat amphitheater. Visitors can also rent canoes and boats for use on Price Lake. Many residents of the towns of Boone
Boone, North Carolina
Boone is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, United States. Boone's population was reported as 17,122, as of 2010...
and Blowing Rock
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock is a town in North Carolina, USA, situated in both Caldwell and Watauga counties. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. However, during the summer the town's population increases to about 10,000.]]\\...
, which are nearby, do fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, and canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
in the park. The park has the largest campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as a popular picnic facility. This land was obtained in Price's will first by the Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, also known as Moses Cone Hospital, is a 535 bed tertiary care facility located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The hospital opened in 1953 on North Elm Street as a 310 bed community hospital...
and a few years later donated to the National Park Service on the condition that it be developed out as a public recreational area. It is directly adjacent to Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is a country estate in honor of Moses H. Cone in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It is on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 292 and 295 with access at Milepost 294. Most locals call it Cone Park. The park is run by the National Park Service and is open to the...
and together they are the largest developed recreational areas for public use on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Trails
- The park has a total of seven trails.
- There is a 2.5 miles (4 km) loop trail around Price Lake rated easy.
- The Boone Fork Loop Trail is five miles (8 km) and considered challenging.
- The Tanawha TrailTanawha TrailThe Tanawha Trail, stretching from Julian Price Park to Beacon Heights parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, in the United States. Tanawha, the Cherokee word for fabulous hawk or eagle is an appropriate name for this trail that offers hikers spectacular views...
is 13.5 miles (21.7 km). It passes under the Linn Cove ViaductLinn Cove ViaductLinn Cove Viaduct is a 1243-foot concrete segmental bridge which snakes around the slopes of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. It was completed in 1983 at a cost of $10 million and was the last section of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be finished...
and wraps around Grandfather Mountain. It constitutes a section of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea TrailMountains-to-Sea TrailThe Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a long-distance trail, for hiking and backpacking, that runs across North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The trail's western endpoint is at Clingman's Dome, where it connects to the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National...
.
- The sign at the trailheadTrailheadA trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles...
of Price Lake reads:
Virtual tours
- Google maps
- Price Lake
- Price Lake Trail # 1
- Price Lake Trail # 2
- Price Lake & Park - Fishing
- Price Lake & Park Canoe Rentals
- Price Lake & Park Tent Campground
- Price Lake & Park RV Campgrounds
See also
- Map of park trails from the National Park Service