Discover Wellness

Last week’s Wellness Wednesday post by Yu reminded me of all the amazing places NC has to offer for getting outside, breathing some fresh air, and getting those steps in! Last weekend I visited Julian Price Memorial Park, which, according to the website, is named after its former owner, insurance giant Julian Price. Price bought the 4,200 acres as a recreational retreat for his employees; after his untimely death in 1946, his heirs donated the land to the parkway as a memorial. Now, Price Park is a popular Blue Ridge parkway destination just outside of Blowing Rock, with plenty of opportunities to hike, fish canoe, camp, and picnic. 

I took my dog hiking on one of the trails that was mostly “easy” but at times “moderately-strenuous” and connected to a part of the Mountains-to-Sea (MST) trail. While there was a lot of evidence of the damage caused in the recent hurricane in Western NC (Helene), the trails were open, and the weather could not have been more perfect.

There is still a lot of damage that Western NC is recovering from; people who lost their homes are still recovering, there are many roads still out, and some people are will without cell service. Large portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway are closed, but I was able to get to Julian Price Memorial Park easily enough. Lots of work had been done on the trail I hiked (the one that leads to a 4-mile portion of the MST), and so it was passable. If you do decide to visit Western NC and partake of the amazing hikes, fishing, or camping, it is best to check the websites and with the parks ahead of time so you are sure you can reach your destination safely.