Julian Price Memorial Park facts for kids
Julian Price Memorial Park is a huge park covering about 4,200 acres (17 km2) (that's over 17 square kilometers!). It's located at the base of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. The park is named after Julian Price, who was an important person in its history.
You can find the park at milepost 297 on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. It's right next to another cool place called Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Together, these two parks form the biggest area on the Parkway that's set up for people to enjoy outdoor fun. The National Park Service takes care of Julian Price Memorial Park. They received the land after Julian Price passed away, as he wanted it to be used for public recreation. Did you know that the biggest National Lumberjack Association event in the country happens here every year?
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Discovering Julian Price Memorial Park
Julian Price was a business leader who bought this large piece of land in the late 1930s and 1940s. He wanted to create a special getaway for the people who worked at his company. Sadly, he passed away in 1946 before his plans were finished. After his death, the land was given to his company. With the help of his son and daughter, the company then donated the land to the National Park Service. This made it a public park for everyone to enjoy.
Price Lake: A Beautiful Spot
The people who donated the land asked for a lake to be built in Julian Price's honor. This beautiful lake is now called Price Lake. The Blue Ridge Parkway actually crosses over the top of the dam that created the lake.
Price Lake is about 47-acre (190,000 m2) (that's like 35 football fields!). You can easily see it from the road. The lake is stocked with different kinds of fish, making it a great spot for fishing. If you look closely around this man-made lake, you might spot some cool wildlife like beavers, ducks, and frogs!
Fun Things to Do at the Park
Julian Price Memorial Park offers lots of ways to have fun outdoors. There are over 100 picnic spots where you can enjoy a meal with family and friends. The park also has several campgrounds, so you can stay overnight and experience nature. You'll find restrooms, easy nature walks, and more challenging hiking trails. There's even a large outdoor theater that can seat 300 people!
Visitors can also rent canoes and boats to explore Price Lake. Many people from nearby towns like Boone and Blowing Rock love to come here for fishing, hiking, and canoeing. The park has the biggest campground on the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, along with a very popular picnic area.
Exploring the Trails
Julian Price Memorial Park has a total of seven different trails for you to explore.
- The trail around Price Lake is an easy loop, about 2.5-mile (4.0 km) long. It's perfect for a relaxing walk.
- The Boone Fork Loop Trail is five miles (8 km) long and is considered more challenging.
- The Tanawha Trail is much longer, at 13.5 miles (21.7 km). This trail goes under the famous Linn Cove Viaduct and wraps around Grandfather Mountain. It's also part of North Carolina's longer Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
At the start of the Price Lake trail, you'll see a sign that tells you more about the park:
Julian Price Memorial Park The Julian Price Memorial Park, covering 4,200 acres (17 km2), is named in honor of its former owner, the late Julian Price, who was president of the Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company. The company and Mr. Price's son and daughter, Ralph C. Price and Mrs. Joseph McKinley Bryan, worked together to make this property a public recreation area for everyone to enjoy.
Images for kids
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Price Lake
