Blue Ridge Parkway, NC · VA
Meadow and woodland stroll with music drifting from the stage
Overview
A gentle, family-friendly wander through open hayfields, wetlands, and shady woods, the High Meadow Trail pairs easy walking with a dash of culture from the Blue Ridge Music Center. On warm-season days you might even catch strains of live mountain music floating across the meadows as you walk nps.gov.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy hike itMap & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Blue Ridge Music Center: Live Tunes and History“Up ahead is the Blue Ridge Music Center, the Parkway’s official hub for bluegrass and old-time mountain tunes.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
This is an out-and-back footpath between the Blue Ridge Music Center at Milepost 213 and the SR 612 (Foothills Road) trailhead. The official one-way distance is 1.35 miles, so walking the full route out and back is about 2.70 miles. Expect compacted dirt and leaf litter with roots, occasional rock, wetland pockets, short bridge or boardwalk sections, and easy grades. The trail is marked with red blazes and crosses or parallels Chestnut Creek; stepping-stone crossings can be slick and muddy after rain nps.gov blueridgemusiccenter.org.
Scenery shifts from open meadows and hayfields to wetland pockets and rhododendron-tucked woods. Spring through summer brings wildflowers and butterflies; year-round, it is quality birding with trailhead brochures to help identify what you are seeing. Kids can use the TRACK Trail activities available at both ends nps.gov.
Two signed junctions let hikers turn onto the Fisher Peak Loop. Stay on High Meadow Trail for the Music Center-to-SR 612 experience represented here, and do not follow the loop’s alternate branch nps.gov.
Use the Blue Ridge Music Center parking area for the main trailhead, or the signed SR 612 trailhead parking area on Foothills Road. The National Park Service advises using the alternative SR 612 trailhead after 2:00 PM because the visitor-center gates close at 5:00 PM; the SR 612 access is also the dependable option from November through April nps.gov kidsinparks.com.
This is not a loop unless combined with the Fisher Peak Loop. Natural, uneven tread and narrow sections mean it is not wheelchair or stroller friendly. Expect mud and slick rock after rain, follow red blazes, and use care at stepping-stone crossings. Leashed pets are generally allowed on Blue Ridge Parkway trails; confirm posted rules on site blueridgeparkway.org.
Families, photographers, casual walkers, and birders will enjoy this mellow route. If you want a longer or more strenuous outing, use the signed Fisher Peak Loop junction rather than treating that loop as part of High Meadow.
Wildlife
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyFisher Peak Loop Trail2.2 mi · 2 hr · At the trailheadModerate loop through High Meadow and Fisher Peak forest
ChallengingCumberland Knob Gully Creek Trail2.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.4 mi awayStrenuous creek loop with cascades, narrow trail, and many water crossings
EasyCumberland Knob Loop Trail0.9 mi · 45 min · 3.4 mi awayEasy paved loop to Cumberland Knob with CCC history and a picnic-area start
ChallengingGully Creek Trail2.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.5 mi awayStrenuous 2.5-mile loop of cascades, creek crossings, and deep shade
EasyLittle Glade Mill Pond Trail0.3 mi · 10 min · 13.5 mi awayA quiet, quarter-mile loop around a historic mill pond.
Sight · At the trailheadBlue Ridge Music CenterLive mountain music, museum, and trails at MP 213
Picnic area · 3.4 mi awayCumberland Knob Picnic AreaShady and sunny picnic hub with trails and Parkway history
Visitor center · 3.4 mi awayCumberland Knob Visitor CenterHistoric starting point with trails and shady picnic groundsParkwolf’s Blue Ridge Parkway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
