Parking
Use designated parking near the Julian Price Park/Price Park Picnic Area and walk to the gated Old Johns River Road entrance near Blue Ridge Parkway MP 296.9. Do not park on the Parkway shoulder.
Overview
About Old Johns River Road
Why go
- Quiet, low-traffic route through Julian Price Memorial Park
- Open-to-wooded scenery with access to the Johns River Road backcountry area
Heads up
- Limited signage—carry a map or GPS
- Unpaved surface can be wet or muddy after rain
- No trail amenities; overnight camping requires a permit
Yes, if you want a quiet, moderate-length walk through the Julian Price area or an access route to the Johns River Road backcountry sites. It is a better fit for a relaxed forest-and-road walk than for panoramic overlooks or a highly developed trail experience.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth it?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation3,318–3,472 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Old Johns River Road, narrated.
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
Julian Price's Creekside Picnic SpotListen
“You're coming up on the Julian Price Park Picnic Area, one of the classic spots on the Parkway. What makes it special is that many of the picnic tables are set right along the shady banks of Boone Fork and Sims Creek.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sims Pond Trail: A Compact Loop with Lots of Variety
- Price Lake and its Famous Mountain View
- Sims Creek Overlook: A Classic Creekside Loop
- Julian Price Park and Lake Activities
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…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
Hiking Old Johns River Road
What to expectOld Johns River Road is a quiet gated-road out-and-back in Julian Price Memorial Park.
Old Johns River Road is a quiet gated-road out-and-back in Julian Price Memorial Park. From the gate at the Blue Ridge Parkway near Milepost 296.9, the route follows the old road north for about 1.6 miles (3.2 miles round trip) to the Johns River Road backcountry area. The route uses an unpaved road and natural tread through a mix of open and wooded terrain.
Trail detailsThis is a low-traffic, gradually rolling walk rather than a heavily signed footpath.
This is a low-traffic, gradually rolling walk rather than a heavily signed footpath. The stored line follows the physical corridor from the Parkway gate to the northern endpoint; return along the same route for the 3.2-mile outing. Carry a map or GPS because signage is limited, and expect wet or muddy footing after rain.
Nature highlightsJulian Price Memorial Park protects a broad mountain landscape with hardwood forest,…
Julian Price Memorial Park protects a broad mountain landscape with hardwood forest, rhododendron, open meadows, and stream corridors. The changing mix of pasture and woods gives this route more variety than its modest grade suggests, and the quiet setting is well suited to birding and wildlife watching from a respectful distance.
Camping and logisticsUse designated parking near the Julian Price Park/Price Park Picnic Area and walk to the gated…
Use designated parking near the Julian Price Park/Price Park Picnic Area and walk to the gated Old Johns River Road entrance; do not park on the Parkway shoulder. Day hikers should carry water and supplies because there are no trail amenities. The Johns River Road backcountry sites require a Recreation.gov permit for overnight use; camping is limited to designated sites. Pets must remain on a leash no longer than six feet.
TipsBring a map or GPS; the route is gated and lightly signed.
- Bring a map or GPS; the route is gated and lightly signed.
- Wear footwear suited to wet or muddy unpaved surfaces.
- Pack water and carry out all trash; there are no trail amenities.
- Overnight camping requires a Recreation.gov permit and use of a designated site.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
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.
