I completed this hike on Friday, June 30th, 2023 with my girlfriend.

This hike is located inside the Julian Price Picnic Area, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. You start by finding the parking lot closest to the bathroom house, and then you cross a bridge; just over the bridge is a small rocky shore which is great for rock skipping or playing. There are also a number of picnic tables and recreational grills for cooking lunches or dinners here.

Just through the picnic tables, the trail splits; you can go either straight or right. Though the mile markers count up from 0.5 to 5 if you follow the loop right, we hiked straight to try and avoid some of the steeper uphill sections that come with the proper route. Once you exit the clearing, you'll be afforded views of a dense, rhododendron-thick forest. We came a bit after peak rhododendron bloomage, but there were still some flowers out for us.

After about a half mile or so of hiking, the trees thin out and you enter an area thickly vegitated with ferns. The trail also starts to flit through the Julian Price campground areas, so be prepared for one of the less scenic or peaceful sections of your hike. Despite this, we came across a deer in this area, so you never know!

Once you exit the campground, the forest becomes thicker again, until it clears out into a meadow about 1.5 miles in.

After about two miles, the path will start following Bee Tree Creek. Be prepared for several stream crossings; most are pretty doable without getting your feet wet unless the water is high or you lose your balance, though there was one fairly tricky crossing where two loose logs and some rope were the only dry way across.

After about 3 miles, the trail begins following the titular Boone Fork; this is the lowest point of elevation in the whole hike. There are some large, impressive rock formations. This is where you're most likely to encounter other people on the trail, in my experience, as a lot of people like to hang out around the boulders.

After a few tougher climbs involving some slanted rocks and one ladder, you're done with most of the hike; all that's left are some rolling hills and a few clearings. The official start of the trail is along a wide, marshy area of Boone Fork.

For a map of the trail, click here.