The Boone-area part of the Blue Ridge Parkway traverses the northwest corner of North Carolina called the High Country. This lofty region is home to many of the most important animals and ecosystems that make a Parkway trip so special.

Parkway area summits are the highest in the East. Two scenic species of evergreens symbolize the cool northern climate of the Southern Appalachians. Red Spruce grows widely and ranges all the way to New England. Fraser Fir is native only to high summits in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. The nation’s favorite species of Christmas tree grows in neat plantations along the Boone area part of the Parkway. Acid rain and ozone challenge both trees, and the tiny Balsam woolly adelgid is attacking Fraser Fir. In places you’ll notice dead, skeletal stands of these evergreens—and places where the cool verdure of the forest is inspiring. Add sugar maples, yellow birches, and paper birches and you’ll see why the Parkway’s highest forests inspire comparisons with New England.

Ravens

A distinctive gargling croak denotes this giant black bird with a bulbous black beak. Often seen high on the Parkway, at Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell, the birds soar along rocky crags and brave even bitter winter winds to frolic in blustery gusts. Quoth the traveler: “The raven never bores” with aerial acrobatics.

 

 

Turkeys

It’s easier than ever to glimpse flocks of wild turkeys along the Parkway—populations of the birds have grown dramatically in North Carolina in recent years. Clusters of gobblers can often be glimpsed at the edges of fields and forests.

 

Bears

With the Parkway surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest, you could glimpse the reclusive black bear. The often-sinewy bruins range from 125 to 250 pounds. Parkway campers should use caution not to tempt bears with easily accessible food. Never feed bears or approach too closely, especially a mother with cubs.

 

Carolina Hemlock

The lacey boughs of Carolina Hemlock lend a northern feel to the Parkway’s deciduous forests of oak, maple, and tulip poplar. These evergreens love water, so they grow to impressive height and girth in stream drainages and near lakes (such as Trout Lake in Blowing Rock). The bark of the hemlock contains tannin and was used to make a tanning treatment for hides. Sadly, the hemlock woolly adelgid may eradicate the species.

 

Squirrels

North Carolina has its own subspecies of northern flying squirrels. It’s rare to see these nocturnal gliders, but you will see the red squirrel, another species found far to the north that lives in the cool evergreen forests of Boone area mountains.

 

The tree-covered Southern Appalachians offer inspiring vistas from breezy mountaintop meadows called “balds.” Despite being located at high elevations, these natural appearing meadows are not true alpine areas like those that lie above timberline in New England and the West. Parkway peaks would need to reach 8,000 feet for a severe high elevation climate to create treeless summits. Some think the unexplained meadows resulted from fires set by Native Americans to encourage game. The balds are one of the best places to enjoy the rhododendron bloom (link to the article “The King of Appalachian Spring” below). The meadows can easily be seen on the Boone area part of the Parkway at Craggy Gardens (and near the Parkway at Roan Mountain (link to hiking article).

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