Very unique park. First time we’ve visited, but we will be back! The trail we took ended at incredible north and south views. It was all uphill, so take a good breath and trek on! Take time to admire all of the mature trees too. Such a pleasure to see these grandiose beauties at elevations of 4000 and up! Trail was well marked and very well kept. We passed both younger and older folks out hiking this trail. Families, couples, even folks hiking alone. Felt like a safe environment for sure.

Elk Knob is a great start park we did the Beech Tree Trail after the Summit Trail. The Beech trailhead is before the Summit on opposite side of parking lot. The trail is rated easy and I agree that anyone can do this one. The trail is also a community art trail. There is art all along the trail, I only wish they would do different kinds of medium rather than just one. I'm sure some metal artist or sculptures would love to participate. Trail was mainly dry and very well marked.

First visit to Elk Knob State Park and it certainly won't be my last. The park was a perfect spot for a last weekend of leaf peeping. The surrounding area is idyllic and well maintained. The hiking trail is a 1.9 mile path to the summit, and it's at a moderate incline. It can get pretty crowded along the trail, but everyone was friendly as they were heading up or down. Very dog friendly as well. At the top the views are majestic, especially in the direction looking out to Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell.

While vacationing in Boone we decided to go visit the park and see the snow . We were so lucky,we had snow more then expected. Beautiful experience and beautiful,long ,moderate hike. Snow was very deep on some places and that made our hike harder ,but view on the top was very very worth it ,hike to the top is 1.9miles. Most beautiful view I ever seen !!! We had so much fun ! So if you’re outdoorsy and you love hiking this is the best place to go ! The entrance in the park is free .

Beautiful summit trail! Well marked and just enough difficultly for FL flatlanders 😂 it has sections of elevation to get the heart rate up, some roots, steps, and rocks to navigate yet is short enough at 3.8 miles (round trip up and down total mileage) that ensures you will still make it to the top! Since I often have our small dog in a backpack on my back it’s great to have a hike that’s all downhill on the way back 😁 The trail is also pet friendly for dogs on a leash (or in our case, in a backpack) Parking was great and there are other trails around the park. No admission fees 👍 We’ve visited twice- both early to mid June so I don’t know if it gets busier later in the summer but we only encountered other people in small groups at the very beginning of the trail and at the top.

Impressive hike with gorgeous scenery, and breathtaking views at the summit. About 15mins from Boone, and you can get 4 miles in within short period of time. Has free parking lot.

Such a beautiful place. Elk Knob was going to be converted into a luxury community, but thanks to local efforts is a treasure in western NC. It is a little full during peak leaf season and an early arrival before 10 AM is suggested. The easy and easy-moderate trails were completely navigable by elderly dogs. They have some absolutely amazing art displays along the trails. I believe that it hits peak color about a week before Boone. If you visit with pets, keep them on a leash. We saw a group of folks get corrected by state law enforcement park rangers and it appeared that the fines were about to be quite serious.

This is an absolutely beautiful park, we were only able to hike the shorter beechwood trail, 1 mile, but I was awestruck at the beauty. The flora and fawna are ever present and the park itself is well maintained. Do yourself a favor and stop by, you won't regret it.

Amazing hike, beautiful scenery, wild blueberries, wild newts across the path, different layers of vegetation as you ascend, breathtaking views at the top. Well work the climb!

One of the newest state parks in NC. Clean and well maintained, including the restrooms. The summit trail up (moderate to strenuous if you're not a regular) and back down is about 4 miles total. Our favorite trail by far in the Boone, Blowing Rock area. Views are simply amazing, especially on a clear day like the one we thankfully had. Highly recommend.

Had a hike in a cloudy day. The trail was very well marked and maintained. Trees and plantations were beautifully surrounded around, even without sunshine, we enjoyed the hike very much. It is a perfect hiking trail if you are not keen on a challenging one. (P.s. no restrooms at the parking lot.)

We hiked the summit trail and the views were great. The trail itself is well kept and moderate to strenuous, make sure to wear the right shoes. Definitely a hike to recommend!

A beautiful park, and well maintained. Along the children's trail there are many surprises scattered about! Nice art work, and gorgeous views!

Always in awe when hiking the Elk Knob Summit Trail. The trail is very well marked and always a pleasure to visit. Gift shop and restroom is clean and easily accessible.

This was one of the most enjoyable parts of our trip! Even though it’s a moderate climb up to the top, the trail is very well planned and maintained. It was a great hike. There was plenty of parking and no fee to enter.

Hike was great some good views. Would recommend and I'll definitely be back.

Nice hike, 1.9 miles up and 1.9 miles down. Trail is a million switchbacks that do all look similar but once you get high enough you really start to see some great views. On top, you get to see all the mountains to the south, then to the north as well. Very clean trails, not one single piece of litter anywhere. worth the trip.