The Blowing Rock

It’s a great legend but a totally mediocre attraction. $ 7.00 a person to see a very small rock outcropping. Mediocre is too generous, a half star for the view only. Blowing Rock downtown is really nice though.

Blowing Rock is convenient from the town of Blowing Rock or Boone, not too far off from Canyons restaurant. You enter through the visitor center where you pay the $ 7 visitor fee. Then you are free to enter the park. There is a walking trail around the rock, a couple observation points, the Blowing Rock itself, and an observation deck. The views were great and it was really fun to climb all over the rock and take pictures that made it look like we conquered a mountain. The resident cats are also very cute. I did expect it to be a hike to the rock though, but instead you step out the visitor center and it’s right there. Great photo opportunities though and relaxing place to visit!

This was not worth the $ 7 admission fee. The blowing rock was so very small and pretty unremarkable. Save yourself the money and check out some of the free hiking trails in the area. The views are just as good, if not better. Someone is getting very wealthy exploiting this landmark for their own financial gain…

I know the $ 7 admission charge seems steep, but it is well worth it. We spent about 35 minutes there and it was the most spectacular view I have ever seen. It is definitely a must if you are in the area and they are dog friendly!

The view is really nice, and the admission is $ 7. There’s not really anything to do. But, the little garden is cute, and there was a sweet cat when I went.

Neat place to stop while visiting near Boone, NC. The admission is $ 7 per person, but the views are stunning. Once you climb up to the top where the big rock is, you can see mountains for miles in each direction. We were here in early September and I think we missed the changing of the leaves by a week or so. It was still beautiful, but would be even more amazing in October at the peak of the leaf changes. Overall worth stopping by to get some breath taking views of one of the most beautiful areas in the country!

The Blowing Rock was a fun stop while visiting the area. It was definitely worth the $ 7 admission. The views are definitely worth the money alone. If you want to, you can climb up on the actual «Blowing Rock» and peek down at the valley below. There are some great photo opportunities here. There are signs posted everywhere with «climb at your own risk» warnings. We climbed the rock and survived.
The staff was friendly and the restroom facilities were decent.

One of the most uninterrupted, panoramic views you can find anywhere in Western North Carolina, the privately owned Blowing Rock attraction is one of my favorite places to visit.
Nestled in the mountains of Blowing Rock, NC, you can find free scenic overlooks every half mile along the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. But for (what I consider to be a relatively small) entrance fee of $ 7 per person, you get what you pay for: a better view.
The attraction includes a gift shop with souvenir t-​shirts, mugs, calendars, the usual items; two observation decks with binocular viewers; a few short paths to walk; and the actual «blowing rock» itself, along with the Native American legend behind the name. Visitors are even allowed to climb on the rock (at their own risk, of course). I couldn’t climb the rock, but I did manage to scoot my butt to the top and swing my feet over the edge for a footsie. You know, a selfie with feet?
The second observation deck is at the end of a short walk, a solid steel frame construction platform with railings to keep children safe. From here you can see Grandfather Mountain rising in the distance like a lonely mountain. The valley spreads out before you. The colors here are unbelievably gorgeous in the fall (seriously, unbelievable, so you will just have to check it out for yourself).
This is one of my favorite places in Western North Carolina to enjoy a view of the mountains, any time of day, any day of the week, any season of the year.

Dog friendly. Beautiful and magical place the view is worth the entrance fee for upkeep of this gorgeous place. There was a sweet boy cat named Luna there. He was as awesome as the view. No real effort to walk around easy terrain. Saw it as a child and still is magic to me. Road work sucks out there be aware.

Definitely worth the trip. I felt that the entrance fee was a little steep, especially for children, but the views really are beautiful. Make sure you have your camera ready.

Save your money and go to grandfather mtns because the $ 7 adult, $ 6 veteran/​senior, $ 4 or $ 5 kid wasn’t worth it. .we were there like 10min. We walked around as much as we could, took our time, got some pics, but were done quick.
Disappointing

Wow, what scenery! I want to live here. I
Will definitely be coming here to view the different seasons. It would be great to just sit and relax for hours and hours. Plenty of places with tables to have a picnic and if your a photographer, the picture opportunity is unlimited. I do not believe this a tourist trap by any means. The $ 7 is for the up-​keep of the grounds and the observation deck. I think it is well worth the price.

It’s a nice little tourist trap with a great story behind it. $ 7 gets you in and they have nice seating areas and a little trail around the grounds if you want to get some food at the little snack bar they have. The view is wonderful and worth the price alone.

If you go to Blowing Rock, you must stop by this travel attraction. It is an immense cliff 4,000 feet above sea level and hangs over a gorge 3,000 feet below. There are great panoramic views and there’s a delightful story that the Indians told about the Blowing Rock, which I won’t tell you. This is a wonderful photo op of your visit to this great town in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Tourist trap-​y? Perhaps. But I think the view is worth the $ 7 a person.
Another stop for me and the girlfriend on our Blue Ridge Parkway trip. It wasn’t terribly crowded when we came and we purchased tickets in the gift shop, which has your typical myriad of nature related merchandise — stuffed animals, shot glasses, walking sticks, hats, t-​shirts, etc. There are also some kitschy items, such as a shirt that says «He does the Working, I do the Shopping» or something to that effect.
But let’s talk about the view. Blowing Rock offers some of the best views of the mountains (especially Grandfather and Grandmother Mountains), and when the colors are changing or a storm is rolling in, it’s truly a sight to behold. It’s a shame you can see some houses and the radio tower on Grandmother Mountain, but there’s still 95% of your view that looks untouched by humans. We came right before a rain storm, and watching the clouds roll through the valleys was really cool.
That being said, the attraction is small, and you’ll be lucky if you spend an hour here. I think it’s worth it, and any picture you take will look like those nature pictures you see on calendars or default desktop wallpapers.

The wind was blowing! Maybe this is what made my experience different from the rest? I love the Blowing Rock. The views are amazing, it’s not crowded with people, and climbing the rock is «at your own risk», so you can shimmy right up to the top and peek your head over. (I usually put down my bag and anything that might make me lopsided…). I should note, I’m a sucker for a love story — and this is it.
When I went today, it was $ 7 to get through the gift shop and outside. They give you a map with everything labeled. DO NOT get excited about the «waterfall» on the map. It’s man made, on your way back into the gift shop. Fool me once, shame on you…
This is not a «spend all day here» experience. You should stop here on your way to Boone, or somewhere exciting. I’ve been twice, neither time have I been there more than an hour. (Also note, short attention span…). I like it. I’ll stop here again for a little side adventure. It’s not going to fill your day with anything more than some sweet views and a neat story.

It would be fun to say this attraction blows… but it’s not really that bad.
Just an old fashioned tourist trap staffed by friendly ladies. The views are great. It wasn’t blowing the day we went… but there IS a rock, I promise. Nice gardens, maybe could’ve been nicer but what de hay, we got what was comin’ to us! We only felt a little ripped off. Not bad. Not so bad. Just a bit of a chin-​scratcher.
I think they might think about offering a rain-​check to come back for free or discount if you get a no-​wind day. Even though most tourists would never do it, it would be a nice touch and put some salve where you got fleeced. We just went to a nearby bar and called it a day.

Great view! The «Blowing Rock» turned out to be a big boulder for the kids to climb on, so that was a bit anti-​climactic. However, the overlook was really nice. Inside the office, they had a panoramic picture labeling all the peaks and landmarks– I really wish they had a paper copy of this or a post of this picture AT the overlook so you could identify what you’re looking at.
Overall, it was a nice experience. It was $ 6 for adults-​a lot cheaper than Grandfather Mt ($ 18) but a lot more than the Blue Ridge Pkwy (free).

Not as much to do as I expected, but it’s cheap and still a pretty view.
It really is just a big rock, with a great view.
There are some historical things to read, gift shop, bathrooms, pay-​to-​operate telescope things… you know regular. I think it was worth the $ 6.00, but don’t know if I would come again.

The legend of Blowing Rock is that a tourist dropped her digital camera off the ledge and a gust of wind from an ancient spirit picked it up and returned it to her.
No, just kidding– the legend is that a man was so torn between love of a woman and love of his tribe that he jumped off the jutting rock into the valley below, but the woman prayed to the Great Spirit and the wind blew upwards and returned him to safety. So allegedly there are winds that blow upward near the rock.
The view is amazing. (See:photos.) In summer, the valley far below was packed with rolling hills of lush green trees. I can only imagine how beautiful fall foliage would be there. You can see for miles, including the nearby profile of Grandfather Mountain and the distant Blue Ridge layers.
As of August 2008 the admission price was $ 6, which seemed fair considering that Grandfather Mountain allegedly was $ 14. However, I wish they could improve the visitors’ center with some more historical posters about the area and how it was inhabited and settled hundreds of years ago. It would be nice if they could expand the park somehow – there wasn’t really much space to roam around. They should also renovate their tiny bathrooms. Bonus tip: there are some areas for picnics, but watch out for the bees!