ELK KNOB STATE PARK,N.C.
Elk Knob State Park is located about 20 miles north of Boone, NC, near Tennessee. It is the most northern park in the state and is the “newest”, being in 2018 only about 3 years old. It lies at an elevation of about 5500 feet, making it one of our highest mountain venues. For a full description of the site, check this link. I went to this site recently while visiting in Boone. There was a 10 degree drop in temperature from Boone to the park! I was there only briefly and did not have a chance to explore any of the many trails. The bird species here should be quite different than at lower elevations. I did visit one small meadow area and was able to get a few pictures of butterflies feeding on the Horrible Thistle blooming there. This would be a neat place to visit in the hot summer months because of the cool temps. The drive up to the park from Boone is a beautiful, steep mountain drive with many sharp turns and switchbacks. A striking area!! See the pics below
