Activities
Elk Knob State Park is located in the northwestern part of North
Carolina, north of the town of Boone, near the Tennessee border.
It is one of the newest parks and was created to protect the
mountain and the headwaters of the North Fork of the New River.
Experience the Park!
Elk Knob is the only
park that offers cross
country skiing
Elk Knob State Park
5564 Meat Camp Rd.
Todd, NC 28684
828-297-7261
elk.knob@ncparks.gov
GPS: 36.332586, -81.690640
Fun Facts
■■ The park was established in 2003
■■ Elk Knob was considered for a housing
development in the early 2000s, before
becoming a state park
Elk Knob is one of
the tallest peaks in
North Carolina’s high
country at 5,520 feet.
• Trailing
wolfsbane
• Large purple
fringed orchid
■■ Surrounded by several historic mountain
communities such as the Winebarger Grist Mill
located in Meat Camp
■■ Elk Knob is an amphibolite mountain—a mix of
amphibole, hornblende and plagioclase feldspar
■■ Amphibolite weathers down to produce rich soils
that provide an excellent habitat for hardwoods
and rare endangered plants
■■ Is a part of the Appalachian Mountains
Rare and
Endangered Plants
• Gray’s lily
5.5k
■■ Trees growing on the northern slopes and
summit of Elk Knob are gnarled and stunted by
harsh weather
■■ Protects the headwaters of the North Fork of the
New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world
• Golden winged warbler
• Bobcat
• Wild turkey
• White-tailed deer
• Raven
• Black bear
• Spreading avens
Named for elk that grazed the valleys
below, the last of which is believed to
have been killed in the late 1700s
ncparks.gov
MNQP
