Visit
Blue Ridge Parkway

Crabtree Meadows is a 250 acre recreational area. It offers camping, hiking and a scenic waterfall. Each spring the Meadows become a garden of wildflowers, including Mountain Laurel, Hawthorne, Gentian, and Beard Tongue. Here you can have a picnic, camp, go on a nature walk, and visit the gift shop, but the main attraction located at Crab Tree Meadows is Crabtree Falls, a 70 foot cascade waterfall.

It is said that these meadows were originally created by the Native American practice of fire clearing, and were probably not settled by the Europeans until after the Revolutionary War.

The Crabtree Falls Loop Trail is a 2.5 mile strenuous hike that leads you down to the waterfall. It descends into a mix of hickory, oak and hemlock and then takes you through a rhododendron thicket. The 70 foot falls cascade over a rock cliff. The falls are unusual because they don't have a basin or plunge pool at the base.

The large picnic area is set amidst views of the Black Mountains with over 80 picnic tables for you to enjoy. The Snack Bar features freshly made sandwiches, salads and soups to compliment your picnic. The gift shop has a large selection of regional handmade crafts.

The campground offers 71 tent sites and 21 RV sites. Camping is limited to a total of 21 days between May and October 31. Each campsite has its own table and fireplace. There are no electric hook-ups and no shower or laundry facilities. Camping is available on a "first come, first served" basis.

Crabtree Meadows is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile post 339.5. Crabtree Meadows marks the last section of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the road enters the Black Mountain Range, passes through the Great Craggies and ends at the Atlantic-Gulf drainage divide.