Brookshire Park
A county park, right in town
Follow along the banks of the New River and enjoy the scenic views of Boone.
Find the Trailhead
Brookshire Park (250 Brookshire Road) features a parking lot, restrooms (open seasonally), an accessible picnic shelter, several river access points, and a multi-purpose athletic field. The park is open from dawn to dusk year-round. Picnic shelter rentals can be arranged with Watauga County Parks and Recreation.
View the Trail Map on All Trails
Take the Hike
The Brookshire trail begins as a relatively flat, paved loop that starts at a wheelchair accessible ramp located to the right of the restrooms. An open, multi-purpose field lies at the center of the 0.3-mile loop, offering stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains. While leashed dogs are welcome on the trail, they are not permitted on the athletic field. Several paths with stone steps lead down to the New River, so fishers can easily find a spot on the river.
On the farthest end of the loop from the parking area, the trail continues to follow the curves of the New River on your right. To the left is Ted Mackorell Soccer Stadium, where both Appalachian State's soccer team and Appalachian FC host home games. Beyond the soccer fields the trail continues into less maintained riparian zone.
Signage and dispersed benches along the path explain the importance of the vegetation that separates the trails from the river. These zones provide crucial habitat for native birds and other remarkable mountain wildlife like mink, turtles, and salamanders. The paved trail reaches its endpoint about 0.8 miles from the parking area. Turn around here for a fully handicapped accessible 1.6-mile round trip.
Alternatively, hikers and mountain bikers can continue along an unpaved trail near the end of the paved path that climbs the adjacent mountain. This steep trail climbs just over 220 feet in elevation in just over half a mile, where a loop around the mountain top provides beautiful views of the river and town below. Once you return down the trail, you'll have two options to return to your starting point. Either choose the fork to the right and walk back to the Brookshire parking lot via the soccer field parking lots, or use the trail you entered the woods on to return to the paved riverside path. Either way, the trip back to the parking area will be about 3 miles round-trip.
