Price Lake

Managed by MountainTrue Watauga Riverkeeper

Headwaters of Boone Fork Creek which is a major tributary of the Watauga River. Excellent fly fishing in Boone Fork Creek. Catch and release.

Price Lake is a memorable walk in spring, summer or fall and also a wonderful place to paddle-just rent a canoe, rowboat, or a kayak, at the on-site rental facility that also sells bait and rents fishing tackle for anglers!

In winter under deep snow, Price Lake makes a wonderful cross country ski tour (for beginners too). The ski tour winds through the lakeshore. The Price Lake Campground is easily one of the premier places on the Parkway to set up a tent (closed in winter) making this the perfect place to fish, hike, and camp!

Get directions to this beach

COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is essential right now. Follow the advice of the health experts. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Heading to the beach should only be considered an option if social distancing practices can be followed. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter the efforts to curb the virus’ spread.

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization public resource on COVID-19.

Water Quality

Passed water quality tests at least 95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on September 27th, 2019. MountainTrue Watauga Riverkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on September 29th, 2019 at 4:00 PM.

For water quality icon legend, click:

Report Pollution

Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Participating volunteers take weekly water samples, and sites are listed as failing to meet water quality standards if they exceed the EPA's recommended safe level for E. coli of 235 E. coli colonies per 100 ml of water. Volunteers take samples early each week, and results are posted on Thursday or Friday. This sample data provides a general guide to the health of the waterway and should only be used for informational purposes. This data does not guarantee the sampled area is safe for swimming at all times. Overall, E. coli levels in the Watauga River are low, and the river is typically safe for swimming. However, E. coli levels can change at any time and frequently increase after rain events. As a general rule, if the water is clear, then E. coli levels are likely to be low. Please contact the Watauga Riverkeeper at andy@mountaintrue.org if you have questions. Please also contact us if you would like to volunteer to take water samples.

Water Quality Graph