Price Lake Scavenger Hunt

Price Lake

PRICE LAKE

Scavenger Hunt

Hike along a portion of the Price Lake Trail and visit these colored zones to discover just a few of the stories this park has to tell.

Evergreen Shrubs
Rhododendron and mountain laurel are understory (lower level) plants. Their leathery oval leaves stay green through all four seasons.

  • Rhododendron

    have bright pink, purple, or white flowers. Leaves are about the length of an adult hand.

  • Mountain Laurel

    have five-sided flowers with pink stamens. Leaves are about the length of adult finger.

Q. Which of these plants is NOT an evergreen?

Water Directions
Rain and snow from the surrounding peaks flow into Boone Fork and other small creeks, draining into Price Lake. From the lake, water continues north into Boone Fork and then flows into the Watauga River and eventually the Mississippi River. How many other creeks can you find flowing into Price Lake?

Q. To what body of water does the Mississippi River flow?

Funky Tree Trunks
The bark of a tree is a great place for other organisms to make a home.

  • Shelf Fungus

    Mushrooms are only a small part of the entire fungus. It is the "fruit" of the fungus. Mushrooms come in many shapes and sizes.

  • Lichen

    Lichen is an organism formed by algae and fungus combined. It can be flat, leafy, or even stringy. Lichens come a wide variety of colors.

Q. Which of these organisms is NOT part of a lichen?

Prehistoric Plants
Ferns and clubmosses are among the oldest types of plants on Earth and were one of the dominant plants when dinosaurs roamed the land.

  • Ferns

    Ferns reproduce with bundles of spores (called sori) that grow on the leaflets instead of seeds.

  • Clubmoss

    Clubmosses are a group of plants that are closely related to ferns and reproduce with spores.

Q. What other organism uses spores to reproduce?

Active Beavers
Beavers here at the lake are always busy gnawing and cutting down trees. The wetland on the south end of the lake was created by beavers. They used logs and mud to block the stream and raise the water level so they could build their dome-like homes, called lodges, in the water.

  • Wetland

  • Chewed Trunk

  • Lodge

  • Beaver

Q. Which mineral makes beavers' teeth strong and gives them a 'rusty' orange color?

Bonus Wildlife Roundup!
Beavers aren't the only creatures that live in and around Price Lake. What other wildlife can you find?

  • Turtle

    Turtles are cold-blooded and need to sit in the sun to warm their body. Can you find a turtle sunning itself?

  • Bird

    The Lake is home to many types of birds. Ducks swim, osprey soar overhead, and herons wade in the shallows.

  • Snake

    The most common snake here is the northern water snake. Their color ranges from black to patterned. Look for them swimming.

  • Frog

    American bullfrogs are the most common here. You might see them leap into water, startled as you walk by the lake shore.

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