Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee

Without doubt the Blue Ridge Parkway is the major attraction in the East for scenery hunters.

Location

The Blue Ridge Parkway, administered by the National Park Service, runs along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains for some 470 miles from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. If the highly scenic Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah National Park at the northern end and the equally excellent Newfound Gap road through the Smokies at the southern end are both added then the total distance from Front Royal, Virginia to Gatlinburg, Tennessee exceeds 500 miles.

Technically the Blue Ridge Parkway itself does not extend into Tennessee. However, the Newfound Gap road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a natural extension to the southern end of the Parkway, so Tennessee is included in these notes as if it were truly a state through which the Parkway runs.

What to See and Do

There are numerous fascinating exhibits (pioneer farms and cabins, small museums, an old water mill, etc.) along the way, as well as frequent scenic overlooks (some at the end of short side roads) with excellent views of the beautiful and varied countryside, often stretching east or west for many miles, with new vistas opening up at every turn. Many sections of the Parkway also feature fascinating flowers, plants and other foliage. The Parkway is a road to amble along slowly with frequent stops and would be an excellent choice if you don't wish to drive great distances.

The Parkway itself is toll free, but there is an entrance fee for the Shenandoah National Park. While in theory there is also an entrance fee for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in practice there is no fee since this park has no entrance fee booths on its entrance roads.

The vast majority of the exhibits on the Parkway do not charge any entrance or parking fee.

No commercial vehicles such as trucks or coaches are permitted on the Parkway, which is why it doesn't feature in coach tour brochures.

There is a 45mph speed limit on the Parkway.

The Parkway is a modern well designed road with wide bends and very moderate gradients. It's a two-way road, but there are over- and under-passes wherever it crosses other roads, with on and off ramps. Driving on the Parkway is therefore extremely pleasant.

You could start a tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway by flying in to Baltimore or Washington DC near its northern end or Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Chattanooga or Knoxville near its southern end, or you easily could combine the Parkway with a trip to Florida.

Foliage Seasons

The autumn (fall) foliage season begins in late September when the dogwood, sourwood and blackgum trees turn deep red. Next come the tulip-trees and hickories which turn bright yellow, sassafras which turns vivid orange and red maples which develop a variety of colours. Finally oaks turn russet and maroon.

Evergreen trees along the Parkway include Virginia pine, white pine, hemlock spruce and fir.

The spring foliage season for flowering shrubs varies with altitude. In general, the display on the Virginia section of the Parkway appears before that on the North Carolina section despite it being further north, because it is at a lower altitude.

The following table lists the best times to see spring foliage of various kinds:

Flame azalea South of Roanoke to Rocky Knob Mid May
Flame azalea West of Asheville Mid-June
Mountain laurel Along Otter Creek Mid-May
Mountain laurel Other parts of the Parkway First two weeks of June
Catawba rhododendron North of Peaks of Otter to Onion Mountain and in Doughton Park First week of June
Catawba rhododendron Craggy Gardens and in the Balsams After mid-June
Wildflowers Anywhere on the Parkway April to autumn (fall)

Winter Access

According to the Blue Ridge Parkway Directory (a publicity booklet listing the various attractions, accommodation and restaurants close to the Parkway) from November to mid-April sections of the road are often closed.

A publicity leaflet for the Northwest Trading Post states that it operates from 15-Apr to 31-Oct, and I imagine that these dates are typical for other similar attractions along the route.

Some Ideas for Places to Stay

There are a number of towns of various sizes along the whole length of the Parkway. We would recommend the following medium sized towns for overnight stops:

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