📷 Photo by Ashley Knedler on UnsplashBlue Ridge Parkway
A national parkway along the crest of the Appalachians, joining Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks.
- Length
- 469 mi
- Speed limit
- 45 mph
- Suggested time
- 3–7 days
- Best season
- May & Oct
Before you go
- There are no billboards, no trucks and no entrance fee, but you can't go faster than 45 mph.
- Mileposts count from 0 in Virginia to 469 in North Carolina. Everything along the road is located by them.
- Fall color peaks in mid-October at high elevations, and weekends get crowded.
Virginia: milepost 0 to 217
Start at Rockfish Gap and climb Humpback Rocks for the first big view. Natural Bridge is a short detour, and Mabry Mill at MP 176 is one of the most photographed spots on the parkway.
North Carolina: milepost 217 to 469
The road gets higher and twistier. The Linn Cove Viaduct curves around Grandfather Mountain. Asheville is a good base for Biltmore and Chimney Rock, and the southern end winds up to Cherokee and the Smokies.
FAQs
Is the Blue Ridge Parkway open in winter?
Sections close for ice and snow, especially at high elevations. Check the National Park Service road status map before you go.
Can RVs drive the parkway?
Yes, but several tunnels in North Carolina have clearances under 11 feet at the edges. Check your rig height against the posted clearances.
Places to see
Photo by Sakina Faisal on UnsplashLinn Cove Viaduct
A segmented concrete bridge that curves around Grandfather Mountain. It was the last piece of the Blue…
© Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0Clingmans Dome
The highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains, reached by a steep paved path to a spiral observation ramp.
© Ser Amantio di Nicolao · CC0Humpback Rocks
A steep one-mile climb near milepost 6 to a rocky outcrop. There is a reconstructed mountain farm at the…
© vastateparksstaff · CC BY 2.0Natural Bridge State Park
A 215-foot limestone arch over Cedar Creek that Thomas Jefferson once owned.
Photo by Esperanza Doronila on UnsplashMabry Mill
A water-powered gristmill at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 176. The restaurant next door serves buckwheat…
© daveynin · CC BY 2.0Biltmore Estate
America's largest private home, with 250 rooms, formal gardens and a winery on 8,000 acres.
© bobistraveling · CC BY 2.0Chimney Rock State Park
A 315-foot rock spire with long views over Lake Lure. Trails lead to a 404-foot waterfall.
