Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway, sometimes called "America"s Favorite Drive", is the most visited unit of America"s National Park System. A drive down the Parkway provides stunning, long range vistas and close-up looks at the natural and cultural history of the southern Appalachian mountains. It is designed as a drive-awhile and stop-awhile experience, so please don"t be in a hurry. During the winter seasons, sections of the road may be closed due to ice and snow, but there are always sections of the road that are open for travel. Year-round facilities include the Peaks of Otter Lodge and restaurant north of Roanoke, Va, the Museum of North Carolina Minerals at Spruce Pine, NC, and the Folk Art Center and Parkway Headquarters in Asheville, NC.

The park information number at (828) 298 0398 is your best source for up-to-date information on special events, blooms, or temporary closures due to weather conditions or construction. To get more involved in helping protect this special place, contact the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at www.brpfoundation.org.