Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Parkways

Address: 199 Hemphill Knob Rd
Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: 828-271-4779;
Fax: 828-271-4313;
Web: www.nps.gov/blri/
Size: 93,735 acres.
Established: Initial construction funds allocated under authority of the National Industrial Recovery Act of June 16, 1933; National Park Service administration authorized on June 30, 1936.
Location: Parkway extends 469 miles along the crests of the southern Appalachians in Virginia and North Carolina, linking two eastern national parks -- Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains (see separate listings for descriptions of each). The motor road is marked every mile by concrete mileposts beginning at MP 0 near Shenandoah NP and ending at MP 469 at Great Smoky Mountain NP.
Facilities: Campgrounds (é), picnic area, rest rooms (é), cabin rental, lodging, groceries, restaurant/snacks, boat rental, visitor centers (é), museum/exhibit, self-guided tour/trail.
Activities: Camping, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, boating, fishing, bird-watching, wildlife viewing, auto touring, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ranger programs, historical and cultural demonstrations.
Special Features: Following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this scenic parkway ranges in elevation from 649 to 6,047 feet above sea level and embraces several large recreational and natural history areas and Appalachian cultural sites in North Carolina and Virginia.

---

See other parks in North Carolina.