Table of Contents
Discover The Blue Ridge Parkway 6
Planning Your Trip 16
Where to Go 16
When to Go 17
Before You Go 17
Driving Tips 20
Hit the Road 21
The 14-Day Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip 21
Four Days from Washington DC 27
Five Days from Knoxville 29
Music of the Blue Ridge 31
The Shenandoah Valley 35
Washington DC 41
Manassas Battlefield National Park 69
Front Royal 70
Shenandoah National Park 73
Waynesboro 93
Charlottesville 97
Virginia Blue Ridge 109
Rockfish Gap (MP 0.0) 114
Wintergreen Resort (MP 13.7) 116
Sherando Lake (MP 13.7) 117
Crabtree Falls (MP 27.2) 118
Whetstone Ridge (MP 29) 119
Yankee Horse Ridge (MP 34.4) 119
Bluff Mountain (MP 53.1) 120
Otter Creek (MP 60.8) 120
James River Overlook (MP 63.2) 122
US-501 West: Natural Bridge (MP 63.7) 122
Apple Orchard Mountain (MP 76.5) 124
Peaks of Otter (MP 85.9) 125
VA-43 South: Bedford (MP 86) 127
Purgatory Overlook (MP 92.1) 133
Great Valley Overlook (MP 99.6) 133
N&W Railroad Overlook (MP 106.9) 134
Roanoke 134
Virginia's Explore Park (MP 115) 147
Mill Mountain and the Roanoke Star (MP 120) 148
Roanoke Mountain (MP 120.4) 150
Roanoke Valley Overlook (MP 129.6) 150
Devils Backbone Overlook (MP 143.9) 150
Smart View (MP 154.1) 151
VA-8 North: Floyd (MP 165.2) 151
VA-8 South: Fairy Stone State Park (MP 165.2) 154
Rocky Knob Recreation Area (MP 167) 154
Chateau Morrisette Winery (MP 171.5) 156
Mabry Mill (MP 176.1) 158
Primland (MP 177.7) 158
Groundhog Mountain (MP 188.1) 159
Fancy Gap (MP 199.5) 159
US-52 South: Mount Airy (MP 199.5) 159
Sugarloaf Mountain (MP 203.9) 164
Blue Ridge Music Center (MP 213) 164
VA-89 North: Galax (MP 215) 165
North Carolina High Country 169
Cumberland Knob (MP 217.5) 173
US-21 South: Roaring Gap to Elkin (MP 229) 174
Stone Mountain State Park (MP 229) 176
Doughton Park (MP 238.5) 179
Northwest Trading Post (MP 259) 182
NC-163 West: West Jefferson (MP 261) 182
The Lump (MP 264.4) 187
E.B. Jeffress Park (MP 272) 187
US-321 North: Boone (MP 291.9) 187
Blowing flock (MP 291.9) 194
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (MP 294) 200
Julian Price Memorial Park (MP 297.1) 201
Linn Cove Viaduct (MP 304.4) 202
Grandfather Mountain (MP 305) 203
Beacon Heights (MP 305.2) 207
Flat Rock (MP 308.3) 207
Linville Gorge (MP 316.3) 207
US-221 South: Linville Caverns (MP 317.4) 209
Chestoa View (MP 320.8) 209
McKinney Gap (MP 327.5) 210
Museum of North Carolina Minerals (MP 331) 210
NC-226 West: Penland School of Crafts (MP 331) 210
Little Switzerland (MP 334) 211
Crabtree Falls (MP 339.5) 212
Mount Mitchell State Park (MP 355.3) 214
Craggy Gardens (MP 364.6) 215
Asheville and the Southern Blue Ridge 217
Folk Art Center (MP 382) 223
Asheville (MP 382.5) 224
Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (MP 384) 247
US-Alt 74 East: Chimney Bock (MP 384.7) 248
North Carolina Arboretum (MP 393) 250
Lake Powhatan (MP 393) 251
Mount Pisgah (MP 408.6) 256
Cold Mountain Overlook (MP 412) 258
US-276 South: Pisgah Ranger District and Brevard (MP 412) 258
Looking Glass Rock Overlook (MP 417) 265
Graveyard Fields Overlook (MP 418.8) 265
Devil's Courthouse (MP 422.4) 266
US-215 North: Cold Mountain (MP 423.2) 267
Richland Balsam Overlook (MP 431.4) 268
US-74 East: Waynesville (MP 443.1) 268
Waterrock Knob Visitor Center (MP 451.2) 271
US-19 North: Maggie Valley (MP 455.7) 272
Soco Gap (MP 455.7) 274
Big Witch Gap Overlook (MP 461.9) 275
Southern End (MP 469.1) 275
US-441 South: Cherokee 275
US-19 South: Bryson City 280
Great Smoky Mountains 287
Great Smoky Mountains National Park 294
Gatlinburg 324
Pigeon Forge and Sevierville 334
Knoxville 341
Essentials 353
Getting There 354
Road Rules 356
Travel Tips 359
Health and Safety 361
Information and Services 361
Suggested Reading 362
Internet Resources 363
Index 366
Although every effort was made to make sure the information in this book was accurate when going to press, research was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and things may have changed since the time of writing. Be sure to confirm specific details, like opening hours, closures, and travel guidelines and restrictions, when making your travel plans.