Blue Ridge Parkway

Usual hours

• Mon–Sun 0:00–0:00

From 56 published days, 2026-10-21 to 2026-12-15; community-mapped.

About

This park's official page lists: Pet-friendly (leashed).

Entrance / day-use fee applies.

Free admission.

Official facts

Public access: Restricted access.

Protected area: 52,757 acres (21,350 ha).

Designation: Parkway. Listed as "Blue Ridge Parkway" in the Protected Areas Database of the United States. Protection: protected from conversion, multiple uses allowed (GAP 3).

Managed by: NPS.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2025, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.1

At the park

• Visitor center exhibit
• Camping activity
• Picnicking activity
• Waterfalls scenic feature
• Hiking trails trail

Events

• Counting Butterflies as They Flutter by (Doughton Park - Milepost 238.5)
• Polly Wood's Ordinary Open House (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 86)
• Milepost Music (Mabry Mill - Milepost 176)
• Milepost Music (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 85.6)
• Guided Tour of the Mabry Mill Grounds (Mabry Mill - Milepost 176.2)
• Midday Mountain Music (Blue Ridge Music Center - Milepost 213)
• Brinegar Cabin Open House (Doughton Park - Milepost 238.5) 01:00 PM–04:00 PM · Brinegar Cabin is located at milepost 238.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Park in the parking and follow the paved walkway to the cabin.
• Historic Mill Open House (Mabry Mill - Milepost 176.2)
• Fire, Iron, and Tradition: Mabry Mill Blacksmith Demonstration (Mabry Mill Blacksmith Shop - Milepost 176.2) 10:30 AM–02:00 PM · Blue Ridge Parkway - Mabry Mill Blacksmith Shop - Milepost 176.2
• Building Appalachia: A Geologic Story (Ranger Talk – Museum of North Carolina Minerals milepost 331) 01:15 PM–01:45 PM · Museum of North Carolina Minerals (Parkway milepost 331) - 79 Parkway Maintenance Road Spruce Pine, NC
• From Hunters to Heroes: The Overmountain Men (Ranger Talk - Museum of North Carolina Minerals milepost 331) 01:15 PM–01:45 PM · The Museum of North Carolina Minerals is located at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 331 near Spruce Pine, NC. Address: 79 Parkway Maintenance Road Spruce Pine, NC
• More than Mountains: Ranger-Led Talks and Activities (Craggy Gardens Visitor Center - Milepost 364) 11:00 AM–11:30 AM · This talk will be outside the visitor center. In high winds or inclement weather, the talk will be canceled and we will set up an informal educational table indoors. The Craggy Gardens Visitor Center is at Milepost 364.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• The Ramblin’ Bald: Guided High Elevation Hike (Craggy Gardens Visitor Center - Milepost 364)
• A Wooded Walk: Guided, Low-Elevation Hike (Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center - Milepost 384)
• Find Your Zen: Forest Bathing Walk (Peaks of Otter Visitor Center - Milepost 86)
• History, Naturally: Ranger-Led Talks and Activities (Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center - Milepost 384) 02:45 PM–03:15 PM · This program will be inside the visitor center. We are at Milepost 384, and our "normal" street address is 195 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville NC 28803.
• One Big House: Guided Walk (Humpback Rocks Visitor Center - Milepost 6)
• The Wild, the Weird, and the Wonderful: Ranger-Led Talks and Activities (Waterrock Knob Visitor Center - Milepost 451)
• Agriculture in Appalachia (Humpback Rocks Visitor Center - Milepost 6)
• Appalachian Foodways (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 86)
• Basketweaving Demonstrations & Ramsey Cabin Open House (Humpback Rocks Visitor Center - Milepost 6) 01:00 PM–03:00 PM · Humpback Rocks Mountain Farm located at milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the sidewalk from the Visitor Center down to the farm.
• Trail Treks at Waterrock: Guided High Elevation Hike (Waterrock Knob Visitor Center - Milepost 451)
• International Observe the Moon Night (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 86)
• Not Your Ordinary Destination (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 86)
• Snake Take (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 86)
• Dulcimer at the Cabin (Humpback Rocks - Milepost 6)
• Match That Mammal! (Peaks of Otter Visitor Center - Milepost 86)
• Rocky Knob Butterfly Walk (Rocky Knob - Milepost 167.1) 10:00 AM–11:00 AM · Rocky Knob Campground - Milepost - 167.1. Meet next to the campground kiosk.
• Bluegrass Mountains: Ranger-Led Talks and Activities (Craggy Gardens Visitor Center - Milepost 364) 01:30 PM–02:00 PM · This talk will be outside the visitor center. In high winds or inclement weather, the talk will be canceled and we will set up an informal educational table indoors. The Craggy Gardens Visitor Center is at Milepost 364.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
• Hike Smart: The Ten Essentials and Leave No Trace Principles (Peaks of Otter - Milepost 86) 02:00 PM–03:00 PM · Located by the Sharp Top Store.
• and 26 more

Places to eat

• Mr. Kabab Grill

Before you go

Limits

A gathering of fewer than 25 people to spread cremated ashes is allowed without a permit with the following restrictions:

Limits

You may also picnic on the roadside, but you must be pulled completely off the road

Limits

Yes, dogs and other pets are allowed on the Parkway, but must be on a leash (not to exceed six feet) and under your physical control

Limits

No. Launching, landing, operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of the Blue Ridge Parkway is prohibited

Getting there

The parkway is a 469-mile-long scenic road connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Numerous federal and state highways provide access to the parkway. Milepost markers are positioned every mile along the parkway, starting at 0 in Virginia and ending at 469 in North Carolina. We suggest using a map to identify the area you want to visit, as GPS directions often do not incorporate the parkway's milepost system.

Weather & when to go

The weather on the parkway can vary widely along its 469-mile route. Precipitation is possible any time of the year. Winter can be cold and snowy, especially at the higher elevations. Spring and fall can have large temperature swings, from near freezing to over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Summers are hot in the lower elevations, but the highest elevations remain cooler. Summertime thunderstorms are common, so be prepared for weather changes.

Visitor center

Alligator Back Overlook

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Music Center (Milepost 213) — The Blue Ridge Music Center is open 7 days week from 10 am to 5 pm. Midday Mountain Music, a free music concert and demonstration is held in the breezeway of the museum every day from noon to 3 pm. — The Blue Ridge Parkway Music Center is located at Milepost 213 on the Virginia/North Carolina state border.

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (Milepost 384)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (Milepost 384)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (Milepost 384)

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (Milepost 384) — Open year-round, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Subject to temporary closures during periods of inclement weather. — From I-40, exit at #53 and follow the signs, heading east on US 74A toward Lake Lure and turn right on the Parkway on-ramp. Make a right to head north on the Parkway and turn left up the driveway for the visitor center in less than a mile. If you entered the Parkway from US-25/Hendersonville Rd or NC-191/Brevard Rd, continue north for 10-15 minutes, and turn when you see the visitor center sign…

Visitor center

Craggy Gardens

Visitor center

Craggy Gardens

Facilities on the park map

28 bench, 4 changing table, 8 defibrillator, 15 first aid kit, 42 picnic area, 89 restroom, 79 visitor information, 19 water fountain.

Where to stay

• Thunderbird Motel Thunderbird Motel, 835 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Comfort Inn Tunnel Road East Comfort Inn Tunnel Road East, 1435 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Holiday Inn Asheville East Holiday Inn Asheville East, 1450 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Tru Tru, 1500 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Brookstone Lodge Near Biltmore Village, Ascend Hotel Collection Brookstone Lodge Near Biltmore Village, Ascend Hotel Collection, 4 Roberts Road, Asheville, NC 28803, United States of America
• Glo Best Western Asheville Tunnel Road Glo Best Western Asheville Tunnel Road, 509 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Best Western Best Western, 501 Tunnel Road, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Courtyard Courtyard, 1 Buckstone Place, Asheville, NC 28805, United States of America
• Mount Pisgah Mount Pisgah Campground is located in the mountains of western North Carolina at an elevation of 4,980 feet, and offers moderate to cool temperatures during camping seasons. Mount Pisgah is part of the Appalachian Mountain Range, an area of the country with scenery that never disappoints. Several popular hiking trails, ranging from moderate to difficult, are easily accessible from the campground. · 125 campsites · Accessibility: Campground has three accessible campsites, each with accessible grill and picnic table. Restrooms with flush toilets, showers, drinking water, walkways are…
• Crabtree Falls Campground Due to impacts for Hurricane Helene, Crabtree Falls Campground will be closed to all camping in 2026. · 81 campsites · Accessibility: Campground has four accessible campsites, each with accessible grill and picnic table. Restrooms with flush toilets, drinking water, walkways are accessible…
• Linville Falls Campground Due to impacts for Hurricane Helene Linville Falls campground will be closed to all camping in 2026. · 64 campsites · Accessibility: Campground has two accessible campsites, each with accessible grill and picnic table. Restrooms with flush toilets, drinking water, walkways are accessible. No…
• Julian Price Park Campground Julian Price Campground sits beside Price Lake, a pristine body of water that sparkles against the backdrop of rolling mountains. The surrounding forest offers a colorful assortment of wildflowers in the spring and vivid orange and red foliage in the fall. Canoes can be rented at the lake, and a dock offers opportunities for fishing. Area hiking trails include Price Lake, Boone Fork, Green Knob, a · 190 campsites · Accessibility: Campground has five accessible campsites, each with accessible grill and picnic table. Restrooms with flush toilets, drinking water, walkways are accessible…

Nearby

• CVS Pharmacy
• McDonald's
• KFC
• Dunkin'
• Sonic
• Piazza
• J&S Cafeteria
• Fairview Tavern
• Nachos & Beer
• Pizza Hut
• Mamas & Beer
• East Village Grille
• Cocula
• Domino's
• Dobra Tea
• Pomodoros Greek & Itallian East
• Asheville Mountain Pharmacy
• Bojangles'
• Oakley Police Resource Centre
• Arby's