Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway offers a peaceful escape from hectic urban life. Head out on an independent road trip, or take a day trip from Asheville, North Carolina, during which you can hike through the Appalachian wilderness and visit scenic waterfalls.

Artistically inclined visitors can hone their photography skills on a small-group photo tour of the parkway and capture wild landscapes under the guidance of a local. At the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, stop off at Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a guided nature and history tour, rafting trip, or scenic helicopter flight.

• The parkway’s speed limit never exceeds 45 mph (72 kph). Due to steep roads and occasional wildlife crossings, careful driving is essential.

• There are plenty of stops along the way to sightsee, hike, or picnic—many travelers take four or five days to complete the whole route.

• The weather along the parkway can vary greatly due to changes in elevation, so dress in layers.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles (755 kilometers) through the Appalachian Highlands between North Carolina and Virginia. You’ll find markers along every mile of the parkway, and it’s best to carry a map to determine where you want to go, as GPS directions often do not understand the milepost system.

While the parkway is open 24 hours a day, visitor services (picnic areas, visitor centers, and restrooms) may be limited after dark and close entirely from November–April. The best time to visit is in fall, when the leaves turn seasonal shades of red, yellow, and orange. The road closes only due to inclement weather, which occurs most often in winter.

Nestled away in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the city of Asheville is known for its vibrant arts scene and historic architecture, including the 19th-century Biltmore Estate, a massive historical mansion built by George Vanderbilt. Don’t miss the downtown Art District, which is filled with galleries and museums, and the nearby River Arts District, where former factory buildings house artists’ studios. There are also numerous hiking trails in the area, along with several craft breweries.

The best time of year to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway is during the leaf-peeping season in the fall. The leaves typically begin to change color in early October and peak in a beautiful display of yellows, reds, and oranges mid to late month, depending on the elevation.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is free to drive. Outside of closures due to snow or ice, the All-American Road that runs from Virginia all the way to North Carolina is always open to the public and requires no entrance fees. However, campgrounds along the parkway charge fees for overnight stays.

The best place to start the Blue Ridge Parkway depends on which access point is closest to you. The route runs some 470 miles (760 kilometers) from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, and there are convenient starting points near Charlottesville, Roanoke, and Asheville.

How long you need at the Blue Ridge Parkway really depends—to drive most (or all) of the roadway from Virginia to North Carolina, you need about 2–3 days, but you can see sections near larger towns, such as Asheville and Charlottesville, in just 2–4 hours.

No, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic motorway—officially a National Parkway and All-American Road—and is meant for driving. But it’s also followed by a network of loosely connected trails through Forest Service and private land from Virginia to North Carolina. There are also many trailheads along the parkway.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most scenic places in the US. While it's difficult to say which is the most photographed area, Mabry Mill, the Craggy Gardens, and Grandfather Mountain (one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains) are among the most photographed by travelers.