Blue Ridge Parkway Guide

Skyline Drive section of the Blue Ridge Parkway snaking through Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Blue Ridge Parkway Highlights

Drive some or all of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway in autumn for a brilliant foliage show. Springtime is another great time to catch nature on the cusp, as blooming wildflowers, dogwoods, and azaleas herald the arrival of the growing season. Be warned, however, that traffic on the parkway can slow to a crawl during peak seasons, so it's best to go on a weekday.
Trade four wheels for two and bike the Parkway. Near Troutville, Va., the 63-mile Peaks of Otter Challenge is a fairly demanding loop for experienced cyclists. It rolls through picturesque Allegheny farmland before rising sharply to ascend the Blue Ridge at Bearwallow Gap. Stay overnight at milepost 86, near Bedford, Va., where the Peaks of Otter Lodge overlooks Abbott Lake and 3,865-foot Sharp Top Mountain. The next day, take an exhilarating downhill roll home.
Hike the 13.5-mile Tanawha Trail from Linn Cove Viaduct at milepost 304.6. Here the trail passes beneath the Linn Cove Viaduct before climbing sharply toward Rough Ridge through birch and beech trees. The payoff is a spectacular view of the Piedmont Valley and surrounding mountaintops. Trail runners will also enjoy the route's heart-quickening grade.
Get a different perspective of the Parkway from a mile up on a hot-air balloon ride. Several balloon outfitters operate out of Asheville, N.C., a great basecamp town for exploring the southern end of the Appalachian chain.
Stop to hike section three of the Art Loeb Trail in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest, where you'll be among the highest 6,000-foot summits and balds of the Great Smoky Mountains, including Black Balsam and Tennant Mountains. The trailhead is about a mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway, down Forest Service Road 816.

By Travel Expert: Alistair Wearmouth

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