A long pine tree stands in front of distant mountain ridges beneath an orange sunset
Evening on the Blue Ridge Parkway Harold Blackwood Photo

Blue Ridge Parkway

Federal Recreation Area · North Carolina · National Park Service

A Blue Ridge Parkway experience is unlike any other: a slow-paced and relaxing drive revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The Parkway meanders for 469 miles, protecting a diversity of plants and animals, and providing opportunities for enjoying all that makes this region of the country so special.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Biking · Hiking

Camping

Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
8283483400
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: Engineering · Landscape Design · Music · Transportation · Bridges · Roads, Routes and Highways · Tunnels · Tragic Events · Animals · Birds · Elk · Fish · Foothills, Plains and Valleys · Forests and Woodlands · Deciduous Forests · Mountains · Scenic Views · Trails

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Live Music · Auto and ATV · Scenic Driving · Road Biking · Car or Front Country Camping · Fishing · Freshwater Fishing · Food · Picnicking · Backcountry Hiking · Front-Country Hiking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • Mountain vista and clouds on the Blue Ridge Parkway
    David Smart
  • Storm clouds breaking over the mountains at sunset, with fog hugging the valleys
    Jim Ruff Photo
  • A roadway on piers follows the curve of a mountainside, running toward distant mountains.
    Harold Blackwood Photo
  • Black Bear sitting on large rocks at the edge of a forest
    Harold Blackwood Photo
  • Summer colors at Mabry Mill
    NPS Photo
  • water cascading into Linville Falls plunge basin
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of North Carolina

Fort Macon State ParkGoose Creek State ParkCrowders Mountain State ParkLake Waccamaw State ParkMount Jefferson State Natural AreaMorrow Mountain State ParkSouth Mountains State ParkMerchants Millpond State ParkCliffs of the Neuse State ParkCape Lookout National SeashoreWilliam B. Umstead State ParkMayo River State ParkFalls Lake State Recreation AreaPettigrew State ParkCape Hatteras National SeashoreNew River State ParkMoores Creek National BattlefieldGuilford Courthouse National Military ParkCarolina Beach State ParkDismal Swamp State ParkOvermountain Victory National Historic TrailMedoc Mountain State ParkGrandfather Mountain State ParkKerr Lake State Recreation AreaRaven Rock State ParkFort Fisher State Recreation AreaLake Norman State ParkJockey's Ridge State ParkLumber River State ParkJordan Lake State Recreation AreaGorges State ParkLake James State ParkSingletary Lake State ParkFort Raleigh National Historic SiteElk Knob State ParkPilot Mountain State ParkOcconeechee Mountain State Natural AreaEno River State ParkCarl Sandburg Home National Historic SiteHammocks Beach State ParkMount Mitchell State ParkHanging Rock State ParkJones Lake State ParkStone Mountain State ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkWright Brothers National MemorialWeymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve

48 parks mapped in North Carolina

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service · updated 2026-08-12