The Blue Ridge Parkway is annually the most popular area of the National Park System. It runs a total of 469.1
miles in length. From Shenandoah National Park, the Parkway follows the
Blue Ridge Mountains for 355 miles. For the remaining 114 miles, it briefly goes through the southern end of the
Black Mountains, then through the Craggies, the Pisgahs, and the Balsams, ending in the Great Smokies.
Construction on the Parkway began in 1935 near the North Carolina-Virginia line and ended with completion of
the Grandfather Mountain segment in 1987.
The first segment was competed and the first official visitor arrived on the Parkway in April of 1939. Today, the
Parkway averages slightly more than 10 million visits per year - more than 27,000 visits per day. A visitor once
said, "The Blue Ridge Parkway is a place for all seasons, for all reasons."
On the Blue Ridge Parkway, you'll find campgrounds, picnic areas, visitor centers, lodges, restaurants, log cabins,
tunnels, trails for walking or hiking, and over 250 parking overlooks for breathtaking views. No commercial buses
are allowed and it is closed during the winter months due to ice and snow.
For more information on The Blue Ridge Parkway, visit these Web sites:
www.blueridgeparkway.org
http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/stmo.html
