The National Park Service controls many popular destinations, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Valley Forge, the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon. However, I bet many people don’t know that the most visited place in the National Park system isn’t any of those locations.
The Blue Ridge Parkway has been the most visited place each year since 1946, with the exception of 1949, 2013, 2016, and 2019. This iconic roadway spans an impressive 469 miles, making it the longest linear park in the United States. The parkway links Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is managed by the National Park Service and includes a strip of land on each side of the road. While most of the areas it passes through are National Forests, they are not part of the National Park Service and are instead administered by the US Forest Service. To learn more about the distinctions between National Parks, Forests, Monuments, Parkways, and other government lands, you can check out this link.
As part of our visit to North Carolina last year, we took a drive on a section of the Parkway. I was able to mark off another location on my list of NPS sites.
We eventually made it to a Visitor Center so I could pick up a map for my collection.
Closed Until Further Notice
Unfortunately, Hurricane Helene greatly damaged the Blue Ridge Parkway, especially in North Carolina. Because of this, the entire parkway is currently closed until further notice.
The full length of the parkway is closed to all uses due to damage from Hurricane Helene. Closures will remain in place until staff can safely assess the park and clear any storm damage. The park will issue updates as they are available. (10/3)
Photo courtesy of National Park Service
In the coming weeks, the assessment teams will utilize the data from their inspections to determine the full extent of the damage including the timeline and cost estimates for repairs. A projected reopening date of any section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina has not yet been established. In Virginia, damage assessments and the clearing of debris from the road are nearing completion, which will for allow a phased reopening in Virginia in the coming days to weeks.
The entire road is currently closed while the damage assessment is being completed and debris is being cleared. Sections of the parkway in Virginia will open gradually over the next few days to weeks. Keep checking the NPS Blue Ridge Parkway website for updates.
I’m glad to see the Virginia section will reopen soon. However, the sections in North Carolina around Asheville, along with the rest of the area, will take much longer to rebuild.
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