Driving the parkway while towing a trailer is surprisingly easy. The speed limit is a relaxing 45 mph, and there are dozens of places to pull off to take in the views. People seem to understand that enjoying the journey is the whole point of traveling this scenic mountain byway.
Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. We traveled the section from Asheville to Boone, just under 100 miles of the meandering 469 mile road. Fortunately for us, that stretch is considered to be the one of the most scenic.
One of many overlooks
The terrain, of course, is mountainous and winding. And there are many tunnels to navigate, which wasn’t a problem with our rig, but might be sketchy with a taller RV. If you have any doubts, check the NPS Tunnel Heights webpage.
Built With Nature In Mind
The Blue Ridge Parkway is unique in the realm of national parks in that it’s a road. But it’s not just any old road—it’s a destination unto itself, with beautiful views, historic structures, campgrounds, and myriad hiking opportunities.
Craggy Gardens picnic area
The idea for the parkway was conceived in the 1930s, part of FDR’s New Deal to put people back to work after the Great Depression. Designing the parkway provided work for engineers and architects, while CCC crews supplied the labor. Construction took place in sections as land was acquired, and the guidelines were clear: Create a road that blends gracefully with the natural surroundings.
The Craggy Pinnacle Tunnel, one of many on the Blue Ridge Parkway
“The idea is to fit the Parkway into the mountains as if nature has put it there.”
~Stanley Abbott, Chief Landscape Architect for the Parkway
Fall colors on the parkway
The rights-of-way were purchased by the states, and then turned over to the federal government to be managed by the National Park Service. Progress was slow, with challenges including narrow rutted roads that couldn’t accommodate construction equipment, rocky terrain, steep mountainsides, no maps, and extreme weather.
By 1966, the only task left was navigating the 7.7-mile stretch around Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. To preserve the fragile environment, the Linn Cove Viaduct was constructed. It’s a 1200-foot suspended section of the parkway that is considered a masterpiece of engineering.
The viaduct is one of the most popular places to photograph on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We took the first photo below from the Yonahlossee Overlook and thought, “Well, that’s not what the postcards look like!” So we ended up with this second strange photo, shot through the windshield at 45 mph with me begging Eric to pull over. His not unreasonable reply? “No way! There’s no place to pull over!” We’ve been through this before.😂 Some things never change.
Click on photos for a larger image
Although many sections of the parkway had been in use for decades, it wasn’t until September 11, 1987 that the viaduct was completed and the Blue Ridge Parkway was finally officially dedicated.
There are overlooks every few miles, and we pulled off at every opportunity to survey the gentle rolling mountains of the Southern Appalachians.
Goldenrod and mountain views
Ideally, we would have been traveling the parkway two weeks later—in mid-October—for prime fall foliage. Still, it was beautiful.
Hints of color start appearing in early October
Blue Ridge Hiking
We stayed for 10 days in Pineola, an excellent location for exploring the nearby towns of Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and Linville Falls. As the days grew shorter and the temperatures chillier, the leaves began to dramatically change color.
There’s a lot of good hiking in this area, with many trails leading right off of the parkway.
Philosophical musings on the Beacon Heights Trail
The easy Flat Rock and Beacon Heights Trails offer beautiful views for modest effort. A weather front moved in and squatted over us for the entirety of our 10-day visit, delivering buckets of rain and gray skies. That’s unusual for October in the mountains, but what’s usual anymore? Nothing. So we went out and enjoyed ourselves anyway.
View from the top of Beacon Heights
Hiking the Linville Viaduct to Rough Ridge was a challenging hike of almost six miles on the Tanawha Trail. It was a gorgeous and interesting hike along a very rocky route. For an easier option, there’s a short trail that goes directly to the Rough Ridge overlook. We’re glad we made the effort to hike the longer trail, but we were definitely tired after a day of scrambling over the rocks.
Colors at the top of Rough Ridge
A historic site along the parkway with easy trails is the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. It’s the former summer estate of Gilded Age textile magnate Moses Cone and his wife, Bertha, who made their money supplying denim to Levi Strauss. The mansion was closed for renovations, but we visited twice to hike the historic carriage trails and the 5-mile Flat Top Mountain Trail that leads to sweeping views from a fire tower.
Fall colors at Moses Cone Memorial Park
Along with abundant hiking, we found plenty to enjoy in the cluster of interesting little towns in North Carolina’s High Country.
Boone, North Carolina
With a population of 19,000, Boone is the largest community in the area. The home of Appalachian State University, there are the usual cool things associated with a college town. We enjoyed the Saturday Farmers’ Market, the Turchin art gallery on campus, and a stroll on the Boone Greenway followed by lunch outdoors at Stick Boy Bread Company, a Boone institution. Spinach, avocado, grilled chicken, and bacon salad=delicious. We tried to visit Boonshine Brewery, but a big storm with sideways rain kept us from enjoying the outdoor seating and the danged pandemic kept us from sitting inside.
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, the university art gallery
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock is quite possibly the most floriferous town we’ve ever visited. Even in October, the town was lush with blooms. We enjoyed strolling the delightful Main Street, visited the excellent (and free!) Blowing Rock Art Museum (BRAHM), and had lunch on the patio at The Speckled Trout. With a menu focused on local foods and Appalachian specialties, they offer North Carolina mountain trout prepared several ways. It was excellent.
Hickory smoked trout, gouda grits, savory collard greens
Banner Elk, North Carolina
On another gray and chilly October day, we did a little self-guided walking tour of Banner Elk. It’s a quaint mountain town, population 1300, and is home to Lees-McRae College, a beautiful historic campus. At 3700 feet, it’s the highest elevation of any college east of the Mississippi.
The town of Banner Elk
Valle Crucis, North Carolina
This tiny community—circa 1800, population 226—is between Boone and Blowing Rock. It has one of the nicest community parks we’ve ever seen, with peaceful walking trails along the Watuga River and through nearby meadows.
After a several mile walk on the trails, we had lunch just across the street at Over Yonder, an 1861 restored farmhouse. We enjoyed our meals on the porch and finished with affogato. Made with buttermilk ice cream and a shot of local espresso, this was a Southern twist on the Italian classic. Such a simple dessert, and so incredibly delicious.
Valle Crucis
Linville Falls, North Carolina
Linville Falls is the most popular waterfall on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Honestly, after our two-month stay at Lake Toxaway and the bounty of waterfalls we found there, Linville Falls looked pretty modest by comparison. Still, we enjoyed hiking the pretty trails to the falls.
Linville Falls
Not far from the falls (in the town of Linville Falls) is the interesting Anvil Arts Studio and Sculpture Garden. And conveniently just across the street is the delightful Linville Falls Winery.
About The Campground
Fellow travelers and blogging friends Joe and Helen recommended Down by the River Campground. It was centrally located for all that we wanted to do and a great base for exploring the North Carolina High Country.
All sites have full hookups, the campground is immaculately maintained, and we really liked our site at the farthest end of the campground with a view of nothing but trees. Sites on the river are lovely, but those, as you can imagine, are booked far in advance.
Even with mostly grey skies, these towns look marvelous and your photos are great! I particularly like the ones in Banner Elk but all these places are charming and artsy and scenic. I’ve heard there are fabulous arts communities in this area that are really active in the summer…. might be another option for a NC summer retreat!
PS I think Eric deserves his own personal, portable “bird watching” sign to tote around.
Shannon, although we were hoping for more sunshine (which is how October is “supposed” to be!) we still had a great time. It was fun to have the mix of hiking and cool little towns, just as we found during our two months staying at Lake Toxaway. I like the idea of a summer at an art community! Western North Carolina has a lot to offer and we will definitely return. The list grows longer…
I can see Eric now toting around his own personal “birdwatching” sign, LOL. I agree, he deserves one. :-)
You captured this beautiful part of the country beautifully! I loved the colorful steps, your descriptions of the food and drink along the way and your captures of your beloved Eric…I wonder what that pottery chicken was trying to tell him?
Sue, I thought those colorful steps were a great addition to the campus art gallery! We had SO much good food everywhere we traveled in North Carolina. Not only delicious, but also focused on local/sustainable/organic, which we always look for.
That pottery bird does look like it’s tapping Eric on the shoulder, LOL.
Good morning.
My first thought was lucky you. :-)
I have many musician friends at Down by the River campground. I’ve stayed there too. Not familiar with Joe & Helen. Pineola is beautiful. With the one Mexican restaurant.
Lovely area.
With metta
K~
Kathryn, how interesting that you’ve stayed at Down by the River campground! You seem to know the area well. And musicians at the campground? That sounds intriguing for a future visit. Are you a musician as well as a fine art photographer?
I truly hope we have the opportunity to meet up in person. North Florida is especially lovely now. :-)
I’m drooling!! You always entice us readers to join in the fun travels and food, and you have good links for us to research more too. The “Cone” (Americanized last name) family’s mansion now park of the Blue Ridge Parkway has a very interesting history . . https://www.nps.gov/people/moses-cone.htm . . . and the Boone NC bread place, holy cow! did you see the “winter” bread selection? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/595e89ee59cc684a131a4168/t/61ce0116e4273d7c871b5367/1640890646847/Winter+2022+Bread+Schedule.pdf
I’ll take one of each thank you :)
Your NC travels are on my list of things to do this summer, thank you Laurel and Eric!
I’m so glad our posts are helpful for your travel planning, Terri. And I appreciate how appreciative you are. I always enjoy your comments and the fact that you actually research the links and add more to the conversation!
How is your home build project going? We’re still waiting for windows here. Would love to see an update from you when you get a chance!
I do so wish our original plans to have seen the BRP in the fall had happened or even later in the spring when the famous azaleas were in bloom. Oh, well, that’s what friends’ blogs are for, right? And yours shares the sumptuous colors so nicely. The rainy conditions were no match for you NW natives and colors never pop as much as they do when it’s gray. Now, I will add “affogato” to the Valentine menu, coffee ice cream is TBG’s favorite!
Joodie, I’m so grateful that we were able to be in the mountains in the fall. We weren’t there for peak color, but it was enough to satisfy me. And as you said, as long time PNW natives, we rarely let rain stop us. Still on my list is to visit the Blue Ridge when the rhododendrons and azaleas bloom in the spring. But we can all cross ‘stick season’ off our lists, right? :-)
That affogato was so simple, and so incredibly delicious! Now you’ve inspired me to add it to our Valentine’s menu, too. Coffee ice cream is our favorite, and that combo of gelato with espresso is divine.
Laurel,
Thanks muchly for describing our part of the world so beautifully. It makes me wonder why we continue to travel west when the best is right in our backyard. Your pictures are beautiful! It’s too bad the storm put a damper on things but looks like you made the most of your time there. We’ve got to go back to Down By the River soon. Would love to meet up with y’all there or in Cherokee sometime. Take care, and have a great weekend. Go Bengals! Joe
Joe, we really appreciate your suggestion of Down by the River. It was a perfect location for exploring the High Country and a lovely campground. I agree, you have a beautiful backyard! We did a lot of exploring in our 10-day visit and would happily return. It would be fun to meet up with you and Helen there. We’ve never been to Cherokee, so that’s another good option.
(Uh-oh…I’m sorry to tell you that Eric is a Rams fan…after all, he was born in LA, so it’s understandable, right?)
What an outstanding and informative post! You really make me want to return to NC. We have family in Durham and have been to the BRMs a couple of times, staying at The Mast Farm Inn in Valle Crusis both times. It’s been years (1988 and 1994, maybe?) and I don’t remember much about the area, but we did wander around Boone and Blowing Rock and while I don’t remember where we picked it up, we did drive along the parkway for part of our drive. It was pretty foggy, so we didn’t get the gorgeous photos like you did. I think we were there in the summer, anyway, so no beautiful fall colors.
Lesley, you’ve stayed at The Mast Farm Inn? I’m so jealous! You know exactly how lovely little Valle Crucis is. We had a wonderful day there walking the trails at the beautiful community park (which is entirely funded by the community). And our lunch at Over Yonder was delightful. Here’s an interesting tidbit—Over Yonder is owned by The Mast Farm Inn and was established in 2014.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post and I hope you’ll get back to NC for more exploring. We loved our late summer and fall there and would return anytime!
Wow, Blue Ridge cuisine has sure come up in the world since I was a kid taking camping trips with my family there! As always, Eric’s photos are stunning–way to capture not only the fall colors, but the subtlety of those bluegreen mountains themselves, in all their gentle glory.
Haha, I’ll bet the cuisine is quite different now, Gretchen. The movement toward local/organic/sustainable/and creative restaurants is definitely popular in Western North Carolina. That makes us happy, and it certainly makes traveling easier than it was even 20 years ago.
Thanks for your nice comment about our photos. Those mountains, as you said, are beautiful in both their summer gentle colors and fall finery.
Well bummer for me. Since I will only be there until mid September, looks like I’ll miss those gorgeous colors. I think I might need to find a partner to hike the Tanawha Trail. Unless scrambling big boulders is really what look like steps in your pictures. Not sure my short legs will do BIG boulders without a helping hand for “up and over”. Thanks so much for these ideas for what to do when I’m there this summer. Hope I’m not over run with people. Fall seems like a better time to go. But I need out of the heat for June-August. Hope this will be the ticket. Wish I could have gotten into Down By the River but even January was too late to book for August. Will let you know how Bear Den turns out. Wondering if I should take my kayak. Were there places to paddle? I’m not a white water girl.
Sherry, you will definitely miss the fall colors (unless you decide to stay into October!). I’ll bet you could get a reservation at Down by the River then. Just something to think about! I hope you will enjoy your time in the mountains as much as we did.
As far as kayaking, we didn’t take our kayak because a lot of the kayaking opportunities seem to be on white water or would have required a shuttle on fast moving rivers…and we were not doing shuttles during the pandemic. But you might enjoy paddling around some of the lakes near Lake Toxaway. You’ll be fine hiking anywhere. The part of the Tanawha Trail that we hiked was very rocky, with rock steps (as you noticed) and some small boulder hopping. We were just tired after six miles of watching every step.
Your photos are just gorgeous! I love the way you captured the true essence of the mountains. The only miss was the bridge shot, and, as we all know, that was totally Eric’s fault. Doesn’t he know that one must suffer for one’s art??
Seriously, this post is fantastic. Even though you had some rain, it all looks so lush and the colors are vibrant. I also loved the little towns you visited along the way. Each had its own character and each was appealing. I especially love all the artwork (the painted stairs are so cool!)
Also, thanks for teaching me two new words: “floriforous” and “affogato.” I am going to find a way to fit each of them into some sentence every day. :)
Laura, I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! And thanks for your nice comments about our photos…even with the grievous omission of the bridge shot. I don’t know why in all of these years I haven’t been able to convince Eric to pull over for photos in dangerous places, LOL.
We truly had a wonderful summer/fall trip with the perfect mix of outdoor adventures and cool little towns. And sooo much good food. Not only does affogato need to be part of your vocabulary, you need to try it! Now that we have an ice cream maker (thanks to you!) I just realized that I can make buttermilk ice cream and have affogato Southern style. Wish you guys were still here to enjoy it with us. :-)
Beautiful photos!!
Thank you, Diana! It’s a gorgeous part of the country and a beautiful time of year.
You did a wonderful job capturing the beauty of fall along the mountains. Be glad you weren’t there at the peak. It can be a total traffic nightmare. We’ve done this road on the motorcycle which is the perfect vehicle for the sights, and easier to park in the pull-offs:) You certainly did a great job exploring the quaint towns along the way. I love that drift wood horse. So nice to see you two:)
Pam, I kept expecting a LOT more traffic on the parkway. You must have had so much fun traveling by motorcycle! There were a couple of places we couldn’t pull off while towing the trailer (Craggy Gardens, for one). We hiked that trail several years ago when we were staying in Asheville and wanted to hike it again, but there was no way we could fit in that parking lot with our trailer.
We’re very happy that we decided to spend two-and-a-half months exploring Western North Carolina. It’s so great to have the luxury of long stretches of time in one area, as you know!
Thank you for an absolutely delightful tour, Laurel! Alan and I drove the Parkway decades ago. The leisurely pace required to truly enjoy the adventure sets the tone for a great time exploring the many nooks and crannies of the area. We drove a short segment several years ago while visiting friends who lived in southern Virginia at the time. Thankfully, we weren’t traveling with the trailer – it was the middle of January and we got caught in a snow squall. Yet another happy memory of life along the Blue Ridge! I really enjoyed your photos. Mountain ranges in the East tend to be much smaller than those in the west. But they’re impressive, nonetheless, with their own special brand of beauty and tranquility.
Mary, the mountains in the east are so different from the west, as you said. But I appreciate the beauty of both. We were delighted to be in Western NC for the fall colors—that was a bucket list item. That doesn’t mean it’s off the list, though, as I know you understand. I’d love to travel the parkway in late spring/early summer when the rhododendrons are in bloom, but I think I’ll pass on winter! :-)
We really enjoyed our leisurely stay in Western North Carolina. As you said, it gave us plenty of time to explore all of the nooks and crannies. My favorite way to travel!
Beautiful photos and very informative narrative. Larry and I are taking notes for when we get back to that lovely part of the world. Thanks for the tour!
You’re welcome, Susie. I hope some of this will be helpful for you when you return east…which I know you will! Meanwhile, enjoy your winter in the desert!
It looks like you picked the perfect time to go! The last time I was in the area was in 2015 in March… and it was too cold and snowy to drive on the Blue Ridge Highway. One of these days, I’d love to get back (probably in the fall) and enjoy it to its fullest. I love that the speed limit is nice and slow to encourage oohing and aahing.
Janis, we’ve also been on the Blue Ridge Parkway in early April when part of the parkway and access to many of the trails was closed because of snow. We’ve always wanted to return to see the fall colors, and our timing was good in early October. I’m sure ‘peak’ would have been fabulous later in October, but we were happy!
I think it’s very cool that the parkway is a national park linking two other national parks. It’s designed so beautifully, with so many overlooks and hiking trails and as you said, a speed limit that encourages everyone to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Loved reading about your journey of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Amazing gorgeous landscapes, so different from much of the west. But, don’t you think that some of it reminds you of the Applegate Valley? When I first saw the Applegate I thought it might be what mountains on the east side of the country might look like. Worn down and no craggy snowy peaks. We traveled a bit of the Parkway outside of Asheville in our first 21 foot moho many years ago. Loved it. So green. We missed the rhodies of the springtime and the fall color, but it was still gorgeous. I had a friend from Laramie who moved to Boone. The rain and bugs and humidity were too much for them and they are now happily settled in dry Albuquerque. Better shots of Boone from you than I ever got from her. LOL
Sue, some of the landscapes do remind me of the beautiful Applegate Valley! As you said, it’s so different from the high craggy peaks of mountains in the west. We’ve explored so much more of the western mountains and are using this opportunity to explore what the east has to offer. Now that we’ve seen the early spring, summer, and fall, we still have that in-between late spring show of rhododendrons on our list of desires!
Interesting to hear about bugs and humidity in Boone. We experienced the rain (although it wasn’t supposed to rain in October!), but I didn’t realize that summers there would be hot and humid. Of course, in comparison to Albuquerque, almost anything is humid, LOL.
I laughed out loud when I read, “No way! There’s no place to pull over!” We’ve been through this before.😂 Some things never change.” How many times have we all heard this–and most often justifiably! Thanks for the tour Laurel–beautiful photos–and I like your attitudes. In spite of the rain you made the best of it!
Janna, I’m glad you enjoyed the photos. It’s such a beautiful part of the country, even on rainy days! Fortunately, it didn’t rain all day long and we had plenty of opportunities to get outside for exploring.
I actually wrote a post about wanting to pull over for photos on one of our Texas crossings during wildflower season…with a subheading titled “Fighting in the Front Seat,” LOL!!!
The “no way, there’s nowhere to pull over” conversation happens a lot with us, too ;-). We’ve only ever driven this beautiful route in our car … way back in the early 1990s. Unfortunately, it was a means to get back home and for some reason that I don’t recollect now, we were in a hurry to do so. Your descriptions and photos makes me want to do it again … at a much more leisurely pace.
Erin, I love best traveling at a leisurely pace, with the opportunity to stop and explore and photograph anything that catches my eye. I know you understand! I’m so happy we had such a long stretch of time in Western North Carolina last summer and fall. Of course, there were still plenty of things we missed, and plenty of times I wanted to pull over that weren’t reasonable requests (but STILL!!). Glad to know I’m not alone, haha.
So beautiful! Interesting that the park is the highway, and certainly a lovely addition to the system. Love the bright stairs at the campus and the lounging bunny at the sculpture garden. I always enjoy your collages of the fun places you explore – perfect little vignettes of what you’re seeing along the way. More wonderful foods – you had me at gouda grits :-) I’m very ready to get back out there and see new places!
Jodee, those gouda grits and smoked trout were sooo good! I enjoy putting together those little vignettes and trying to capture the personality of the places we visit. It’s challenging, and of course, very subjective! I hope all goes well as you prepare for your travels. I just realized yesterday that it’s only four months before we get back on the road!