Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway is an outdoor activity in Asheville, NC, part of the Western North Carolina guide. Cost: free.

Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, Milepost 384 · Asheville, NC

Why you should go…

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, from Rockfish Gap in Virginia to US 441 near Cherokee, North Carolina. No fee is charged to travel it. Near Asheville you can stop at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 and the Folk Art Center at Milepost 382. The road passes through 26 tunnels, and the speed limit is never higher than 45 mph.

#scenic drive
#mountain overlooks
#hiking
#fall foliage
#national parkway

What's around here?

The closest stops to Blue Ridge Parkway, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
Under $25
Ride an elevator up a 315-foot rock monolith for gorge views, then hike to the base of 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls.
16 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
History Buff
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Free
Walk the farm where poet Carl Sandburg spent his last 22 years, tour his house and meet the dairy goat herd in the barn.
20 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
DuPont State Recreational Forest
Free
Hike or bike forest trails to a string of waterfalls, including Triple Falls, High Falls and Hooker Falls.
27 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor Adventure
Caesars Head State Park
Under $25
Take in the Blue Ridge Escarpment from a rock overlook at 3,208 feet, then hike to the 420-foot Raven Cliff Falls.
33 mi awayMore like this
Sport & Outdoor
Free
Falls Park on the Reedy
Free
Cross the pedestrian Liberty Bridge above the Reedy River falls and wander 32 acres of gardens in downtown Greenville.
50 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Quirky Fun
Peachoid
Free
Spot a 135-foot water tower painted as a giant peach, a roadside landmark beside I-85 in Gaffney.
56 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing