The Open Road Travel

A Blue Ridge Parkway road trip takes you on a journey across the Blue Ridge mountains.

A 469 mile Blue Ridge Parkway road trip takes you through North Carolina and Virginia, along one of Earth’s most stunning roads. You’ll pass countless scenic overlooks and natural beauty spots, as you travel between two gorgeous national parks.

For anyone planning their own Blue Ridge Parkway road trip, read on to make sure you don’t miss any of the highlights along the way.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile (755 kilometre) national parkway that runs through the states of North Carolina and Virginia. Opened on the 30th of June 1936, it has been the most used road in the national park system in all but 4 years since 1946.

Considered one of the most stunning roads on Earth, it is a popular destination for road trippers and car enthusiasts.

Its countless scenic overlooks offer some of the most breathtaking panoramic views you will find in the eastern United States, while the route itself perfectly displays the region’s natural beauty.

A Blue Ridge Parkway road trip will obviously be spent travelling along the length of the road itself, which runs for 469 miles (755 kilometres), from Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to just south of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Based on speed limits along the entirety of the road of 45 miles per hour (72 kilometres per hour) and below, it will take between 12 and 12 and ½ hours to complete the journey, provided you stick to them.

The best time for a Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip is the month of August. Not only is this one of the two warmest months along the route but it is also one of the driest. This makes it the perfect time to make the journey and enjoy all of the natural beauty spots in all their glory.

With more than 12 hours of driving ahead of you, most people are going to want to break up their journey, to ensure they are truly appreciating what they are seeing.

While you have plenty of great options along the way, the best place to stop on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip is Roanoke, Virginia.

The 8th most populous city in Virginia, Roanoke is a vibrant, if often overlooked city, which is located a little past the midway point of Blue Ridge Parkway.

Comprised of the two independent cities of Salem and Roanoke, and split by the Roanoke River, it is a beautiful city with a natural feel.

Roanoke is also considered the cultural and commercial hub of the southern Virginia and West Virginia region. With a fabulous collection of art galleries, historic buildings, museums, and theatres, it is a great place to add some culture to your trip.

With a wide array of hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops, Roanoke is also one of the best places to enjoy some urban comforts on your journey through a largely rural, natural part of the country.

The Hilton Garden Inn Roanoke is a wonderful, stylish property that is part of the legendary Hilton chain. Located on the outskirts of the city, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is ideal whether you are planning to explore Roanoke or just want a comfortable place to rest and relax.

Each of the spacious rooms boasts comfortable furniture and amenities like a coffee maker, desk, flat screen TV, refrigerator, and private bathroom with a bath. They are all fully air conditioned and boast high speed Wi-Fi that is available throughout the property.

Meanwhile, in the communal areas you will find facilities such as indoor and outdoor pools, business and fitness centres, and a bar and a restaurant. Free on-site parking is also available for all guests.

The main attraction on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip is the route itself. Weaving through the forests and mountains, with their countless scenic overlooks, it is the best way to soak in the beauty of the eastern United States.

However, on a road trip lasting over 12 hours, you will eventually need more than just the views from the car to keep you entertained.

While there are an almost immeasurable number of small places to stop to see or take a photo of, there are some locations that offer a little more than others.

With that in mind, we will now take a look at the top attractions on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip, to ensure you never run out of things to do or see on this incredible journey.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres, making it the 11th largest national park in the lower 48 states and the 19th largest in the whole country. Its 12 million annual visitors also make it the most visited national park in the United States.

Founded in June 1934, Great Smoky Mountains is also the nation’s 21st oldest national park. Known for an incredible range of caves, forests, mountains, streams, rivers, and waterfalls, as well as a vibrant collection of wildlife, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a nature lovers dream.

The 11th most populous city in North Carolina, Asheville is situated at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers.

Established as a city in 1797, it has a rich and varied history, with sites covering Native Americans, early America, the Civil War, and the Atlantic slave trade.

Historic buildings like Asheville City Hall, Basilica Of St Lawrence, Biltmore House, Grove Park Inn, and the S&W Cafeteria all display the vibrant architecture, arts, and crafts that the city is known for.

Then there are the many places of worship that demonstrate the city’s varied religious background.

You also have the Grove Arcade, which is nationally significant as one of the oldest indoor shopping malls in the United States. When you put it all together, Asheville is a must visit city for any fans of history or art making the journey.

Pisgah National Forest is a 512,758 acre national forest in the Appalachian Mountains. Established on October the 17th 1916 as an 86,700 acre forest, it gradually expanded over the nest 20 years to include most of the former Boone National Forest and Unaka National Forest.

Named after a biblical Hebrew word that means the summit of a mountain, Pisgah National Forest contains some of the highest peaks in the eastern United States, with elevations ranging up to 6,214 feet (1,894 metres), which can be found atop Black Balsam Knob.

Covering parts of both the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Balsam Mountains, Pisgah National Forest is filled with old growth forests, rivers, waterfalls, countless trails, and even historic locations, such as covered bridges and the Bent Creek Campus Of The Appalachian Forest Experiment Station.

A popular location for backpacking, biking, hiking, fishing, and rock climbing, it is the perfect opportunity to get out of the car and explore for a while.

The Doughton Recreation Area is a protected area in the Appalachian Mountains full of campsites and hiking trails.

The area was set aside with the sole intention of giving visitors a place where they can explore and appreciate the landscape, without having to go too far off of the beaten path.

Doughton Recreation Area is also known for being the location of the Brinegar Cabin. Built in the 19th century, the cabin has been preserved and restored to give visitors an insight into the life of farmers and pioneers in the region during that period.

The adjacent Thurmond Chatham Wildlife Management Area also makes it a great place for people who want to see some of the region’s wildlife during their visit.

Stone Mountain State Park is a 14,353 acre state park that centres around the 600 foot (183 metre) tall Stone Mountain. A towering granite dome, it has been listed as a National Natural Landmark since May 1974.

With its smooth, barren, distinctive grey sides, it is one of the most popular rock climbing spots in the eastern United States. Meanwhile, the streams, trails, and campsites surrounding the mountain make the park a great spot for camping, fishing, and hiking.

Stone Mountain State Park even features a fabulous visitor centre and historic churches and homesteads. Between them you can see a range of preserved buildings, as well as exhibits and artefacts, which detail the history of the region and its inhabitants.

The Rocky Knob AVA is a 9,000 acre wine growing region that is home to two of the most successful wineries in Virginia. Responsible for producing around 65,000 cases of wine per year, this is truly the heart of Virginia wine country.

You can take a stroll around a vineyard, visit a winery to sample some of their vintages straight from the source, or simply explore the area to see how a wine growing region in the eastern United States compares to those out west.

However you want to enjoy it though, Rocky Knob AVA is a must visit area for any wine lovers taking this trip.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a mountain range stretching for 550 miles (855 kilometres) from Georgia to Pennsylvania. They get their name from the native trees that release a chemical into the air which gives the mountains a bluish haze when seen from a distance.

Encompassing 8 national forests and 2 national parks, the Blue Ridge Mountains are considered one of the most scenic natural beauty spots in the eastern United States, if not the country as a whole.

With their stunning views, incredible landscape, and abundance of historical locations dotted around, the Blue Ridge Mountains are a natural wonder that has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

Shenandoah National Park is the 22nd oldest national park in the United States, having been founded on the 26th of December 1936. Its 1,592,000 annual visitors also make it the 19th most visited national park in the country, while covering 200,192 acres makes it the 33rd largest.

With both the Appalachian Trail hiking route and Skyline Drive parkway running the entire length of the park, it is ideal for those who want to extend their scenic adventure, either in the car or on foot.

Among the most popular attractions in the park are its collection of historic buildings, which includes Rapidan Camp, the summer retreat of former United States President Herbert Hoover.

You also have the Hawksbill Peak, which you can hike up to take in some incredible views.

For the nature lovers, Shenandoah National Park is also home to a huge range of animals, such as beavers, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, deer, foxes, opossums, otters, racoons, skunks, woodchucks, and rabbits, as well as 32 species of fish and over 190 species of birds.

A Blue Ridge Parkway road trip is one of the greatest adventures you can take in the United States. With its natural beauty spots and stunning views, it allows you to soak in the landscape of the eastern side of the country in style.

This guide will hopefully have given you everything you need to plan the perfect Blue Ridge Parkway travel itinerary. From when to go and how long the journey will take, to all the stops and sights there are along the way, you should be fully prepared to make the journey for yourself.

That means all that you have left to do is start getting everything booked. That way, you can look forward to experiencing it all in person, as soon as possible.