A Natural Tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway - (North Carolina, Virginia)

Departure:	Linville, North Carolina
Destination:	Waynesville, North Carolina
Time to allow:	2 days

Discover the Blue Ridge Parkway's natural environment as you spend a couple of days touring its most spectacular sites and stunning mountain views.

Day 1

• Start: Linville

  With its close location to Grandfather Mountain, this small town located at the intersection of US Hwy 221 and SR 181 is the perfect place to start your tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway's natural features.

• Stop 1: Grandfather Mountain

  

  From previous stop:	57 minutes / 37.2 mi (59.5 km)
  Directions:	From Linville, take SR 181 north. Turn right onto the Blue Ridge Parkway and continue north. Turn left onto Blowing Rock Highway/US 221 and follow that to Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road, which will be on your left.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour 30 minutes

  The whole family will enjoy the views from Grandfather Mountain, one of America’s most environmentally significant mountains because of its distinction as an International Biosphere Reserve. You can see 47 rare and endangered species in the area as well as rare species of wildflowers. Take a trip across the Mile High Swinging Bridge or participate in special naturalist programs designed for families.

• Stop 2: Linville Falls

  

  From previous stop:	37 minutes / 17 mi (27.2 km)
  Directions:	From Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road, turn left and head east on US 221/Blowing Rock Highway. Turn right onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Continue southwest on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 11 miles. Turn left onto Linville Falls Road and follow until you reach the Linville Falls Visitors Center.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Explore this series of vivid falls dropping into a deep gorge accessed by a trail enveloped in a unique combination of flowers. If you have a few extra minutes, hike one of the trails and discover amazing views of the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area.

• Stop 3: Linville Caverns

  

  From previous stop:	12 minutes / 6.5 mi (10.4 km)
  Directions:	Go north on Linville Falls Road and then turn left onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the Parkway until you reach the US-221 N exit; take the ramp and then turn left onto US 221 S for approximately five miles to the Caverns.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Go on a spelunking adventure through the heart of Humpback Mountain. Discovered in 1822, the caverns contain a multitude of geological sculptures that continue to grow and change because of the mineral-rich water that flows through them.

• Stop 4: Museum of North Carolina Minerals

  

  From previous stop:	31 minutes / 17.5 mi (28.0 km)
  Directions:	Take US 221 north back to the Parkway, then turn left and travel southwest on the Parkway until milepost 331, where the museum is located.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Go 400 million years back in time to discover North Carolina's natural treasures as you learn about the geological and mineral makeup of North Carolina’s Mitchell County and surrounding areas.

• Stop 5: Crabtree Meadows

  

  From previous stop:	12 minutes / 5.7 mi (9.1 km)
  Directions:	Continue southwest on the Blue Ridge Parkway until approximately milepost 339.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Have a picnic and take a nature walk among a multitude of wildflowers as you pause and enjoy views of the Black Mountains at a favorite resting place along the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you've got more time, take the 2.5-mile Crabtree Falls Loop Trail to the Crabtree Falls, which consist of five major cascades and several smaller ones to create a 70-foot drop.

• Stop 6: Mount Mitchell State Park

  

  From previous stop:	43 minutes / 22.8 mi (36.5 km)
  Directions:	Continue southwest on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 18 miles. Turn right on NC 128 and follow to Mount Mitchell State Park.
  Suggested time at this stop:	30 minutes

  Enjoy a tranquil moment amid the Blue Ridge Mountains at the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Surround yourself in the soft mist of low-hanging clouds as you breath in the fresh air and pause to enjoy the serene views of rolling hills and mountain valleys.

• End: Asheville, NC

  

  From previous stop:	1 hour 12 minutes / 38 mi (60.8 km)
  Directions:	Take NC 128 back to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Turn right onto the Parkway and follow it for 29 miles. Turn right onto the US-74 Alt W/Charlotte Highway ramp to I-40/Asheville. Continue onto I-240 W into Asheville.

  Stay overnight in one of North Carolina’s most romantic cities.

Totals for Day 1

Total Distance Traveled:	144.7 miles / 231.5 km
Total Travel Time:	4 hours 24 minutes
Total Stopping Time:	6 hours

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Day 2

• Stop 1: North Carolina Arboretum

  

  From previous stop:	24 minutes / 14.2 mi (22.7 km)
  Directions:	From Asheville, access the Blue Ridge Parkway from US-74, US 70 or I-240. Follow the Blue Ridge Parkway southwest for 8.6 miles and then turn right on National Forest Road. Take the first left onto Frederick Law Olmstead Way, which leads to the Arboretum.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour 30 minutes

  Connect to nature in a personal way with a visit to the North Carolina Arboretum, located in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest in the Pisgah National Forest. The 434-acre garden surrounded by the Southern Appalachian Mountains includes indoor and outdoor exhibits, ten miles of hiking and biking trails, and a diverse bonsai collection with over 100 displays.

• Stop 2: Mount Pisgah

  

  From previous stop:	47 minutes / 20.1 mi (32.2 km)
  Directions:	From the Arboretum, rejoin the Parkway and follow it southwest for 15 miles. Turn right and follow Pisgah Creek Road. Turn right onto Pisgah Mountain Road, which will lead you to Mount Pisgah.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Enjoy a picnic at this popular resting place along the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you've got some extra time, stretch your legs on a 1.5 mile hike to the summit of Mount Pisgah, which offers majestic, awe-inspiring views of the surrounding Pisgah National Forest. The 5,721 foot elevation boasts the best view of Cold Mountain to the north as well as views of the Great Smoky Mountains to the west and Mount Mitchell to the north.

• Stop 3: Cradle of Forestry in America

  

  From previous stop:	32 minutes / 12.1 mi (19.4 km)
  Directions:	Follow Pisgah Mountain Road and Pisgah Creek Road back to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the Parkway southwest for 3.3 miles and then turn left and follow US-276 for 5.5 miles to the Cradle of Forestry.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour 30 minutes

  Learn all about the Pisgah National Forest at the site of the first forestry school in America, founded in 1898. Also known as the Birthplace of Forest Conservation in America, the Cradle of Forestry spans over a century of conservation history. Take a walk along the Biltmore Campus Trail, explore the Forest Festival Trail and a view a restored 1915 logging locomotive, or visit the Forest Discovery Center and take a helicopter ride.

• Stop 4: Looking Glass Rock

  

  From previous stop:	14 minutes / 6.2 mi (9.9 km)
  Directions:	Head southwest on US 276 for 4.4 miles. Turn right onto National Forest Road 475B. Looking Glass Rock is on the left.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Conquer this dome of granite with a moderate three-mile hike past small waterfalls and gorgeous clumps of rhododendron and mountain laurel to dazzling views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• Stop 5: Looking Glass Falls

  

  From previous stop:	10 minutes / 3.7 mi (5.9 km)
  Directions:	Take National Forest Road and head east. Take a sharp left onto US 276; the Falls will be on the right.
  Suggested time at this stop:	1 hour

  Savor the beauty of this 30-foot-wide cascade falling unbroken for more than 60 feet down a striking rock cliff. Pause for a refreshing, cold swim in the pool at the base. If you'd rather stay dry, make sure to explore the stairways leading to different views of the falls.

• End: Waynesville

  From previous stop:	1 hour 21 minutes / 48.3 mi (77.3 km)
  Directions:	Take US 276 back to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Follow the Parkway, heading west and then northwest. Turn right onto US 74 and follow into Waynesville.

  Enjoy some southern hospitality after a day of driving the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Totals for Day 2

Total Distance Traveled:	104.6 miles / 167.4 km
Total Travel Time:	3 hours 28 minutes
Total Stopping Time:	6 hours