Blue Ridge Parkway
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Park Headquarters
199 Hemphill Knob Rd., Asheville
828/271-4779
www.nps.gov/blri
The Blue Ridge Parkway can be accessed from several points around Blowing Rock
The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 469 miles from Front Royal, Virginia, to Cherokee, North Carolina, linking the Shenandoah Mountains to the Great Smoky Mountains. Some of the oldest settlements in the United States are located in this area.
Scenic overlooks, historic markers, visitors center exhibits, and restored historic structures can all be found on the Parkway, which was established in 1935.
The National Park Service oversees more than 81,000 acres of parkland around the Parkway, making it the third-largest park in the nation. Along the route, the elevation ranges from 650 feet at James River in Virginia to over 6,000 feet near Mount Pisgah in North Carolina.
More than 130 species of trees, 400 varieties of mosses, and almost 2,000 types of fungi grow along the Parkway. It’s also home to a host of birds, reptiles, and mammals, and it’s not uncommon to come across turkeys and deer grazing along the roadside.
© Jodi Helmer from Moon Charlotte, 1st Edition
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