The Parkway provides spectacular mountain and valley vistas, quiet pastoral scenes, sparkling waterfalls and colorful flower and foliage displays as it extends through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina.

Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways
Length
469 mi / 754.8 km
Time to allow
Four days to enjoy the byway
Fees
None

Who looks after this road

  • Blue Ridge Parkway Association · 828-670-1924
  • National Park Service, Blue Ridge Parkway · 828-298-0398

We publish 17 places that sit on this road, across 2 states, listed in the order you meet them. This is not a route and not a drive time — it is the names, so you can put them into whatever navigation you already use.

Of those, 5 are roadside oddities — the sort of thing you would drive past without knowing it was there.

“Off” is a straight line from the place to the road, rounded. It is not a driving distance, and the road itself is a simplified centre line, so treat a mile or two as noise.

The North Carolina stretch

  1. Cataloochee Ski AreaNC5 miles offSki or bike

    Small Smokies-area hill above Maggie Valley

    Kind
    Ski Areas

  2. Wheels Through TimeNC4 miles offRoadside oddity

    Vintage motorcycles that still run

  3. Blue Ridge Parkway (stop: Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, Milepost 384, Asheville)NCon the roadHistoric site

    A National Park Service road with no fee to drive it. Its visitor center at Milepost 384 in Asheville has rangers, maps, exhibits about the parkway and a short hiking loop that connects to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

    Admission
    No fee is charged to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is a charge for camping in any of the campgrounds along the parkway.
    Season
    Facility operating schedules are subject to change due to adverse weather conditions and other uncontrollable factors.
    Run by
    National Park Service

  4. AshevilleNC3 miles off

    In our guide: 4 animal attractions · 3 historic sites · 2 parks

  5. River Arts DistrictNC3 miles offHistoric site

    An Asheville arts district with studios belonging to hundreds of working artists, where visitors can meet them and watch work in progress. The artists' association says the district is open again after Hurricane Helene, with artists still coming back.

    Run by
    River Arts District Artists (artists' association)

  6. Mount Mitchell State ParkNC8 miles off

    No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.

  7. Sugar Mountain ResortNC4 miles offSki or bike

    Largest NC ski area

    Kind
    Ski Areas
    Bike park in summer
    Summer bike park

  8. Beech Mountain ResortNC7 miles offSki or bike

    Highest ski town in East; summer bike park

    Kind
    Ski Areas
    Bike park in summer
    Summer bike park

  9. Tweetsie RailroadNC2 miles offFun park

    Wild West theme park with steam train; seasonal schedule with fall events

  10. Mystery HillNC1 mile offRoadside oddity

    Tilted house where balls seem to roll uphill

  11. The end of the road northNC5 miles off

    No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.

The Virginia stretch

  1. Roanoke StarVA2 miles offRoadside oddity

    Huge neon star glowing over the city since 1949

  2. Mill Mountain ZooVA2 miles offAnimals

    Hours
    10am-5pm daily; last admission 4pm
    Season
    year-round

  3. Natural Bridge State ParkVA7 miles off

    No guide of our own yet — the name is here so you can find it.

  4. Dinosaur Kingdom IIVA7 miles offRoadside oddity

    Dinosaurs battle Civil War soldiers in a wooded trail

  5. Coffee Pot HouseVA4 miles offRoadside oddity

    Two-story metal building shaped like a coffee pot

  6. Wintergreen ResortVA1 mile offSki or bike

    Blue Ridge resort community near Charlottesville

    Kind
    Ski Areas