Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the crest of the Southern Appalachians, connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Waynesville. The section near Waynesville offers some of the most scenic driving on the entire route, with long views west over the Tennessee Valley and east over the Piedmont.

Several trailheads are accessible from the Parkway near Waynesville, including routes into the Shining Rock Wilderness. The road is open year-round but sections close in winter storms. Speed limit is 45 mph, enforced by rangers — this is a road meant for looking, not rushing.

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A story
The Blue Ridge Parkway was built during the Great Depression as a public works project and a scenic alternative to commercial highways. Construction began in 1935 and wasn't completed until 1987 — 52 years — because a dispute over the final section through the Linville Gorge wilderness area delayed completion for decades. The road is maintained by the National Park Service and has no commercial vehicles, no billboards, and no stoplights along its 469-mile length.