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Top Things to Do on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile scenic drive through the Appalachian Mountains from Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you are planning a trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway and looking for the best things to do, see and eat while visiting, you are in the right place. The parkway travels through North Carolina and Virginia and is America’s longest scenic highway. On the drive, you will find 200+ scenic overlooks, 26 tunnels, waterfalls, swimming holes, hollows, gorges, forests, hiking trails, Spring flowers, Fall colors, Bluegrass music, swinging bridges, scenic train rides, historic farms, country stores, and farmer’s markets, the famous Biltmore Estate, Andy Griffith’s Mayberry, Cherokee history, wineries, apple picking, trout fishing, elk, black bears, and wild turkeys. Scan this bucket list of top things to do, see, and eat while on the Blue Ridge Parkway to ensure you don’t miss a thing. Enjoy your time out of the office!
Read 10 Day Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains Road Trip Planner
Things to Do on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Enter the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile 0
Get your passport stamp and check out the Outdoor Farm Museum at Humpback Rocks Visitor Center, Milepost 5.8
Photograph the Shenandoah Valley from Ravens Roost Overlook, Milepost 10.7
Walk to the base of Crabtree Falls, Milepost 27
Walk up the steps to a reconstructed section of the Irish Creek Railway at Yankee Horse Ridge, Milepost 34.4
Photograph the Natural Bridge, Milepost 61.6
Check out the stone dam at Otter Lake Overlook, Milepost 63.1
Walk the .4-mile Trail of Trees loop at James River Visitor Center, Milepost 63.7
Stop at Thunder Ridge Overlook directly above the Appalachian Trail, Milepost 74.7
Enjoy a glass of cider at Apple Orchard Mountain Overlook, Milepost 76.5
Explore the historic Johnson Farm to see what life on a farm was like in the late 1800s, Milepost 86
Check out the historic settlement at Explore Park, Milepost 115
Visit the little zoo at Mill Mountain Parkway, Milepost 120.4
Stop at the Floyd Country Store for the Friday Night Jamboree, Milepost 165.2
Eat pancakes and take a photo of the waterwheel at the Mabry Mill, Milepost 176.1
Browse an old-fashioned country store at the Poor Farmer’s Market, Milepost 177
Listen to Bluegrass on The Crooked Road Music Trail, Milepost 177.7
Check out the Mayberry Trading Post old country store, Milepost 180
Climb the tower at the Groundhog Mountain Overlook, Milepost 189
Photograph the Puckett Cabin, Milepost 189.9
Step back in time to Andy Griffith’s Mayberry, Milepost 200
Enjoy the Mid-Day Mountain Music at the Blue Ridge Music Center, Milepost 213
Cross the Virginia-North Carolina border, Milepost 216.9
Photograph the rolling hills at Fox Hunter’s Paradise Overlook, Milepost 218.6
Visit Brinegar Cabin, a 1930’s homestead, Milepost 239
See the view from the top of Cumberland Knob, Milepost 217.5
Photograph the reflection of the trees on the water at Little Glade Mill Pond, Milepost 230.1
Enjoy the view from the Devil’s Garden Viewpoint, Milepost 235.7
Photograph the hollow at Doughton Park, Milepost 241.1
Check out the Jumpinoff Rocks Viewpoint, Milepost 260.6
Hike the 1-mile Cascade Falls loop at E.B. Jeffress Park, Milepost 271.9
Stop by the Blowing Rock and watch objects float upward, Milepost 291.9
Ride the Tweetsie Railroad in Boone, Milepost 292.1
Check out the Parkway Craft Center at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Mileposts 292-295
Photograph the refection of Grandfather Mountain on the water at Julian Price Lake Overlook, Milepost 296.7
Stretch your legs on the 2-mile RT hike to Hebron Falls, Milepost 297
Hike to Lion King Rock at Rough Ridge, Milepost 302.8
Hike to the bridge at Wilson Creek to view the cascading water, Milepost 303
Photograph the s curve of the Linn Cove Viaduct from the Yonahlossee Overlook, Milepost 303.9
Drive across the Linn Cove Viaduct, Milepost 304
Hike the Tanawha Trail for Linn Cove Viaduct views, Milepost 304
Walk Across the Mile-High Swinging Bridge at Grandfather Mountain, Milepost 305
Hang out on the viewing platform over the water of Linville Falls, Milepost 316
Stop for the view at Chestoa View Overlook, Milepost 320.7
Sip on a glass of cider at the Orchard at Altapass, Milepost 328
Shop for souvenirs in Little Switzerland, Milepost 331
Take a black light mine tour at Emerald Village, Milepost 334
Watch Horn in the West outdoor drama about Daniel Boone’s adventures in Boone
Take the 3-mile RT hike to Crabtree Falls, Milepost 340
Check out the view from the observation deck at Mt. Mitchell State Park, Milepost 355.4
Photograph Glassmine Falls across the valley from the Glassmine Falls Overlook, Milepost 361.2
See the rhododendron garden in bloom (June) at Craggy Gardens Milepost 364
Take the Craggy Knob Trail to see where The Hunger Games was filmed, Milepost 364
Grab an Appalachian souvenir at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382
Visit the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, Milepost 384
Ride the elevator to the top of Chimney Rock and take in the views, Milepost 384.7
Tour the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, Milepost 388.8
Check out the fall colors from the top of Mount Pisgah, Milepost 408.6
Hike the 1.4-mile Forest Festival Trail to a 1914 Climax locomotive in the woods, Milepost 412
Slide down a waterfall at Sliding Rock, Milepost 412
Check out Looking Glass Falls Located off Highway 276
Jump on the swimming hole at Skinny Dip Falls, Milepost 417
Hike the Graveyard Fields 1.1-mile loop to Second Falls, Milepost 418.8
Check out the view at the Caney Fork Overlook, Milepost 428
Take a selfie with the sign marking the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 431.4
Stop at the Mt. Lyn Lowry and Woodfin Cascades Overlooks, Mileposts 445/446
Hike the .6 miles to the Waterrock Knob Trail and Visitor Center, Milepost 451
Snap a photo of Rattlesnake Mountain Tunnel, Milepost 465
Watch the Unto The Hills performance of Cherokee history at the outdoor theater in Cherokee
Go for a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Cherokee
Blue Ridge Parkway Itinerary
There is a tremendous amount of things to do on the Blue Ridge Parkway and some adorable towns to spend the night in. I recommend breaking the trip into sections. Mt Airy, Blowing Rock, Asheville, and Cherokee are great overnight spots. Cell and GPS services are not reliable along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Be sure to identify the points of interest and mileposts you are most interested in before your trip and bring a printed itinerary with you. Be flexible, I spent 4 days exploring the area and only had time to do ¼ of what I tentatively planned.
Consider flying in/out of Charlotte North Carolina or Washington DC. It is worth adding a few days to your trip to visit Gatlinburg and Knoxville Tennessee. Consult the Blue Ridge Fall Foliage Forecast and plan to travel from mid to late October if you are traveling to see the Fall colors. Note that trees begin to change colors at higher elevations first.
Be sure to check the Blue Ridge Parkway Association website for upcoming festivals, special events, and what’s happening during your stay.
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