Highlights of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Linn Cove Viaduct on Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
©Byways.org
The curving Linn Cove Viaduct looks out
over the valley below Grandfather Mountain.

North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway combines awesome natural beauty with the pioneer history of gristmills, weathered cabins, and split-rail fences to create the country's most popular national park. It encompasses a world of mountain forests, wildlife, and wildflowers thousands of feet above a patchwork of villages, fields, and farms.

The Blue Ridge Parkway features attractions for the historian, the explorer, or the person looking for fun. The following points of interest are excellent sights along or just off of the byway.

Cumberland Knob: Cumberland Knob, at 2,885 feet, is a great spot to walk through fields and woodlands.

Brinegar Cabin: Brinegar Cabin was built by Martin Brinegar about 1880 and lived in until the 1930s; it is still standing.

Northwest Trading Post: Northwest Trading Post keeps alive the old crafts within North Carolina's 11 northwestern counties.

Moses H. Cone Memorial Park: This park has 25 miles of carriage roads, ideal for hiking and horseback riding.

E. B. Jeffress Park: E. B. Jeffress Park has a self-guided trail to the Cascades and another trail to the old cabin and church.

Linn Cove Viaduct: Linn Cove Viaduct, a highlight of the parkway and a design and engineering marvel, skirts the side of Grandfather Mountain.
Linville Falls: Linville Falls roars through a dramatic, rugged gorge. Take trails to overlooks.

Museum of North Carolina Minerals: This museum has a display of the state's mineral wealth.

Mount Mitchell State Park: This park has a picnic area and a lookout tower. It is the highest point east of the Mississippi River.

Folk Art Center: This center offers sales and exhibits of traditional and contemporary crafts of the Appalachian Region.

Biltmore Estate: This is George Vanderbilt's impressive 250-room mansion and grounds landscaped by Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park.

Mount Pisgah: Part of the Biltmore Estate became home of the first U.S. forestry school. That tract of land is the nucleus of the Pisgah National Forest.

Devil's Courthouse: Devil's Courthouse is a rugged exposed mountaintop rich in Cherokee legends. A walk to the bare rock summit yields a spectacular view.

Richland Balsam Trail: This trail takes you through a remnant spruce-fir forest. It's the highest point on the parkway at 6,047 feet.

Waterrock Knob: Waterrock Knob provides a panorama of the Great Smokies, as well as a trail, exhibits, and comfort station.

The Blue Ridge Parkway glides along the ridge tops of the Apppalachians, creating stunning views of some of America's most remarkable woodlands.

Find more useful information related to North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway:

  • Asheville, Boone, Bryson City: Find out what there is to do in these cities along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
  • Scenic Drives: Are you interested in scenic drives beyond North Carolina? Here are more than 100 scenic drives throughout the United States.
  • How to Drive Economically: Fuel economy is a major concern when you're on a driving trip. Learn how to get better gas mileage.