Starting at the southern end of Shenandoah National Park, and winding along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains all the way to Great Smoky Mountains National Park some 469 miles away, the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the country’s great scenic drives. This is especially true during autumn, when the dogwoods and gum trees turn deep red, and the hickories yellow, against an evergreen backdrop of pines, hemlocks, and firs. Spring is wildflower time, with abundant azaleas and rhododendrons blooming orange, white, pink, and red throughout May and June, especially at the higher elevations.
First proposed in the 1920s, the Blue Ridge Parkway was constructed during 1935–1967, when it grew from a network of local roads to the current route, along which billboards and commercial traffic are both banned. While the Parkway avoids towns and commercial areas to concentrate on the scenery, many interesting towns and other places along the way are well worth a detour. For ease of use, we’ve divided the Blue Ridge Parkway into three main sections, starting with the drive between Shenandoah National Park and Roanoke. (For the Roanoke-to-North Carolina section, see page 354; for the final run south to the Great Smoky Mountains, see page 358.)
Mile 0: Rockfish Gap, at the southern end of Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive, marks the northern start of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Milepost 6.1: Humpback Rocks has a short but strenuous trail (45 minutes each way), leading through a reconstructed historic farmstead and a visitors center (540/943-4716), ending with a 270-degree view over the mountains.
Milepost 34.4: Yankee Horse parking area has an exhibit on an old logging railroad, part of which has been restored, and a short trail to Wigwam Falls.
Milepost 63.6: James River Visitor Center (804/299-5496), exhibits, and trails along the James River and Kanawha Canal. Lowest point on the Parkway, at 649 feet; it is also the junction with US-501, which runs west along the James River for 15 miles to Natural Bridge (see below).
Milepost 76.5: Great views over both valleys from the highest point on the Parkway in Virginia, at 3,950 feet.
Milepost 84–87: The most popular—and most developed—stretch of the Parkway, the Peaks of Otter section includes a visitors center, gas station, restaurant, and very pleasant lodge ($60–90; 540/586-1081), which is open year-round. Three peaks rise above a small lake, and give great sunrise and sunset views; many good trails, including a two-mile loop to Fallingwater Cascades, let you escape the sometimes sizeable crowds.
Milepost 105: The city of Roanoke.
Skyline Drive
