Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles along the spine of the southern Appalachians from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains, passing through 26 tunnels, 25 of them in North Carolina. This entry is anchored at Asheville, NC, near the route's midpoint. The road was engineered with spiral curves that hold a constant grade through the mountains instead of switching back hard, which is why it rides more like flowing ridge-line touring than a technical road. Expect two-lane pavement, a low posted limit that drops further in the tunnels, and long stretches with no guardrail and no cell service. Fuel is the real planning problem: the longest gap between stations on the route runs about 60 miles, and several visitor centers along the way sell no gas at all. Weekend traffic backs up at popular overlooks from spring through fall. As of September 2026, NPS lists long sections north of Asheville closed from Hurricane Helene damage, including milepost 317.5-324.7 and 344.2-355.3 closed to recreation, and 333.9-342.1 closed to all access, with repair crews targeting the remaining slides for completion by late 2026 - check the NPS road status page before you ride. The parkway around and south of Asheville is open; fuel up in town and pair a run here with the Pisgah National Forest loops nearby.