French Broad River to Craggy Gardens - Blue Ridge Parkway

A late June day trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, North Carolina provided some beautiful views before the fog and rain shortened our trip.  The parkway is a scenic 469 mile link between Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We traversed about 65 miles of the parkway from NC 191 just south of the French Broad River to NC 226 at Gillespie Gap.

View upstream from the French Broad River bridge toward Ball Mountain

View downstream from the French Broad River bridge

Visitor Center and Headquarters

Interior of the Visitor Center

Haw Creek Valley

Tanbark Ridge

The parkway from the Bull Creek Valley overlook

Bull Creek Valley

Lane Pinnacle

View northwest from the Craggy Gardens visitor center

Another view of the ridges northwest of the Craggy Gardens visitor center

The fog moves in at Craggy Gardens

A break in the fog provided a magnificent view along the road

View from Three Knobs overlook

The parkway website is http://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm.

Blue Ridge Parkway

In mid-October, 2012, we finally found an opportunity to drive along a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway in mostly sunny conditions.  We entered the parkway near Asheville at MP 393.6 and drove south.  There are numerous overlooks along the route.  Below are some of my favorite views with their approximate mileposts and overlook names.

MP 399.8 Bad Fork Valley 

Mount Pisgah
MP 408.3 Unnamed Parking Circle

MP 409.3 View Funnel Top

MP 409.3 View Funnel Top

Mount Pisgah
MP 409.3 View Funnel Top

Side view of Looking Glass Rock
MP 413.2 Pounding Mill Overlook

MP 415.7 View Cherry Cove

MP 417.0 View Looking Glass Rock

Looking Glass Rock
MP 417.0 View Looking Glass Rock

MP 418.3 East Fork Overlook
(East Fork Pigeon River)

Second Falls of the Yellowstone Prong of the East Fork Pigeon River
MP 418.5 (roadside)

MP 421.5 (roadside)

MP 421.7 Fetterbush Overlook

MP 424.4 View Herrin Knob

We continued on the parkway to Richland Balsam Overlook (MP 431.4).  At 6,053 feet, this is the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it seemed the fall colors were past their peak.  Our afternoon journey on the parkway concluded at Balsam Gap (MP 443.1) and the intersection with U.S. 74/23, the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway.

The parkway website is http://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm.

Blue Ridge Parkway

French Broad River

A drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway is a great way to unwind and relieve stress.  The parkway is a 469-mile scenic byway connecting Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks.  In late April 2012, I drove the short section from Asheville, NC south to Mt. Pisgah.  I would have driven further, but late afternoon thunderstorms were developing and enveloped the mountain in fog.  Spring was in full force in the valley, but winter was still clinging to the top of the mountain.

Bad Fork Valley

Mountains and Clouds above Bad Fork Valley

View from Beaver Dam Gap

Clouds obscure Stony Bald

Big Ridge (elev 3820 ft)

Hominy Valley

Mill River Valley

Stairs from the parking lot to Buck Springs overlook

Winter persists on the trail to Buck Springs overlook

Viewing benches at Buck Springs overlook

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/blri.