History of the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway joins Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and The Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. A long scenic road stretches 469 miles along the Blue Ridge and other mountain ranges at high elevations from 650- 1,050 feet.
During the time that Franklin D. Roosevelt was president in the 1930’s, he found a way to create employment for the population left without jobs after the depression. This project was to link the two parks, developing a way for the travelers to enjoy the wonderful parks and the area surrounding it. Blue Ridge Parkway is 800 feet wide at certain points. There are no billboards and very few residents, allowing for long quiet drives and the enjoyment of nature.
There are fantastic scenes along the Southern Highlands, offering outstanding scenic views. Among the points of interest are Otter Creek, Peaks of Otter, Humpback Rocks, Roanoke Mountain, Rocky Knob and Smart View in Virginia, Craggy Gardens, Doughten Park, Cumberland Knob and the memorial parks of Waterrock Knob, E.B. Jefferies Park, Mount Pisgah, Julian Price, Linville Falls, Moses H. Cone, which are in North Carolina. Although the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway remained unfinished until the dedication in 1987 some parts of the park had been accessible throughout the years.
Hikers can enjoy the varying lengths of small paths to the long and strenuous path of the Appalachian Trail. There is ample parking at the Visitor Centre and many stops along the Blue Ridge Parkway that sell crafts and there are Ranger Programs at different points to enlighten you about life and the people that live in the mountains.