| Copyright 2008 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. |
The Blue Ridge Parkway
ExploreSouthernHistory.com
| View from the Blue Ridge Parkway The parkway stretches 469 miles and is one of America's most favorite scenic drives. (National Park Service Photo) |
Riding the Sky on the Blue Ridge Parkway
America's most visited National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway
stretches from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great
Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, a total distance of 469 miles.
Noted for its spectacular scenic vistas, this "highway in the sky" also
takes travelers on a fascinating journey through the history of the
South.
The mountains of western North Carolina, at the southern end of the
parkway, are the ancestral home of the Cherokee Nation. The road
passes through the Cherokee Reservation and informational
exhibits help visitors learn more about the fascinating history of the
Cherokee people and other Native American groups who once lived
in the North Carolina and Virginia mountains. It is believed that many
of the fields visible in the mountain valleys were originally cleared by
Native American farmers.
The Blue Ridge Parkway also gives visitors unique opportunities to
walk in the footsteps of America's early pioneers. These views once
inspired frontiersmen including Daniel Boone, who lived in western
North Carolina before leading settlers over the mountains into
Kentucky. Scattered all along the parkway are sites and structures
associated with the early westward expansion of the country. Cabins
and farms dot the landscape, along with mills, blacksmith shops,
whiskey stills, railroad tracks and even the locks of a 19th century
canal.
The parkway is also a wonderful way to explore the folk art and
traditional music and crafts of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These
aspects of early life still thrive in the mountains of Virginia and the
Carolinas and can be explored and experienced all along the
parkway. There are folk art centers, craft centers and other heritage
tourism opportunities available all along the modern highway.
Even the Blue Ridge Parkway itself is a major historic attraction.
Conceived and first constructed during the early 20th century, it is
one of the most remarkable roadways ever built in the country.
Following the crests of the mountains, it preserves more than
81,000 acres of environmentally sensitive and historically significant
land.
From its lowest point, the parkway climbs more than 5,700 feet to its
highest points. It crosses 400 mountain streams, 150 of which are
the headwaters of major waterways. More than 50 threatened or
endangered species of plants live in the lands preserved by the Blue
Ridge Parkway, among which are 47 Natural Heritage Areas.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is open year-round, weather and road
conditions permitting, although many staffed facilities do not operate
during the winter. For full details and the latest information, please
consult the official park service website.
stretches from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great
Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, a total distance of 469 miles.
Noted for its spectacular scenic vistas, this "highway in the sky" also
takes travelers on a fascinating journey through the history of the
South.
The mountains of western North Carolina, at the southern end of the
parkway, are the ancestral home of the Cherokee Nation. The road
passes through the Cherokee Reservation and informational
exhibits help visitors learn more about the fascinating history of the
Cherokee people and other Native American groups who once lived
in the North Carolina and Virginia mountains. It is believed that many
of the fields visible in the mountain valleys were originally cleared by
Native American farmers.
The Blue Ridge Parkway also gives visitors unique opportunities to
walk in the footsteps of America's early pioneers. These views once
inspired frontiersmen including Daniel Boone, who lived in western
North Carolina before leading settlers over the mountains into
Kentucky. Scattered all along the parkway are sites and structures
associated with the early westward expansion of the country. Cabins
and farms dot the landscape, along with mills, blacksmith shops,
whiskey stills, railroad tracks and even the locks of a 19th century
canal.
The parkway is also a wonderful way to explore the folk art and
traditional music and crafts of the Blue Ridge Mountains. These
aspects of early life still thrive in the mountains of Virginia and the
Carolinas and can be explored and experienced all along the
parkway. There are folk art centers, craft centers and other heritage
tourism opportunities available all along the modern highway.
Even the Blue Ridge Parkway itself is a major historic attraction.
Conceived and first constructed during the early 20th century, it is
one of the most remarkable roadways ever built in the country.
Following the crests of the mountains, it preserves more than
81,000 acres of environmentally sensitive and historically significant
land.
From its lowest point, the parkway climbs more than 5,700 feet to its
highest points. It crosses 400 mountain streams, 150 of which are
the headwaters of major waterways. More than 50 threatened or
endangered species of plants live in the lands preserved by the Blue
Ridge Parkway, among which are 47 Natural Heritage Areas.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is open year-round, weather and road
conditions permitting, although many staffed facilities do not operate
during the winter. For full details and the latest information, please
consult the official park service website.
| Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a unique way to explore the history of the Southern mountains. (National Park Service Photo) |
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| Spectacular Blue Ridge Scenery The parkway climbs more than 6,000 feet into the sky and preserves 81,000 acres of mountain land. (National Park Service Photo) |
| The American Frontier Historic sites along the parkway cover all eras of American history and many different cultures. (National Park Service Photo) |