Blue Ridge Parkway to the Pisgah National Forest, N.C.

Clouds rolling across the Blue Ridge Mountains near Big Witch Gap

The Blue Ridge Parkway extends 469 miles to the north linking the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina with Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.  The southern end of the Parkway is located just outside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park on the southern edge near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.  Since we were heading north anyway, it seemed like a good plan to travel along the Blue Ridge Parkway for most of the way with a few side trips here and there.

Blue Ridge Mountains...

 

In the Balsam Mountain Range, highest point on the Parkway

 

It seems this spring that “On the Road with Maya” is exploring some amazing roadways. With the Natchez Trace, Cherohala Skyway and US Hwy 129 Tail of the Dragon under our ‘seat’ belts, we buckled up and headed north on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Out of the tunnel and into the mist...

 

Like the Natchez Trace Parkway that we drove in Mississippi, the Blue Ridge Parkway is also administered by the National Park Service and has been designated a National Scenic Byway.  To receive this designation, a road must possess multiple intrinsic qualities (historic, cultural, geological, botanical, etc.) that are nationally significant and also contain unique features that do not exist elsewhere.  

 Qualla Indian Reservation shrouded in fog 

Our first section of the Blue Ridge took us from the Great Smoky Mountains through the Cherokee Indian Reservation then through the Balsams in the Nantahala National Forest and finally into the Pisgah National Forest.  The road follows the crest of the mountain ranges it passes through so it is continually climbing, turning and descending and then doing it all over again.  Since the speed limit was 45 (we seldom went that fast on the winding road) and there were so many pullouts and views, we adopted a very leisurely pace.
 

Spruce-fir forests give the Balsam Mountain Range its deep green color

 

 

Views from both sides of the road were incredible and there were many turnouts with exhibits, photographic opportunities and some scenic hikes – both short and long. And Maya was able hike with us on the Blue Ridge Parkway Trails.  This is one of the few National Parks where dogs are allowed on trails.

 

Near the summit of the Waterrock Knob Trail

 

As has been the pattern in the east this spring, the weather was rainy and cloudy and then usually at some point during the day, the sun would come out for a while.  So the view was clear from some pullouts and very foggy and misty at others.

 

Fire cherry and service berry in bloom

 

We took nearly all day to travel about 70 miles, stopping, reading the signs, hiking, picnicking and just enjoying the view.  Even at that slow of a pace we weren’t able to hike all the trails we wanted in this first piece of the Parkway.  So we decided to look for a campsite nearby to stay a few more days in the area.

 

Trillium

 

 



David's Stats:
Days Hiked    1  
Total Miles Hiked   2.92
Total Elevation Gain     473 

 

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