Tag Archives: scenic road

Section of Blue Ridge Parkway May Reopen After All

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photo - Motorcycles on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Motorcyclists enjoy the scenic section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near the closure site.

Good news for those of you planning your motorcycle trip. While I’m having some trouble finding hard confirmation on this from an “official” source,  it appears the National Park Service will be trying to open one lane of the Blue Ridge Parkway which has been closed due to an unstable slope. The section affected by the closure lies south of Asheville near milepost 400. Design plans to remove unstable material and bolt the slope have been crafted, and one lane could be open again by July of this year.

The current closure prevents access to the Pisgah Inn from Asheville, though it can be reached by backtracking from Wagon Road Gap (US 276) south of Waynesville.  As this section of the Blue Ridge Parkway makes the climb from the French Broad River Valley at Asheville to gain the highest elevations along the scenic roadway, it will be a welcome relief to have it opened and avoid any detours. Expect the remainder of the Blue Ridge Parkway to be open by the end of April barring discovery of any further problems and the continued enthusiasm of the clean up crews.

For the first time in a long while our nations most popular scenic motorcycle ride could be open from end-to-end, just in time to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the park.

Celebrate Blue Ridge Parkway Anniversary 75

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Photo - View of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Waterrock Knob overlook

View of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Waterrock Knob overlook.

2010 kicks off with celebration of our nations most popular national parks 75th anniversary. Construction on the 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway scenic road was started in September, 1935 at Cumberland Knob near the border between North Carolina and Virginia (milepost 217.5), though it would take 52 years until the last section was completed in September, 1987 not far from where it all began.

The mission of the Blue Ridge Parkway is to provide a scenic link between two of the easts grandest parks, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Inspired by great rides built in the parks of the American west and patterned after earlier scenic roads in the east, the Blue Ridge Parkway was constructed utilizing native materials to emphasize and highlight extraordinary views worthy of national recognition and preservation. In making that link, the Blue Ridge Parkway in some ways eclipsed these other national parks and opened up the isolated and remote areas of the Smoky Mountains for all to enjoy.

Nowadays, more than 18 million people each year come to enjoy the relaxing and inspiring views found along this two lane ribbon of asphalt, more than 1/4 of them on motorcycles. The Blue Ridge Parkway has become our nations most classic ride. What better year to celebrate and enjoy it?

I’ll be highlighting some of those celebrations and relating the often controversial history of one of the best rides anywhere in future posts. Here’s a video to get you started.

For more info about the Blue Ridge Parkway go to http://blueridgeparkway.org

For info about celebrations and events go to http://www.blueridgeparkway75.org/