Blue Ridge Parkway (Asheville Area)

The Scenic Drive Right Outside Town

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the ridges above Asheville, with the National Park Service's headquarters and the Folk Art Center on the east side of the city. It is a slow, scenic road with a low speed limit, overlooks, and short trails, and it is at its best in fall color season.

What Is Open and What Is Not

Helene damaged the Parkway badly. According to the National Park Service's road status page on October 2, 2026, the sections at mileposts 324.7 to 327.5 and 344.2 to 355.3 (the latter north of Mount Mitchell State Park) are closed, and recreation of any kind is prohibited in them. The Parkway from milepost 355.3 south through the Craggy Gardens area, the Folk Art Center, the Asheville headquarters, and on toward Mount Pisgah and Graveyard Fields is listed as open. The Craggy Gardens Picnic Area and Linville Falls Campground and Picnic Area are closed. Conditions change, so check the NPS road status page before you go.

Good Stops from Asheville

• Folk Art Center (milepost 382) for craft galleries and demonstrations
• Craggy Gardens (about milepost 364) for high-elevation trails and views
• Mount Mitchell State Park, reached from the Asheville side of the Parkway only

Our Blue Ridge Parkway guide lays out a full day, and best hikes near Asheville covers the trails.