Sunday, September 28, 2008

Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway
Originally called the "Appalachian Scenic Highway", begun during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration it took over 52 years to complete. Congress named it the "Blue Ridge Parkway" in 1936 and placed it under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.
Outstanding scenery and recreational stops make the Blue Ridge Parkway one of the most popular of the National Park System. The Parkway winds its way 469 miles through mountain meadows and seemingly endless vistas. Split-rail fences, old farmsteads and historic structures create spectacular views of distant mountains and neighboring valleys you'll remember forever.

The Parkway incorporates several recreation areas, some exceeding 6,000 acres. These parks within the Parkway have visitor centers, camp grounds, picnic areas, trails and, some lodges, restaurants, and other facilities. Designed for the traveler to take their time and enjoy all that is the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway.
The roadway is not maintained in the winter, and sections which pass over especially high elevations and through tunnels are often impassable and therefore closed from late fall through early spring.
Mileposts along the parkway start at zero at the northeast end in Virginia and count to 469 at the southern end in North Carolina.
The parkway uses short side roads to connect to other highways, and there are no direct interchanges with interstate highways.









Built in the 1930s as a Depression-era public works project, the Parkway was more than a half-century in the making. It was the nation's first, and ultimately longest, rural parkway, connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Enduring standards for parkway engineering and design were pioneered here.
This will be one of the most romantic trips you will ever have, especially if you are in a new relationship.


Complete Map of Blue Ridge Parkway

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