What's Open: Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville
Like Asheville and its surrounding neighborhoods, the Blue Ridge Parkway continues to reopen in stages and pockets around Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
In the month since the road was completely shut down, large portions of the Parkway have reopened for safe travel alongside some popular hikes for the late fall season. Here’s what we know and the best way to access the Parkway openings from Asheville. Be sure to consult DriveNC.gov for information on open roads and safe routes to your destination.
Pro-Tip: Don’t park on the roadside — only in official parking lots. There may be hidden hazards, and parked cars hinder work crews.
This article will continue to be updated as new information is provided.
Blue Ridge Parkway Sections Open Near Asheville
NC Route 151 (Milepost 405.5) to NC Route 276 (milepost 421)
The National Park Service restored access to an additional six miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mount Pisgah over the last few days, which opens many popular overlooks and hikes, including:
*The Devil’s Courthouse area is closed due to significant road damage on the parkway. This closure includes bicycle and pedestrian use.
Milepost 285.5 at Beacon Gap to milepost 305 near Beacon Heights
This section, which was the first to open after Hurricane Helene, wraps around Grandfather Mountain near Boone, Blowing Rock and Linville. Popular trails open near here include:
- Rough Ridge Hiking Trail
- Daniel Boone Scout Trail
- Beacon Heights Trail
- Linn Cove Viaduct via Tanawha Trail
- Flat Top Mountain Trail
- Stack Rock Trail
Mileposts 423.2 (Beech Gap) to Mileposts 469 (Oconaluftee, US 441)
Located near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, this section includes some great reopened areas, including the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, Heintooga Spur Road to the Masonic marker and other nearby trails.
New Section Open
Another section of the Asheville corridor was reopened on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The section extends from the U.S. 70/Tunnel Road intersection at Milepost 382.5, south to N.C. 191 (Brevard Road) at Milepost 393.6 near the French Broad River and the North Carolina Arboretum. The Asheville Visitor Center, at milepost 384, will now resume year-round operations daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Folk Art Center operations at milepost 382 are scheduled to resume on Saturday, Nov. 9. Trails in this section of the Parkway are also open but extreme caution is advised.
This will allow access onto and off of the parkway from the following roads:
- U.S. 70 (Tunnel Road)
- U.S. 74
- U.S. 25 (Hendersonville Road)
- N.C. 191 (Brevard Road)