he Blue Ridge Parkway has begun opening visitor centers and campgrounds and a major renovation project is now underway.
The visitor centers at Flat Top Manor at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, Craggy Gardens and Waterrock Knob are now open, and as of Friday April 28, additional centers are opening, including Linville Falls, Humpback Rocks, and Peaks of Otter, followed by remaining locations in May and June. Two of the park’s eight campgrounds, Price Park (A Loop) and Linville Falls are ready for campers. South on the Parkway, Mabry Mill Restaurant are now serving up its buckwheat pancakes. The Bluffs Restaurant opens for its season on Friday, May 26.
Visitors will encounter road closures related to a major infrastructure project that began May 1 in a 75-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 229.6, just north of Doughton Park, to milepost 305.1, near Grandfather Mountain. The $98 million project is a three-year repaving and rehabilitation project along the mainline motor road, that will also address drainage structures, curbs, walks, shoulders, guardrails, overlooks, and signage. The project will be phased with a staggered series of closures, allowing for continuous access to recreation areas and visitor amenities within the project area.
Park visitors should expect short-distance and short-duration single lane closures, and later in May, there will be full closures with detours in place at various locations. As construction progresses, closure locations will alternate with announcements preceding each shift.
However, at all times, there will be uninterrupted access from either the north or the south to visitor facilities and recreation areas within the project area.
For more information about facilities on the Parkway, visit NPS.gov/BLRI.
