Designers of the Blue Ridge Parkway carefully considered every part of the experience when they laid out the route in the 1930s. Landscape architects thoughtfully located the park’s structures, overlooks, and natural and cultural features to provide an incomparable experience.
Unfortunately, in recent years, vandalized or stolen signs have become all too common an occurrence across the park. Nearly every day, park rangers find words or images drawn, painted, or carved into signs, fences and infrastructure. Each sign–whether providing location and elevation information at an overlook or highlighting unique aspects of the park story is custom, and the replacement or repair of signs is expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.
Dozens of park rangers and volunteers regularly remove graffiti, using time and resources that could go toward other parkway projects that would better benefit local communities and visitors.
If you are on the parkway and witness someone taking a sign or vandalizing park property, take down license plate information, leave the area, and call 1.800.PARKWATCH (1.800.727.5928) to report the incident to park dispatchers.
