Recovery work from Hurricane Helene continues along the Blue Ridge Parkway during the federal government shutdown. According to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, construction is proceeding because the projects are being handled by contracted crews rather than National Park Service employees, and those contracts were awarded before Congress failed to pass a budget.
Repairs, which have been underway throughout 2025, are estimated to exceed $1 billion. Current work zones include a 22-mile stretch from north of Mount Mitchell State Park at Milepost 355 to near Little Switzerland at Milepost 333, as well as sections from Gillespie Gap at Milepost 330 through Linville Falls Spur Road at Milepost 316.
Three popular visitor sites—the Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville, the Museum of North Carolina Minerals in Spruce Pine, and the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Virginia—will remain open through October 31, thanks to continued financial support from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
Most campgrounds, trails, and picnic areas that reopened after Helene remain accessible, including the Folk Art Center at Milepost 382 in Asheville. Only the Linville Falls and Crabtree Falls campgrounds are currently closed. All campgrounds will close for the season on Oct. 27.
Additional closures remain in place for previously scheduled maintenance. A full list of open and closed facilities is available on the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s website.
