Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile drive between Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. This portion is in western Virginia; it travels between Shenandoah NP and the North Carolina state line. The byway is 217 miles long and is a two-lane paved road suitable for all types of vehicles. Portions may close from November to mid-April, otherwise the byway remains open year-round.
The Blue Ridge Parkway follows the Appalachian Mountain chain, twisting and turning through the beautiful mountains. From Shenandoah National Park, the scenic drive travels along the Blue Ridge Mountains for 355 miles. Then, for the remaining 114 miles, it skirts the southern end of the Black Mountains, weaves through the Craggies, the Pisgahs, and the Balsams before finally ending in the Great Smokies. The Parkway was authorized in 1933 and became a unit of the National Park Service in 1936.
This portion of the byway is a beautiful drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Much of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail parallels the drive for the first 100 miles from the national park to just north of Roanoke. Access points to this 2,147-mile trail are located along the byway.
Waynesboro, Virginia is the starting point of the byway when traveling north to south. To the north lies the vast Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive, which winds 105 miles through the park. To the south is the Blue Ridge Parkway and George Washington National Forest. The national forest covers more than a million acres of mountains and valleys in Virginia and West Virginia. Sherando Lake is a national forest recreation area that offers camping, fishing, boating, hiking, picnicking, and swimming opportunities. Farther south lies the Jefferson National Forest. Numerous camping and picnicking areas are situated around the Cave Mountain Lake area.
The National Park Service also provides numerous areas for camping and picnicking. Otter Creek, Peaks of Otter, and Rocky Knob are just a few examples. In addition to tent and trailer campsites, Peaks of Otter and Rocky Knob also offer lodging. Food service and gasoline are also available in Peaks of Otter. Several picnic areas with scenic vistas of the surrounding mountains are in Humpback Rocks and James River recreation areas. Many of the parks also have visitor centers where you can obtain detailed brochures and maps of the Blue Ridge Parkway.