Spring and early summer always offer an extra bonus for visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and this year is no exception. Prime season for both wildflowers and blooming shrubs and trees is underway, and parts of the scenic drive just south of Asheville currently offer some fine displays, with more to come.

One of the pleasures'”and challenges'”for bloom watchers is the wide variety of views available along the 469 mile drive. In what may at first seem counter-intuitive, blooms for any given species may occur earlier in the northern sections of the Parkway in Virginia than in the southern stretch of the road in North Carolina.

The difference in those schedules is primarily a matter of elevation, since the higher sections of the park are located near the southern end, south of Asheville, North Carolina. Even within a distance of just a few miles, the current status of blooms can change significantly as the road climbs to higher ridge tops and then drops toward a "gap," a lower elevation area that in the west would be called a "pass."

Mountain laurel. Jim Burnett photo.

The easiest reference points for any Parkway trip are the small vertical "mileposts" (MP) located on the road shoulders; the mileage count begins at "0" at the northern end of the drive in Virginia, and ends at "469" where the trip ends at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You'll find a map showing the milepost readings every ten miles, along with other key features, on the park website. Just click on the "View Park Map" link on the left side of the home page. 

For many fans of flowering trees and shrubs, the "big three" for the Parkway are Mountain laurel, Catawba rhododendron and Flame azalea, and a drive on the road this week from the Asheville vicinity south to the popular Graveyard Fields area found a mixed bag of blooming views, with some species near peak and others not quite ready.

The current star performer along the the Parkway is the mountain laurel, especially at elevations between about 3,000 and 4,500 feet. At many locations, including almost every overlook heading south from Asheville, those shrubs are either at or nearing full bloom.

Mountain Laurel along the Parkway. Jim Burnett photo.

As the road climbs above about 4,500 feet en route to the Mount Pisgah area, blooms of mountain laurel begin to taper off; most of those plants, along with the ever-popular Catawba rhododendron, have plenty of buds, but they aren't quite ready yet.

A popular spot for a stop along this part of the drive is the Pisgah Inn (MP 408), and the restaurant continues to offer a chance for a fine meal with a top-of-the-world view. Just a few Catawba rhododendron are open around the Inn parking lot this week, and if you'd like a close-up view of the Flame azalea, a fine specimen at the edge of the parking lot near the restaurant is currently in full bloom.

A few Catawba rhododendron are currently in bloom around the Pisgah Inn. Jim Burnett photo.

If you'd rather bring your own meal, the Mt. Pisgah picnic area, near MP 408, is a fine choice. You'll have to carry your picnic basket several hundred feet from the parking lot to get to the tables, but that area is surrounded by Catawba rhododendron which have plenty of buds yet to open.

South of the Mount Pisgah area, the parkway drops about 500 feet in elevation over the next four miles, and Mountain laurel blooms again pick up at several overlooks before the road climbs again to the Graveyard Fields Overlook. Recent work in that area has added a much-appreciated comfort station and improved parking to serve a very popular network of fine trails for day hikes, but be forewarned that parking spaces are still scarce on a popular weekend.

Over the next couple of weeks, a trip on this'”or any other section'”of the Parkway should have plenty to offer in terms of seasonal blooms. A recording on the park phone number (828-298-0398, then press option 3) will provide a general update on what's in bloom right now.