Winter can be a great time to experience the Blue Ridge Parkway/Vicki Dameron

Fall’s glorious colors are gone, and so are the tailgating cars that they lure to the Blue Ridge Parkway. And that’s just one reason to visit this meandering ribbon of pavement during the winter months.

True, the deciduous trees have dropped their leaves. But that simply means your vistas are much more expansive along the parkway that ties Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Shenandoah National Park together. It also gives the rhododendrons a bit more glory, as they hold their greenery through the winter.

Along with enjoying these sweeping views, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers ample activities to convince you to hang around in winter. Backcountry skiers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers all have many destinations to explore if the snow gets deep.

If you come upon a closed section of the Parkway, park and take a hike. Local residents and visitors use these sections like a greenway for treks and cross-country skiing. Foot traffic is allowed even if cars aren’t, and snowfalls provide a totally different way to experience the Parkway. Of course, the rangers advise you to bring layers of clothing and to tell someone about your route before setting out on a winter hike.

You also can access the carriage trails at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, for cross-country skiing and horseback riding. While there, consider donating to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s ongoing campaign to revitalize the manor.

Cold-weather hikers can discover that summer’s waterfalls turn into winter’s icefalls, you still can tour the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, at rates much lower than in summer, and the North Carolina Minerals Museum near Spruce Pine, North Carolina, as well as the Folk Art Center and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, both near Asheville, all remain open through the winter.

Consider parking your car for a couple days at Peaks of Otter Lodge & Restaurant near Bedford, Virginia. It’s open daily until early December, and then just weekends until spring. The Foundation has been busy at Peaks of Otter, overseeing the paving of the Abbott Lake Loop Trail and the restoration of Polly Woods Ordinary, a historic inn built in the early 1800s for travelers.

After a few days exploring, you’ll quickly come to realize that winter is meant to be embraced on the Blue Ridge Parkway.