Blue Ridge Parkway

Discriminating Explorer: Appalachian Spring

The Blue Ridge Parkway, between Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks, is a prime venue to a secret season—the explosive beauty and bounty of Appalachian Spring.

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By Randy Johnson - March 25th, 2012 11:54am

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Pull Up a Tent: Camp on the Blue Ridge Parkway

There's great camping all along the 469-miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, starting with the Parkway's own campgrounds.

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By Randy Johnson - March 18th, 2012 5:02pm

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An Overlook Not to Over Look

Azalea blooms below Raven's Roost Overlook, Milepost 10.7, Blue Ridge Parkway.

Framed by the flaming azalea bloom along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Shenandoah Valley sprawls in a pastoral patchwork of farms and fields below Raven's Roost Overlook (Milepost 10.7, 3,200 feet).

Randy Johnson

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By Randy Johnson - March 13th, 2012 9:21am

As Time Nears To Hit The Appalachian Trail, Some Stats For Thru-Hikers To Keep in Mind

With an eye on the prize, this year's crop of would-be Appalachian Trail thru-hikers are getting ready to hit the trail. With that in mind, here are some stats, courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, to help them stay focused.

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By NPT Staff - March 11th, 2012 4:00am

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Ranking The National Parks By Visitation In 2011

People seem to like numbers, and hierarchy, so here's a rundown of the leading units of the National Park System in terms of 2011 visitation. The first list combs through all 397 units in the system, while the second looks only at "national parks."

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By NPT Staff - March 8th, 2012 4:18am

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Walking to Rattlesnake Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway

At the time when most of the Blue Ridge Parkway seems closed in North Carolina, you can take a delightful, short hike on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail to Rattlesnake Lodge. You'll see the many remains of the summer home of Chase Ambler.

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By [email protected] - December 22nd, 2012 12:29pm

Winter Closure to Interrupt Two Portions of Blue Ridge Parkway

Repairs to two Blue Ridge Parkway tunnels will interdict the high road from mid-February through mid-April between Asheville and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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By NPT Staff - February 13th, 2012 9:10pm

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TRACK Trails Offer Nationwide Weapon Against “Nature Deficit Disorder”

A new grant appears likely to popularize outdoor education and exercise for families with national franchising of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's TRACK Trails concept.

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By Randy Johnson - March 27th, 2012 10:45am

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Blue Ridge Parkway Digital History Now Online

A new Web site rounds up remarkable visual resources about the history of the most popular unit of America's National Park System.

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By Randy Johnson - January 27th, 2012 3:00am

We've Added The Blue Ridge Parkway To Our Collection of Essential Park Guides

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a globally recognized icon of the American landscape. Stretches of road elsewhere in the United States may indeed be spectacular, but nothing matches this manicured, uniquely uncommercialized, half a thousand mile thoroughfare through the lofty heart of America’s first frontier.

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By Randy Johnson - January 26th, 2012 3:00am

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INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.