Travel Information

 

 

Books

Hinkel, James R. Parkway Byways : Explore the charming countryside close to The Blue Ridge Parkway, The Shenandoah National Park, and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Boone, NC : Parkway Publishers, Inc., 1998

Features 20 detailed driving routes featuring some of the scenic byways that connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Each route features a map, along with descriptions of the roads themselves, and of the towns and attractions. They vary in length and can make excellent side or day trips for someone vacationing along the Parkway who desires to see something other than what is right on the Parkway. *NOTE: Contact information, such as hours and phone numbers of some of the attractions, is very dynamic and may be out of date. Always check before your trip.

 

Blackwell, Mary Alice and Lin Chaff. The Insider's Guide to Virginia's Blue Ridge. 7th ed. Helena, MT : Falcon, 1999

While the book's coverage is of the entire Blue Ridge Range in Virginia, it does include a section devoted to The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. This source is a very thorough travel guide, with information on topics ranging from accommodations and attractions to restaurants and real estate. Includes fees, park policies, phone numbers. A good reference for anyone vacationing near the Virginia section of the Parkway.

 

Maps

National Park Service. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina [Washington, D.C.] : The Service, [2002]
Scale [ca. 1:500,000]

This map is available free at any of the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Centers. Long and thin, it enables the user to really focus on the Parkway and the immediate surrounding area. Colorful and clearly marked, it is easy to use for anyone in the passenger seat. (And because it folds up like a fan, there's no struggling with it in the car!). Features entrance roads, Visitor Centers, campgrounds and other facilities. The flip side discusses some Parkway highlights, and lists the mileposts at which they are found. It also includes a chart that details which amenities are offered at the different Parkway facilities. Indispensable for any driver.

 

United States Geological Survey Topographic Quadrangles. Reston, VA : The Service, dates vary.
Scale 1:24,000

These are available in the Maps Collection in Wilson Library, or they can be purchased from USGS. These small scale maps include detail of geographic features as well as contour lines. Useful for backpack campers and Appalachian Trail thru hikers. These can be used in conjunction with North Carolina Hiking Trails, which provides information about which maps correspond with the trails.

 

Web

National Park Service - Blue Ridge Parkway
http://www.nps.gov/blri/

This site includes a brief introduction to the Parkway, with links to various bits of practical information useful if you are planning to travel the Parkway. Click on the blue “In Depth” button for more information on any parkway closures, weather conditions, accommodations, etc. The “News and Events” section also provides blurbs on some current parkway happenings. The printable travel guide link includes much of the same information (travel basics, camping, contact information) in a succinct, printer-friendly format.

 

NCNatural's Blue Ridge Parkway Travel Guide
http://www.ncnatural.com/Parkway/

An attractive "one-stop shopping" site with information on hiking trails, camping, and sight-seeing. Does not include information on accommodations, except for a Biltmore East Holiday Inn ad. (Camping is more fun anyway! And the camping page is quite detailed and nicely arranged.) The site's nicest feature is the Mile by Mile Parkway Travelogue, arranged by state and then by 30-mile section of the Parkway. For each section, overlooks, visitor and information centers, and points of interest are listed by milepost. Its printer-friendly too! -- the North Carolina and Virginia mile by mile travelogues can be printed as two complete documents. Also includes links to other NCNatural sections that are related to the Parkway, such as "Autumn in the Appalachians" and "Hawk and Butterfly Migrations."

 

Welcome to the Blue Ridge Parkway
http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/

The Blue Ridge Parkway Association's guide offers a wealth of information that complements the sources listed above. The "Directory/Travel Planner" link lists food, lodging, camping, shopping, attractions, and tourist board information for numerous towns along the Parkway, grouped by milepost. Other site highlights include the Bloom Schedule (a list of flowers, their peak boom and milepost locations) and the Fishing regulations. (Not many general parkway sites offer such concise information about fishing.) Also includes a Calendar of events and links to other Parkway resources. *Beware of the Parkway Maps! They are very large files and download extremely slowly. Save yourself a headache and use print geographical sources!