Blue Ridge Parkway reopening most popular sites Friday after closures for COVID-19
The Blue Ridge Parkway intends to open its gates to some of its most popular attractions Friday, after weeks of closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Among the well known spots reopening: the Linn Cove Viaduct, Linville Falls and Crabtree Falls. Parkway access to Grandfather Mountain and Mount Mitchell will also be restored, the National Park Service said.
Vehicles have been kept from those areas for weeks out of fear crowds would gather in parking lots and on trails, causing the highly contagious coronavirus to spread more easily.
News of the reopening comes with a warning that visitors who see full parking lots should immediately turn around and “go elsewhere.”
“We know the park’s recreation opportunities and scenic beauty provide important ways to connect with our natural environment during this time, and for many a leisurely drive on the Parkway provides solace,” parkway superintendent J.D. Lee said in a press release.
“Our phased approach to the 2020 visitor season is focused on balancing the enjoyment and protection of this park with the enjoyment and protection of our visitors. I encourage everyone who visits the Parkway in the coming days to recreate responsibly while here, whether that’s social distancing on park trails or driving safely on this beautiful, scenic drive,” he said in the release.
The nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the nation’s most visited national park — reopened many of its popular sites last weekend, resulting in congestion and at least one hiker rescue, the Associated Press reported.
However, park service officials said the crowds never became “overwhelming,” as some had predicted, per the AP.
Blue Ridge Parkway officials said they intend to monitor crowds this weekend to make sure visitors are practicing social distancing of at least six feet and not parking off roadways due to lack of spaces.
The southernmost 14 miles of the parkway, between the Qualla Boundary and the Great Smoky Mountains, reopened on May 9, the park service says.
Sites reopening Friday include:
- “Milepost 292-296.5 near Blowing Rock, including Moses Cone Parking Area and Hwy 221 Bass Lake Parking Lot.
- Milepost 298.6-308 through Grandfather Mountain area, including Rough Ridge and Linn Cove Viaduct.
- Milepost 316.4 Linville Falls Spur Road, including parking at Linville Falls trail heads.
- Milepost 334-342 including Crabtree Falls Area, near Little Switzerland, N.C.
- Milepost 355-375.6 from Mt. Mitchell to Ox Creek, including Craggy Gardens.
- Milepost 377.4 Parking areas at Craven Gap (Town Mountain Rd) for MST Trail access.
- Milepost 384.7 Roadside parking at MST Trail heads at US 74A Parkway access ramps
- Milepost 393-454 from French Broad River Overlook and south to Soco Gap.”