Otter Creek Campground, Blue Ridge Parkway, VA

Since no locals have spoken up, I will offer the one thing I am sure of on the area. Rt. 501 is steep and twisty on at least one area both east and west of Big Island. Big Island has a large Georgia Pacific plant and there are also lots of log trucks. I am not sure that the BRP wouldn't be the easier drive for you in that particular area.
I did industrial mainteneance work there a few years back and hated driving my grossly overloaded work truck from Boonsboro to Big Island.