Blue Ridge Parkway

Considering that the Parkway is about 470 miles long, in 2 days you will only see a small part of it.

Suggest you look up the tons of info on the internet and you will find your answers there.

We spent two weeks on it several years ago and did not see all of it.

Numerous campgrounds all along the way.

Dennis,

We were warned. Some of the campgrounds are just paved parking lots that charge money to sleep there. I suggest that you do the research. We did the whole run from except Skyline (we did the run starting in Cherokee)in 2010. It was spring except for the high elevations where it was still winter. We never paid for a campground, but we rarely do anyway. Blacktopping is fine with us. We were supposed to overnight in the campground as Pisgah, but it wasn't open because the crew was still cleaning up the road after a later winter storm.

Matt

Their are several campgrounds around boone/blowing rock area,and lots of good hiking along the parkway,most with great views.

Matt_Colie wrote:
Dennis,

We were warned. Some of the campgrounds are just paved parking lots that charge money to sleep there. I suggest that you do the research. We did the whole run from except Skyline (we did the run starting in Cherokee)in 2010. It was spring except for the high elevations where it was still winter. We never paid for a campground, but we rarely do anyway. Blacktopping is fine with us. We were supposed to overnight in the campground as Pisgah, but it wasn't open because the crew was still cleaning up the road after a later winter storm.

Matt

Matt: Where did you stop without paying for a spot?

I recommend the book on the Blue Ridge Parkway by Rose Houk.

If it were me, I'd head west from Raleigh and get on the Parkway at Deep Gap, NC. Then I'd head north on the Parkway. Depending on your interests, and depending on how much driving you want to do each day, you might consider stopping at the Blue Ridge Music Center, just north of the NC-VA border.

If you are looking for just dry camping, right on the Parkway, there are a few options. Doughton Park, Rocky Knob, Peaks of Otter, and Otter Creek are all within what would be about a 600-mile loop, returning to Raleigh from the north. Each of these campgrounds has at least a couple of hiking trails accessible right from the campground.


-Speak