The Blue Ridge Parkway was America's first rural parkway. It was designed to be within easy driving reach of the major cities of the eastern seaboard and was designed around the automobile traveller, the original road trippers. When completed it was also the nation's longest - 469 miles of uninterrupted mountain roads linking Shenandoah National Park in the north to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in the south.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit of the 391 units of the National Park Service with over 19,000,000 visitors – excluding commuter traffic – each year. That’s more visitors than Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone national parks combined. One of the explanations for its enduring popularity could be that the Blue Ridge is also one of America's most dog-friendly destinations.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating 75 years in 2010 with a year long celebration. You can find out more about the year long celebration on their Facebook page or on their website. You can also follow BRP75 on Twitter.
The parkway provides many miles of hiking trails. The visitor centers encourage canine visitors and offer treats and water for them. The visitor centers also offer a number of canine oriented products to take home as souvenirs.
Take advantage of the 75th Anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway to visit America's most popular destination in the National Park System.
From Augusta, the easiest places to connect with the Blue Ridge Parkway are in Cherokee, NC, Asheville, NC (Via I-20 and I-26), or Fancy Gap, VA (Via I-20 and I-77)
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OPENING WEEKEND: Torchpassing ceremony at Raven Fork Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 467
Comments
Having made the trip many many times over my 45 years of life, I can say without reservation that the BRP is one of my most favorite places on earth.
Happy Birthday, Blue Ridge Parkway! Come celebrate with us in Roanoke, VA, and be a part of the first annual Blue Ridge Marathon (blueridgeparkwaymarathon.com), dubbed the No.1 outdoor recreation activity in the country by the Outdoor Industry Association. You'll enjoy spectacular vistas, flora and fauna while navigating a 26.2-mile course that includes 3,076 feet of total elevation gain and 6,140 feet of total elevation change. The finish line is downtown in front of the Hotel Roanoke & Conference center. A half marathon will be conducted at the same time as the marathon. Proceeds will go to the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a nonprofit with a focus on preserving the parkway.
Thanks for the Marathon info, Heidi.
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