Drive 382 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Virginia to Asheville, NC, with stops at Mabry Mill, Boone's High Country, and Grandfather Mountain. Complete 9-day itinerary with practical advice.
Few drives in the United States match the Blue Ridge Parkway for sustained, effortless beauty. Running 469 miles through the Appalachians from Afton Mountain in Virginia to Cherokee, North Carolina, the Parkway was built expressly for sightseeing: no commercial vehicles, no billboards, no fuel stations, and no traffic lights. The road follows the ridge at your own pace, broken by 382 scenic overlooks, historic farmsteads, and trailheads that branch off into the forest.
This Blue Ridge Parkway road trip itinerary covers the northern 382 miles, from the Shenandoah gateway at Waynesboro to the cultural heart of Asheville over nine nights. It is the best introduction to the Parkway for first-timers and a worthy revisit for anyone who has done a section before.
The route runs south along the ridge. The NPS recommends budgeting 30 miles per hour of driving time, which is a good rule: curves, overlooks, and the sheer number of things worth stopping for slow progress considerably. Each leg below is comfortably within a half-day of driving, leaving the rest of each day free.
Waynesboro sits just below Afton Mountain where Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park hands off to the Parkway at Milepost 0. It is a small city with a good food scene and the right place to prepare before heading south.
The Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail, a restored 1850s railway bore cut through the mountain, makes a good morning warm-up. Then drive up to Humpback Rocks at MP 5.8, where a 1890s Appalachian mountain farm museum sits below a steep 2-mile trail to one of the first big Shenandoah Valley views on the route.
Fill the tank here. There are no fuel stations on the Parkway for the next 121 miles to Roanoke.
After 121 Parkway miles south, Roanoke is the only city-scale stop on the route and the right base for two nights. The Parkway sweeps past Mill Mountain at MP 120, where a 3-mile spur leads to the Roanoke Star: an 88.5-foot neon star first lit in 1949, visible from 60 miles away. Visit at dusk to watch the valley lights come on below.
The next morning, the Virginia Museum of Transportation in the rail district is worth two hours: 50 pieces of rolling stock, including the Norfolk and Western Class J 611 steam locomotive and the largest diesel collection in the South. Back on the Parkway, Explore Park at MP 115 offers 14 miles of trail and the Parkway's own visitor centre (open April to October).
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Mabry Mill at MP 176.1 is consistently cited as the most-photographed site on the entire Parkway, and the reality holds up. The 1903 waterwheel gristmill reflects in its still pond, backed by forest, with a working sawmill, blacksmith shop, and whiskey still arranged around it. Weekend craft demonstrations and Sunday afternoon mountain music performances have been a local tradition here for decades.
The Mabry Mill Restaurant serves buckwheat and sweet potato pancakes from early morning and blackberry cobbler at lunch. Arrive before 10 AM on autumn weekends to beat the queues.
Meadows of Dan itself is a quiet plateau community in Patrick County with a handful of guesthouses. It is the Parkway at its most rural: one night here is enough to feel the rhythm of the road before pushing on to North Carolina.
Boone, home to Appalachian State University, sits at 3,320 feet and is noticeably cooler than the surrounding lowlands in summer. Two nights here gives time to explore the High Country section of the Parkway properly.
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park at MP 292 covers 3,000 acres with carriage trails and the historic Flat Top Manor (National Register of Historic Places). At MP 296, Julian Price Lake offers canoe and paddleboard rentals and an easy shoreside trail. Both are free.
The main draw for the second day is Grandfather Mountain at MP 305. This privately operated park is home to the Mile High Swinging Bridge, a suspension footbridge at 5,946 feet with views across five states on a clear day. Book timed-entry tickets in advance via grandfather.com (from $25 per adult). Linville Falls at MP 316 is only 30 minutes further south and worth a short walk to the gorge overlooks.
Boone's downtown has a better than expected selection of breweries and farm-to-table restaurants for a town its size.
Before leaving Boone: Check the live road closure map at nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures. Sections between MP 317 and 355 were damaged by Hurricane Helene in 2024 and may require a detour via US-221 south to Marion, then I-40 west into Asheville. Confirm current status before driving.
Asheville needs three nights. It has grown into one of the most creatively charged small cities in the United States, built around craft brewing (30+ breweries, more per capita than almost any other US city), a walkable River Arts District with 22 working studios, and a food culture that draws chefs and travellers in equal measure.
The Biltmore Estate demands a dedicated half-day: George Vanderbilt's 250-room French Renaissance chateau on 8,000 acres is America's largest private home, and the winery tour and tasting is included with every ticket (from $80; book online at biltmore.com well in advance, particularly for autumn visits).
The Parkway continues south from Asheville. Craggy Gardens at MP 363 turns vivid pink with catawba rhododendrons in June. Mount Mitchell State Park, reached via NC-128 off the Parkway near MP 355, stands at 6,684 feet, the highest summit east of the Mississippi River, and has no entry fee.
October is the headline month. Fall foliage peaks at the highest elevations in late September, rolls through the mid-elevations around October 10 to 25, and reaches the lower Virginia approaches in early November. Midweek visits in October avoid the worst of the weekend crowds at popular overlooks.
Spring (late April through May) is the next best time: wildflowers peak earlier in Virginia and move up in elevation as the season progresses, and the summer visitor traffic has not yet started.
Summer is warm at lower elevations but cool above 4,000 feet, and the trails and waterfalls are at their greenest. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August.
Winter brings dramatic scenery but frequent road closures; plan carefully and check conditions in advance.
Fuel: No fuel stations on the Parkway. Top up at Waynesboro, Roanoke, the Floyd/Galax area, Boone, and Asheville before each leg.
Speed and pacing: The maximum speed is 45 mph and the road enforces a slower reality. Budget 30 miles per hour of driving when planning each day.
Fog: The official NPS advisory is to avoid the Parkway in fog, snow, and ice. Valley weather does not predict ridgetop conditions.
Road conditions: Check nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures before each driving day. Emergency line: 1-800-PARKWATCH.
Biltmore Estate: Book at biltmore.com. Autumn dates in particular sell out weeks in advance; walk-up entry is possible but costs more.
Grandfather Mountain: Timed entry; book via grandfather.com. Children under 4 enter free.
Cell coverage: Patchy throughout, especially in the NC high country. Download offline maps before departure.
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A 9-day drive along 382 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, from Milepost 0 at Waynesboro, Virginia, to Asheville, North Carolina, via Roanoke, Mabry Mill, Boone's High Country, and Grandfather Mountain.
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