Blue Ridge Parkway Through Time

The story of the Blue Ridge Parkway—America's Favorite Drive—has been called awe-inspiring. Beginning with the inception of design work done during the early 1930s through its construction and final completion, the parkway—the longest road planned as a single unit in the United States and also an elongated park, protecting significant mountain landscapes far beyond the shoulders of the road itself—was completed with the contributions of many talented individuals. The National Park Service, which oversees it, informs that a Blue Ridge Parkway experience is unlike any other: a slow-paced and relaxing drive revealing stunning long-range vistas and close-up views of the rugged mountains and pastoral landscapes of the Appalachian Highlands. The parkway meanders for 469 miles, protecting a diversity of plants and animals, and providing opportunities for enjoying all that makes this region of the country so special.