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NC: Appalachia: Blue Ridge Parkway

55 images Created 24 Mar 2011

This gallery illustrates North Carolina's section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. (See separate gallery for Virginia's section.) Photos by Tom Dempsey include:
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
- Beacon Heights Trail
- Grandfather Mountain
- Linville Falls and Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Pisgah National Forest.
- Waterrock Knob Trail
- various overlooks and fall foliage colors
The scenic 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway was built 1935-1987 to aesthetically connect Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following crest-lines and the Appalachian Trail. It is both a National Parkway and an "All-American Road" (one of the best of the National Scenic Byways).

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  • Beacon Heights is a scenic half-mile round trip walk with 130 feet gain from Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 305.2 in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Enjoy brilliant fall leaf colors in mid October atop an outcropping of quartzite rock. Local trees release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere, creating a characteristic blue haze over the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a subset of the Appalachian Mountains. Beacon Heights Parking Area (elevation 4220 feet) is near the intersection with Hwy 221 (near Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road). This trail also connects with the Tanawha Trail (13.5 miles to Price Lake) and the Mountains to the Sea Trail. The scenic 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway was built 1935-1987 to aesthetically connect Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following crestlines and the Appalachian Trail. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos taken October 12, 2015.
    1510SE-1303-05pan_Beacon-Heights_NC.jpg
  • We enjoyed vivid red, orange and yellow fall foliage colors at Upper Falls Overlook in mid October. See impressive Linville Falls, in Burke County, in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Linville Falls drop 90 feet in a multi-level cascade, viewable from several overlooks along two trails starting from Linville Falls Visitors Center, run by the National Park Service. Directions: Turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Linville River begins at Grandfather Mountain and enters the 12-mile Linville Gorge at Linville Falls. Linville Gorge, near the town of Linville Falls (66 miles north of Asheville), is the deepest and one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern USA (qualifying for the nickname Grand Canyon of the East, along with more than a dozen chasms likewise tagged in other Eastern states). It is protected by Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, within Pisgah National Forest. Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side.
    1510SE-1160_fall-foliage_NC.jpg
  • Beacon Heights is a scenic half-mile round trip walk with 130 feet gain from Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 305.2 in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Enjoy fall leaf colors in mid October atop an outcropping of quartzite rock. (Photographed October 12, 2015). Beacon Heights Parking Area (elevation 4220 feet) is near the intersection with Hwy 221 (near Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road). This trail also connects with the Tanawha Trail (13.5 miles to Price Lake) and the Mountains to the Sea Trail. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway was built 1935-1987 to aesthetically connect Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following crestlines and the Appalachian Trail. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a subset of the Appalachian Mountains.
    1510SE-1349_Grandfather-Mountain.jpg
  • See the Blue Ridge Mountains and Wilson Creek Valley (2400 feet elevation), Pisgah National Forest, at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 302.0 at elevation 4356 feet, North Carolina, USA. Wilson Creek is one of the streams originating on Grandfather Mountain.
    08NC-2356_Blue-Ridge-Mountains_NC.jpg
  • View the Blue Ridge Mountains from Bear Den Overlook (elevation 3359 feet) at Milepost 323.0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in North Carolina, USA. Black bears no longer roam this area but once had dens here. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division. The mountains are known for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, and is located along the ridge crestlines along the Appalachian Trail. Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2386-2388pan_Blue-Ridge-Parkway.jpg
  • The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (or Cone Park) is a country estate in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 294. The park is run by the National Park Service and is open to the public. It contains 3500 acres, a 16 acre trout lake, a 22 acre bass lake, and 25 miles of carriage trails for hiking and horses. The main feature of the park is a twenty-three room 13,000 square foot mansion called Flat Top Manor built about 1900. At the Manor there is a Craft Shop and demonstration center,  along with an information desk and book store. The park is open year-round and sees 225,000 people each year, the most visited recreational place on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
    08NC-2310_Cone-Park_NC.jpg
  • Beacon Heights is a scenic half-mile round trip walk with 130 feet gain from Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 305.2 in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Enjoy fall leaf colors in mid October atop an outcropping of quartzite rock. (Photographed October 12, 2015). Beacon Heights Parking Area (elevation 4220 feet) is near the intersection with Hwy 221 (near Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road). This trail also connects with the Tanawha Trail (13.5 miles to Price Lake) and the Mountains to the Sea Trail. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway was built 1935-1987 to aesthetically connect Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following crestlines and the Appalachian Trail. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a subset of the Appalachian Mountains.
    1510SE-1356_Grandfather-Mountain.jpg
  • From Chimney View Overlook, see Linville Falls and vivid fall foliage colors in mid October, in Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Hike Erwins View Trail (1.8 miles RT) to see impressive Linville Falls, which drop 90 feet in a multi-level cascade. Walk to several overlooks along two trails starting from Linville Falls Visitors Center, run by the National Park Service. Directions: in Burke County, turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Linville River begins at Grandfather Mountain and enters the 12-mile Linville Gorge at Linville Falls. Linville Gorge, near the town of Linville Falls (66 miles north of Asheville), is the deepest and one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern USA (qualifying for the nickname Grand Canyon of the East, along with more than a dozen chasms likewise tagged in other Eastern states). Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side. This panorama was stitched from 21 overlapping photos.
    1510SE-1173-93pan_Linville-Falls.jpg
  • From Upper Falls Overlook, see Linville River funnel down a turbulent chute which empties into Lower Falls hidden around the corner. Walk to see impressive Linville Falls, in Burke County, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Linville Falls drop 90 feet in a multi-level cascade, viewable from several overlooks along two trails starting from Linville Falls Visitors Center, run by the National Park Service. Directions: Turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Linville River begins at Grandfather Mountain and enters the 12-mile Linville Gorge at Linville Falls. Linville Gorge, near the town of Linville Falls (66 miles north of Asheville), is the deepest and one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern USA (qualifying for the nickname Grand Canyon of the East, along with more than a dozen chasms likewise tagged in other Eastern states). It is protected by Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, within Pisgah National Forest. Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side.
    1510SE-1157-p1_Linville-Falls.jpg
  • See the intimate falls and cascades of Duggers Creek on a loop walk of 0.3 miles, starting from the parking lot of Linville Falls Visitors Center (run by the National Park Service), in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Directions: in Burke County, turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side.
    1510SE-1118_Duggers-Creek.jpg
  • The Moses H. Cone Memorial Park (or Cone Park) is a country estate in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 294. The park is run by the National Park Service and is open to the public. It contains 3500 acres, a 16 acre trout lake, a 22 acre bass lake, and 25 miles of carriage trails for hiking and horses. The main feature of the park is a twenty-three room 13,000 square foot mansion called Flat Top Manor built about 1900. At the Manor there is a Craft Shop and demonstration center,  along with an information desk and book store. The park is open year-round and sees 225,000 people each year, the most visited recreational place on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
    08NC-2312_Cone-Park_NC.jpg
  • Chimney View Overlook. Walk to see impressive Lower Linville Falls, in Burke County, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Linville Falls drop 90 feet in a multi-level cascade, viewable from several overlooks along two trails starting from Linville Falls Visitors Center, run by the National Park Service. The Plunge Basin Trail gave access for these young male climbers to explore cliffs of Lower Falls. Directions: Turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Linville River begins at Grandfather Mountain and enters the 12-mile Linville Gorge at Linville Falls. Linville Gorge, near the town of Linville Falls (66 miles north of Asheville), is the deepest and one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern USA (qualifying for the nickname Grand Canyon of the East, along with more than a dozen chasms likewise tagged in other Eastern states). It is protected by Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, within Pisgah National Forest. Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side.
    1510SE-1170_Linville-Falls.jpg
  • Julian Price Memorial Park is a park of 4,200 acres (17 km2) at the foot of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, named in honor of Julian Price. It is at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and directly adjacent to the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Together these parks comprise the largest developed area set aside for public recreation on the Parkway. The park is managed by the National Park Service which received the lands from the Jefferson Pilot Standard Life Insurance Company shortly after Price's death when they received it through his will. The grounds are also known for the nation's largest National Lumberjack Association rally held here annually. Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2332-2335pan_Price-Lake_Grandfa...jpg
  • View the Blue Ridge Mountains from Bear Den Overlook (elevation 3359 feet) at Milepost 323.0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in North Carolina, USA. Black bears no longer roam this area but once had dens here. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division. The mountains are known for their bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, and is located along the ridge crestlines along the Appalachian Trail. Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2376-2379pan_Blue-Ridge-Mountai...jpg
  • See intimate falls and cascades of Duggers Creek on a loop walk of 0.3 miles, starting from the parking lot of Linville Falls Visitors Center (run by the National Park Service), in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Directions: in Burke County, turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side.
    1510SE-1140_Duggers-Creek.jpg
  • One of the largest masses of granite in the Eastern United States, Looking Glass Rock is excellent for rock climbing and gets its name from the shimmering effects of sunlight on its surface when wet. This "pluton monolith" crystallized from magma .slowly cooling below the surface. .Fall leaves color the Blue Ridge Mountains (a subset of the Appalachian Mountains) at Log Hollow Overlook (elevation 4445 feet) at Milepost 416.0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in North Carolina. Local trees release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and create a characteristic blue haze. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following ridge crestlines and the Appalachian Trail.
    08NC-2434.jpg
  • See the Blue Ridge Mountains and Wilson Creek Valley (2400 feet elevation), Pisgah National Forest, at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 302.0 at elevation 4356 feet, North Carolina, USA. Wilson Creek is one of the streams originating on Grandfather Mountain. Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2350-2353pan_Blue-Ridge-Mountai...jpg
  • See the Blue Ridge Mountains and Wilson Creek Valley (2400 feet elevation), Pisgah National Forest, at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 302.0 at elevation 4356 feet, North Carolina, USA. Wilson Creek is one of the streams originating on Grandfather Mountain. Panorama stitched from 6 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2344-2349pan_Blue-Ridge-Mountai...jpg
  • See the Blue Ridge Mountains and Wilson Creek Valley (2400 feet elevation), Pisgah National Forest, at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 302.0 at elevation 4356 feet, North Carolina, USA. Wilson Creek is one of the streams originating on Grandfather Mountain. Stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2366-2367pan_Blue-Ridge-Mountai...jpg
  • Black Mountains Overlook, elevation 3892 feet, on Milepost 342.0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, USA.  The Black Mountains are the highest mountains in the Eastern United States. Located in western North Carolina, mostly within Pisgah National Forest, the Blacks are part of the Blue Ridge Province of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The range takes its name from the dark appearance of the Red Spruce and Fraser Fir trees on the upper slopes which contrasts with the brown (during winter) or lighter green (during the growing season) appearance of the deciduous trees at lower elevations. The Eastern Continental Divide, which runs along the eastern Blue Ridge crest, intersects the southern tip of the Black Mountain range. Mount Mitchell State Park protects the range's highest summit (6,684 feet or 2,037 meters). The Blue Ridge Parkway passes along the range's southern section, and is connected to the summit of Mount Mitchell by North Carolina State Route 128. The Black Mountains are mostly located in Yancey County, although the range's southern and western extremes are part of Buncombe County. Panorama stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2399-2403pan-Black-Mountains_Bl...jpg
  • One of the largest masses of granite in the Eastern United States, Looking Glass Rock is popular for rock climbing and gets its name from the shimmering effects of sunlight on its surface when wet. Fall leaves turn orange and red in the Blue Ridge Mountains (a subset of the Appalachian Mountains) at View Cherry Cove (elevation 4327 feet) at Milepost 415.0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in North Carolina. Local trees release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and create a characteristic blue haze. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following ridge crestlines and the Appalachian Trail.
    08NC-2432.jpg
  • Enjoy brilliant fall leaf colors in mid October atop Beacon Heights, a scenic half-mile round trip walk with 130 feet gain from Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 305.2 in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Local trees release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere, creating a characteristic blue haze over the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a subset of the Appalachian Mountains. Beacon Heights Parking Area (elevation 4220 feet) is near the intersection with Hwy 221 (near Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road). This trail also connects with the Tanawha Trail (13.5 miles to Price Lake) and the Mountains to the Sea Trail. The scenic 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway was built 1935-1987 to aesthetically connect Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following crestlines and the Appalachian Trail.  (Photographed October 12, 2015).
    1510SE-1361_Beacon-Heights_NC.jpg
  • In mid October, enjoy vibrant fall foliage colors at Flat Rock Overlook on a 1.2-mile loop trail from Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 308.2 in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. From Flat Rock Overlook, see Linville Valley and the Roan and Hump Mountains. This panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos from October 12, 2015.
    1510SE-1237-39pan_Linville-Valley-fa...jpg
  • One of the largest masses of granite in the Eastern United States, Looking Glass Rock is excellent for rock climbing and gets its name from the shimmering effects of sunlight on its surface when wet. This "pluton monolith" crystallized from magma .slowly cooling below the surface. .Fall leaves color the Blue Ridge Mountains (a subset of the Appalachian Mountains) at Log Hollow Overlook (elevation 4445 feet) at Milepost 416.0 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in North Carolina. Local trees release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and create a characteristic blue haze. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following ridge crestlines and the Appalachian Trail. Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    08NC-2435-2437pan_Looking-Glass-Rock.jpg
  • Fall foliage colors at Gorge View Overlook, in Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, Burke County, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina, USA. Nearby, Linville Falls drop 90 feet in a multi-level cascade, viewable from several overlooks along two trails starting from Linville Falls Visitors Center, run by the National Park Service. Directions: Turn eastwards at Mile Post 316.3 of the Blue Ridge Parkway (north of where US 221 crosses the Parkway and south of where NC 181 crosses). Linville River begins at Grandfather Mountain and enters the 12-mile Linville Gorge at Linville Falls. Linville Gorge, near the town of Linville Falls (66 miles north of Asheville), is the deepest and one of the most rugged and scenic gorges in the Eastern USA (qualifying for the nickname Grand Canyon of the East, along with more than a dozen chasms likewise tagged in other Eastern states). It is protected by Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, within Pisgah National Forest. Spared by its rugged terrain from clear-cutting in the early 1900s, Linville Gorge has some of the best remnant stands of uncut, old-growth forest in the southern Appalachians. This is one of the few places where the Rosebay, Catawba, and Carolina rhododendron grow side by side.
    1510SE-1210_Linville-Gorge-Wildernes...jpg
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