FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I have a wedding or meeting/event on the Blue Ridge Parkway?
A: See: Special Park Uses and Special Events Policy at
http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/upload/updated%202007%20special%20event%20policy.pdf

Q: Where can I find the latest information on Parkway detours and closings?
A: at this web address: http://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/roadclosures.htm

Q: Can tour busses travel on the Parkway?
A: Yes – no special permits are required. Click here to see a list of all tunnel clearances on the Parkway.

Q: Can large RVs travel the Parkway?
A: Yes. Click here to see a list of all tunnel clearances on the Parkway.

Q: What is the lowest clearance of tunnels or bridges over the Parkway?
A: South End between Route 19 and terminus at Cherokee – 10’6”. This information is contained in the official Parkway brochure which you may obtain by clicking here.

Q: Is parking adequate for large RVs and busses at Parkway scenic views and attractions?
A: Yes.

Q: Is the Parkway open in winter?
A: Subject to snow and ice.

Q: What is the speed limit on the Parkway?
A: Maximum 45 – Some locations (in congested areas like Mabry Mill) 25.  

Q: Why are there no white lines on the sides of the road?
A: This is a part of the design of the road itself - to allow it to retain a rural feel and blend into the landscape. It is one of the touches that make this road beautiful. The landscape architects maintain this design and it meets federal safety standards.

Q: Do Parkway campgrounds take reservations for spaces?
A: Yes, at some locations at www.recreation.gov or toll free at (877) 444-6777.

Q: Do Parkway campgrounds accommodate RVs?
A: Yes, but water, electrical and sewage connections are not available. Centralized water and restrooms are available.

Q: Are there any gas stations on the Parkway?
A: Not directly on the Parkway. Gas is available not far off the Parkway at most US or State Highway Intersections.

Q: Does the Appalachian Trail run with the Parkway at any point?
A: Yes. In Virginia, North of Roanoke.

Q: Where can I get information and brochures about traveling on the Parkway?
A: The Blue Ridge Parkway Association Directory & Blue Ridge Parkway official brochure are included in a free information packet. However, for current road conditions and info dial 828-298-0398. (Click here to go to an online order form to request a free information packet).

Q: Can Parkway rangers make an arrest?
A: Yes.

Q: How can I learn about local history along the Parkway?
A: Dial 828-299-3507 to order by phone or you may purchase books and other information at Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Centers which have books available from nonprofit publisher Eastern National.

Q: How can I find out what there is to see and do along the Parkway?
A: The Blue Ridge Parkway Association Directory and the Official Blue Ridge Parkway brochure – most campgrounds offer weekend Ranger led campfire programs and other walks and talks during the months of May through October.

Q: Is it all right to pull over on the grass beside the Parkway and spread a blanket for a picnic?
A: Yes – Vehicles should be fully off of the road so they can be entered and exited out of the flow of traffic. Driving vehicles across open fields is prohibited.

Q: What is a National Park Pass?
A: A pass that is available for $50 allows free entry to any National Park Service area with a fee. Age 62 and over can purchase a Golden Age Passport which is allows free entry into Parks with an entrance fee and gives a 50% reduction for camping and other user fees. Camping fee is $12 per night – No Entrance fee, at Blue Ridge Parkway National Park Service Campgrounds.

Q: What is The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation?
A: THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY FOUNDATION 

Founded in 1997, this non-profit foundation is the primary fundraising organization for the Parkway. It solicits donations and bequests from individuals, as well as grants and corporate support for a broad range of programs and activities that provide lasting benefits to the Parkway and its visitors. These include:

Parks as Classrooms, Preservation and Planning for the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and a Permanent Endowment.
Parks as Classrooms
This educational outreach initiative awakens school children in neighboring communities to the value of the Parkway and its resources. With funding assistance from the Foundation, Park Rangers now give curriculum-based classroom programs for some 25,000 students each year.  

Preservation and Planning for the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park

Foundation funds are supporting the repair of historic structures and the development of a comprehensive plan to guide the future management and preservation of this century-old country estate.

Permanent Endowment  

As a long-term goal, the Foundation will build a permanent endowment. Earnings will be used to help provide a margin of excellence for educational programs, research and the preservation of threatened Parkway resources.

Contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible. For information about Foundation activities, including its estate giving program, write to Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, P.O. Box 10427 Salem Station, Winston-Salem, NC 27108, call (336) 721-0260 or visit www.brpfoundation.org 

Q: Who are the Friends Of The Parkway?
A: FRIENDS OF THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, INC.

The Friends is also non-profit, but unlike the Foundation, it is a membership organization, some 3,500 strong. Founded in 1989, this organization’s primary mission is to mobilize and provide leadership for volunteers who assist with a wide variety of Parkway projects. Friends initiatives include:

· Viewshed Protection, Volunteers-in-the-Park, Trail Maintenance and Construction. 

· Viewshed Protection is the signature project for Friends. To help protect the views that have made the Parkway “America’s Favorite Scenic Drive,” Friends provides professional site plans, recruits and works with volunteers from local communities, and gathers private funding support for tree-planting projects to buffer views that are being compromised by nearby development.

Volunteers-in-the Park  

 Friends plays a leadership role in developing and administering the Parkway volunteer program. Recognizing the importance of volunteers, this organization recruits, trains and supervises volunteers along the Parkway’s 469-mile length.

Trail Maintenance and Construction
Through its "Adopt-A-Trail" program, Friends, partnering with the National Park Service, recruits and trains organizations and individual volunteers to repair and maintain many of the Parkway's 350-miles of trails. These volunteers will also provide the skill and labor to build hiking trails planned for Fishers Peak, near Galax, Virginia.
Membership in Friends is tax deductible. To join Friends or for information about volunteer opportunities and other Friends activities, write to Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, P.O. Box 20986, Roanoke, VA 24018, call (540) 345-8989 (Toll Free 1-800-228-PARK) or visit www.blueridgefriends.org  on the Internet.

Q: Is bicycling allowed on the Parkway?
A: Yes – But because the Blue Ridge Parkway was designed for motor travel bicyclists should exercise caution, have reflectors and riders should wear high visibility clothing and helmets. Avoid the Blue Ridge Parkway during fog and periods of low visibility. Long distance travelers should plan their overnight stays be sure to have plenty of water and food.
 

Q: Do all of those things apply to the Skyline Drive as well?
A: Yes – But the Skyline Drive has an entrance fee.