Bicycling Tips for Safety
- To ensure safe and enjoyable bicycling on day or overnight trips, planning is important. We suggest you carry: (1) plenty of water and high energy foods; (2) clothing for safety and protection from adverse weather conditions; and (3) some form of identification.
- Be sure your bicycle is equipped with reflectors. Helmets and high-visibility clothing are recommended.
- Be sure to ride single file, well to the right-hand side of the road and obey the same traffic rules that apply to motor vehicles.
- Bicycles are not permitted on trails or walkways.
- Plan ahead, and be sure to take into consideration elevation changes that will require more time and, of course, more exertion.
- Wear a bicycle helmet.
- Be sure your bicycle is in good operating condition. Carry a spare tube and tools for minor repairs.
- Wear high visibility clothing. It sets you apart from the scenery and makes you more visible to motorists.
- Avoid the Parkway during periods of low visibility. Fog and rain may occur unpredictably. Reschedule your trip for better weather or follow lower elevation routes until weather conditions improve.
- Exercise caution when riding through tunnels. Please be sure your bicycle is equipped with the proper lights or reflectors. There are 26 tunnels in North Carolina and one tunnel in Virginia.
- Temperatures vary greatly along the Parkway due to different elevations. Wear your clothing in layers, if possible.
- Safe drinking water is available at all picnic areas, campgrounds, concession operations, and visitor centers. Water from streams and springs is unsafe for drinking unless you purify it.
- Make an honest evaluation of your abilities before beginning a bicycle trip on the Parkway. In some sections, you will climb as much as 1,100 feet in 3.4 miles.
- When cycling in a group, adjust your spacing to allow motor vehicles to pass safely.
We encourage you to become familiar with Parkway resources and services before beginning your cycling trip. Parkway maps and additional information are available by writing Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway, 199 Hemphill Knob Road, Asheville, N.C. 28803 or calling (828)298-0398.
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