- ParkMark

The Blue Ridge Music Center celebrates the music and musicians of the Blue Ridge. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1997, with support from The National Council for the Traditional Arts, the Music Center includes an outdoor amphitheater, an indoor theater, and exhibits highlighting the historical significance of the region’s music.

The visitor center features exhibits that showcase the natural and cultural history of the area, as well as the recreational opportunities offered by the region. You are able to watch the Parkway film at this location as well. Open year-round, the visitor center features National Park Service information desk, and America's National Parks store.

The small, historic visitor center and America's National Parks store is nestled in the gap between the rocky, Craggy Mountains. At over 5,000 feet elevation, harsh weather often invades these exposed ridges, resulting in the gnarled forests of beech, birch, and buckeye. These summits have been home to some of the most spectacular rhododendron displays along the Parkway corridor. For generations, visitors have headed up to the Craggies in mid to late June to view the pink and purple blooms.

Numerous hiking options are available in the Doughton Park area and nearby Brinegar Cabin offers insights into mountain living in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Southern Highland Craft Guild hosts a large craft shop, craft demonstrators and upstairs galleries showcasing regional craftspeople. Within the Folk Art Center is also an America's National Parks store.

Travelers heading south from the northern end of the Parkway experience a scenic drive through an Appalachian hardwood forest with ridge top views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and Rockfish Valley to the east. The rock outcroppings on the mountain and the relocated collection of 1890s farm buildings where settlers scratched out a living in the rocky soil makes Humpback Rocks perhaps the best representation of the varied combination of natural and cultural features anywhere along the Parkway corridor.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida and then stormed across multiples states in the Southeast. Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the storm devastated the park and local areas with up to 30 inches of rain in localized areas and peak sustained winds of up to 60 miles per hour. The heavy rain and wind resulted in significant damage along the Parkway.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Florida and then stormed across multiples states in the Southeast. Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the storm devastated the park and local areas with up to 30 inches of rain in localized areas and peak sustained winds of up to 60 miles per hour. The heavy rain and wind resulted in significant damage along the Parkway.

The James River visitor center is closed. The James River visitor center offers visitors the opportunity to learn about transportation history in central and southern Appalachia.

The rugged slopes of Grandfather Mountain proved a challenging task to engineers as they completed the last section of the Parkway here in 1987, 52 years after construction began. To protect the fragile and ecologically sensitive slopes of the mountain, Parkway planners designed the award-winning Linn Cove Viaduct, and the visitor center at MP 304 celebrates this achievement. The beautiful Tanawah Trail runs nearby. The visitor center is currently closed, but parking lot is open for trail access.

This facility was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene and is closed for 2025. The Linville River flows from its headwaters high on the steep slopes of Grandfather Mountain and cascades through two falls as it begins a nearly 2,000-foot descent through this rugged and spectacularly beautiful gorge, carved out by the tall Linville Falls. Towering hemlocks, dense stands of rhododendron, and native wildflowers grow along the trails that begin at the visitor center and encircle the falls.

The sights and sounds of rural life in Appalachia resonate at Mabry Mill during the summer and fall. Ed Mabry built this mill, where he and his wife ground corn, sawed lumber, and operated a blacksmith shed for their neighbors for three decades. It was a community gathering place for the folks who called Meadows of Dan their home in the early twentieth century.

This visitor center information desk, America's National Parks store and Southern Highland Craft Guild craft shop share a grand, historic estate house. The visitor information desk is open from May through October. The America's National Parks store and the Southern Highland Craft Guild craft shop is open from early April through November. The estate grounds have 25 miles of carriage roads for strolling, small lakes and other historic structures.

The Museum of North Carolina Minerals highlights the rich mineral resources & the mining heritage of this portion of the Blue Ridge. The museum has interactive & experiential exhibits for children & adults. This area, called Gillespie Gap, was also significant in the American Revolution, where frontiersmen from the mountains known as the "Overmountain Men" crossed the Blue Ridge on their way to the Battle of Kings Mountain. The Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce has an information desk.

Visitors of the Peaks of Otter gain a sense of both the history of community and tourism in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The long history of visiting the mountains for health and relaxation is told in the visitor center. An extensive trail system is available with the hike to Sharp Top being a long-standing tradition. Dining and lodging is available, along with fishing in Abbot Lake, camping, and picnicking.

The Rocky Knob area offers a visitor center, campground, and 15 miles of hiking trails, including the Rock Castle Gorge National Recreation Trail. Picturesque Mabry Mill is located just a few miles south of Rocky Knob.

Waterrock Knob is our highest elevation visitor center on the Parkway. Known for its beautiful long-range views of several major mountain chains in the Appalachians, Waterrock Knob is uniquely suited for viewing sunrises and sunsets. The small visitor center introduces visitors to the area's rugged terrain and tremendous scenic resources, including the Great Smoky Mountains that are visible from here.