The Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile parkland motorway straddling Virginia and North Carolina, is one of the most famous driving routes in the world. It holds the title of the world's longest linear park, with its route spanning a continuous, unbroken stretch of road between the two states.
Iconic Route Through the Appalachian Mountains
The record-breaking pass is not just historic; it has become one of the most iconic roads in the United States. The route takes drivers across the Appalachian Mountains, connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
The road is one of the most popular driving routes in the United States, with tours of the region selling out quickly. The Blue Ridge Mountains and nearby Shenandoah River were made famous in John Denver's 1971 classic "Take Me Home, Country Roads."
Popular Tours and Attractions Along the Way
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Paul Hanzel, General Manager of North America for driving tour company HunterMoss, said: "Our most popular by far. East Coast Appalachian mountains tours are incredibly popular with our guests."
"When people here in the US think of a luxury road trip, that's one of the things they think of, the gentle sweeping curves of the Blue Ridge Mountain, the technical mountain roads of the Tail of the Dragon. You've got the Shenandoah Mountain Valley and you've got some incredible resorts along the way," he added.
Across the route, motorists pass the iconic Linn Cove Viaduct, a $10 million, 1,243-foot-long sweeping concrete bridge. Other notable stops include the picturesque Linville Falls waterfall and the beautiful Craggy Gardens scenic area.
Scenic Views and Autumn Colours
Travellers can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Appalachians at several stops along the route, including Waterrock Knob, the highest visitor center. The route also provides access to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the whole of Eastern USA. From the Blue Ridge Parkway, travellers can head out to Linville Gorge, the deepest gorge east of the Grand Canyon.
Autumn could be the best time to explore the road, with Paul telling Express.co.uk that the road comes alive from September. He said: "The breadth of colours of the beautiful foliage in Appalachia is just stunning at that time of the year, from September to early November. You've got great weather that time of the year, it starts to cool off a little at night but it's still warm and cosy during the day, and its really incredible roads."
Paul also reminded visitors to leave the highway and explore off the beaten track. He told Express.co.uk: "Some of those roads haven't been discovered. Everybody knows the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Tail of the Dragon everybody knows it. But not a lot of people know Pisgah highway, not a lot of people know some of the routes that we utilise in Virginia. They are still very quiet. There are many days on these tours where we feel like we are the only ones on these mountain and valley roads and it's just so much fun to experience that."
"You've even got this burgeoning wine culture in that area of the United States with vineyards that people didn't know 10, 15, 20 years ago and these vineyards are starting to become discovered outside of the typical Napa, Sonoma vineyards that people know the United States for," he added.
