Anyone who’s ever toured part of the Blue Ridge Parkway that travels through parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, knows the wonderful adventure that awaits within this national park property. The driving views alone are reason enough to embark on a thrilling journey on the parkway, but there are also scores of roadside overlooks. In addition to the views, you can also find hidden gems tucked all along this magical route that makes pulling off the highway and taking a slight detour worth the effort.
In its entirety, the Blue Ridge Parkway spans a total of 460 glorious miles — way too many to properly explore in just a day or even two. So we’ve broken it down to a shorter segment that you could, if you get an early start, explore in the span of a single day. Here’s a link to an interactive Google Map that will serve as a guide for your trip.
Get ready for an off-beat, off-the-beaten-path adventure with the Blue Ridge Parkway at its core.
On this journey, you'll travel 169 miles for a total drive time of just under five hours. Of course, we'll pull off the main road to hop out of the car, stretch the legs, and check out some hidden gems, so you can expect this day trip to last a full day.
The first of those hidden gems is found right along the Parkway near Waynesville. Pull over at the Waterrock Knob visitor center or trail overlook.
Head out on the trail up to Waterrock Knob and then take a left to follow the yellow blazes when you reach a fork on the trail. Look for the big blue arrow pointing down hill and follow it...
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...to the somber place on the side of the mountain where a plane crashed in 1983.
The plane was carrying a pilot and a woman who was on her way to see her daughter at college on Thanksgiving Day in 1983. Both died in the crash. The plane sits largely as it was moments after it went down. It's not often you'll find the wreckage of a plane while hiking in the forest, so take a moment to observe a minute of silence for the lives lost on this spot. (This hike is less than a mile to the crash site.)
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Once you're back in your vehicle, drive for about forty minutes to reach the trailhead for a thrilling hiking adventure at Art Loeb Trail, a 30-mile hike dubbed one of the very best mountain hikes in all of North Carolina.
You won't hike far (about a quarter of a mile) before reaching Black Balsam Knob, one of only 40 peaks in North Carolina that reach above 6,000 feet.
Black Balsam Knob was created in part from a locomotive forest fire that raged nearly a hundred years ago. The fire burned deep into the mineral-rich topsoil, making it so that it would be many, many years before anything would grow on this bald again.
Take a moment to absorb the gorgeous panoramic views from your perch on Black Balsam Knob before this road trip takes adventuring up a notch or two on the next stop...
Here, seven different aerial adventure trails are geared to everyone from novice to expert levels.
Several zipline canopy tours will turn this off-road stop into a thrilling time for all on board for the road trip. The adventure park also features a stellar bike park.
But perhaps one of the most notable aspects of the Adventure Center? It is America's FIRST zipline canopy tour that allows children under 10 to participate. Kids age four and over are welcome to join the fun!
Our next and last off-road adventure is a doozy! This hidden gem is truly off the beaten path and can be found four miles up a dirt and gravel road.
Photo Courtesy Of Robin Jarvis
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You'll hop off of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville and Grandfather Mountain and drive for approximately ten miles.
Photo Courtesy Of Robin Jarvis
The last four miles will take the longest of them all; you'll be on a dirt road and will want to make sure you're in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
A vehicle with 4x4 capabilities, like new Nissan Frontier pictured here, is perfect for this narrow dirt and gravel road that's often filled with deep ridges ripped right into the dirt roadway.
At the end of the four miles is a paved parking lot on top of a mountain. Park and follow the short, 0.4-mile trail out to the stone viewing boxes that peer into the gorge.
Photo Courtesy Of Robin Jarvis
Welcome to Wiseman's View! You won't find another place quite like it in all of North Carolina.
While exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway is always an exciting adventure, if you’re looking for some off-road (off the Parkway) adventures to add to your trip, you’re sure to enjoy the incredible places this road trip reveals.
