Route guide · NC
Blue Ridge Parkway audio tour
The Blue Ridge Parkway runs 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, and its speed limit never goes above 45 miles an hour. This guide covers the North Carolina stretch from Moses H. Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock to the Linville Falls area, which includes the Linn Cove Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain. Yonder’s Guide mode tells the stories of the historic houses, estates and structures beside the road, drawn from Wikipedia, and Ask answers questions about the ridges.
Facts checked
The road at a glance
- Runs
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park to the Linville Falls area, North Carolina
- Parkway length
- 469 miles, Virginia and North Carolina
- Speed limit
- Never above 45 mph
- Highest point
- 6,053 feet at Richland Balsam, milepost 431
Stories along the way
Yonder narrated these places on a simulated drive along Blue Ridge Parkway (North Carolina), run through the same engine the app uses. Scroll to follow the car; each card names its source.
Story 1
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park is a country estate in honor of Moses H. Cone in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The park contains 3,500 acres, a 16-acre trout lake, a 22-acre Bass Lake, and 25 miles of carriage trails for hiking and horses. Its main feature is Flat Top Manor, a twenty-three-room, 13,000-square-foot mansion built around the early 1900s. The park is on the Blue Ridge Parkway between mileposts 292 and 295, with access at milepost 294. Today, the National Park Service runs it and opens it to the public. At the manor, visitors can find a craft shop, demonstration center, information desk, and book store.
Source: WikipediaStory 2
Gragg House
Gragg House dates back to the mid-19th century and is a one-story, log dwelling. It has a saddle bag plan and a central stone chimney. A two-room later addition gives the house an L-shaped plan. Gragg House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Source: WikipediaStory 3
Linn Cove Viaduct
Linn Cove Viaduct was planned as a viaduct because a traditional cut-and-fill road would have affected Grandfather Mountain. What made its construction noteworthy was keeping heavy construction equipment off the ground. Built from its south side, Linn Cove Viaduct was assembled by connecting 153 segments one at a time with a custom crane that moved along the viaduct as it was being built. The bridge is a 1,243-foot-long, concrete segmental structure that snakes around Grandfather Mountain.
Source: WikipediaStory 4
Linville Historic District
Linville Historic District includes buildings dating between about 1892 and 1940. Its collection includes shingle-or chestnut bark-covered resort buildings and a second generation of houses flanking the first and eighteenth fairways of the golf course. Notable buildings include Hemlock Cottage, Dormiecroft, “Honeymoon” Cottage, and the Presbyterian Church. The district also includes The Studio, the VanLandingham House, and All Saints Episcopal Church. Linville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Source: Wikipedia
Before you go
The National Park Service lists parkway closures by section and updates the page through the day. Check it before you leave, because weather, construction and storm damage close sections, and some stay closed for long periods.
The parkway is not maintained in winter. Wikipedia notes that high-elevation sections and the tunnels are often closed from late fall through early spring, and that icy conditions can close sections near the tunnels. The park’s phone line is 828-348-3400.
Yonder or a curated tour?
Curated audio tours of the Blue Ridge Parkway use a scripted narrator and go deep on the best-known overlooks and visitor centers, with more depth at each than Yonder offers. Yonder covers the whole road and the historic buildings beside it, and Ask answers your own questions. Its stories come from public sources such as Wikipedia, so they stick to documented facts.
How curated tours and Yonder differQuestions about this drive
What does Yonder narrate on this part of the parkway?
In a simulated drive at 35 mph, Guide told stories about the Gragg House, Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, the Linn Cove Viaduct and the Linville Historic District. A real Journey will vary.
Why does Guide go quiet for long stretches here?
Guide waits for a documented place close to the road. In our test drive it spoke four times over about 19 miles.
Can I ask Yonder about a ridge or overlook I pass?
Yes. Ask Mode answers questions such as “What’s that mountain?” using your location and nearby public data.