North Carolina events › Answers › How Long Is the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina?
The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long, costs nothing to drive, and its North Carolina part runs from milepost 216.9 at the Virginia line to the Great Smoky Mountains end near milepost 469, about 252 miles by that milepost difference. The NPS asks drivers to plan for 45 mph or less and to check road status daily.
- Length469 miNPS
- North Carolina Part252 miderived from mileposts
- Entrance FeeNonecamping costs extra
- Speed45 mph or lessdesigned for slow travel
Parkway Facts From The NPS
| Topic | What The NPS Says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Length | The Parkway meanders for 469 miles. The Parkway is 469 miles long | NPS page |
| Endpoints | The parkway connects Shenandoah National Park, near Waynesboro, VA (Milepost 0) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Cherokee, NC (Milepost 469). Asheville and Boone, NC and Roanoke, VA are the largest cities along the way. | NPS page |
| Entrance fee | No fee is charged to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway. There is a charge for camping in any of the campgrounds along the parkway. | NPS page |
| Where to check closures | Before driving to the parkway, check: Road closures for construction or weather related closures along the parkway. Current Road Status and Closures: Updated daily: View open and closed Parkway sections. | NPS page |
| Asheville visitor center hours | The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (MP 384) in Asheville, NC is open year round and only closed on Thanksgiving, December 25th and January 1st. Most visitor contact stations on the Parkway are seasonal, typically open from May through October. | NPS page |
| GPS and mileposts | Car GPS units do not work well on the parkway. We use milepost markers for addresses, and these are not recognized by the device. | NPS page |
| Speed | The Blue Ridge Parkway is designed for slow-paced travel, 45 mph or less | NPS page |
| Campground season | All National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Passes are available at campground kiosks on the Parkway, during their operating season, typically from the end of May through October. | NPS page |
Mileposts 216.9 and 469 come from the NPS road status page used in is the Blue Ridge Parkway open; the North Carolina mileage is our subtraction (derived).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee?
The NPS says no fee is charged to travel the Parkway; campgrounds charge.
Will my GPS work?
The NPS says car GPS units do not work well on the Parkway and that it uses mileposts as addresses.
Is it open?
Check the status answer and the NPS road page on the day you drive.
What We Could Not Confirm
- The NPS pages we read do not print the length of the North Carolina portion; the figure above is derived from mileposts.
- The NPS road closures page is a map; current closures are read on our status answer, not here.
Sources
Read on October 27, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “How Long Is The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina?”, itsnorthcarolina.com/answers/how-long-is-the-blue-ridge-parkway-in-north-carolina/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.