North Carolina events › Itineraries › Blue Ridge Parkway Weekend
Blue Ridge Parkway Weekend: a 2-day plan with 7 stops, 2 of them state parks and 5 attractions, each with admission, dog rules and hours or notes copied from the official page. 3 list free entry. Distances are straight-line miles; drive times from five cities are in the table.
- Days2plan, then adjust
- Stops7each with a source
- State Parks2official park pages
- Free Entry3as the page states
Trip Kit
Plan It With Your People
Pick a start date, then send the plan to your group chat, put every day in your calendar, or open each day as a route in Google Maps.
Someone sent you this trip. It is set to the dates they picked.
Start in Asheville, then drive the parkway south and east of town.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Asheville, Buncombe County · AttractionFree Entry
- Adult admission
- Free (NPS page lists no entrance fee for the Parkway; Free entry confirmed on fees page)
- Child admission
- Free
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Some sites along the parkway may charge their own fees
Checked October 18, 2026.
Biltmore Estate
Asheville, Buncombe County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- Biltmore House & Grounds starting at $110 (fall); Grounds only starting at $85
- Child admission
- Discount ages 16 & under (amount not stated on page); ages 9 & under free
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Parking
- Complimentary parking
- Operator notes
- Tickets include Antler Hill Village & Winery, complimentary wine tasting; Annual Pass $299
Checked October 18, 2026.
Same town as Blue Ridge Parkway
WNC Nature Center
Asheville, Buncombe County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- $16.95 + tax (City of Asheville residents $11.95)
- Child admission
- $12.95 + tax (ages 3-12); youth 13-15 $16.95
- Dogs
- Pets prohibited
- Parking
- Free parking
- Operator notes
- Alcohol, tobacco/vaping, balls, scooters, bikes and drones not permitted
Checked October 18, 2026.
Same town as Biltmore Estate
Drive north from Asheville; parkway sections near Mount Mitchell have been closed, so read the status answer first.
Mount Mitchell State Park
Burnsville, Yancey County · State parkFree Entry
At 6,684 feet, this is the highest point east of the Mississippi River, and it is where the state park system began. An observation deck gives clear-day views, easy summit trails cross a Fraser fir forest, and tougher trails reach into nearby wilderness.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 6 to 10 p.m.; opens 7 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
Linville Caverns
Marion, McDowell County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- $15 (adult)
- Child admission
- $13 (ages 4-12); under 4 free
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Open Thursday-Monday 9-5 (Sundays 1-5); closed Tuesday and Wednesday and Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas
Checked October 18, 2026.
About 16 mi straight line from Mount Mitchell State Park
Grandfather Mountain
Linville, Avery County · Attraction
- Adult admission
- $25 base day / $30 mid-level day / $35 peak day (Adult); Senior 60+ $23/$28/$33
- Child admission
- $13 (ages 3-12) every tier
- Dogs
- Not confirmed
- Operator notes
- Timed entry reserved online; prices exclude taxes and fees; top half can close for wind or ice
Checked October 18, 2026.
About 28 mi straight line from Linville Caverns
Grandfather Mountain State Park
Banner Elk, Avery County · State parkFree Entry
This mountain park is known for severe weather and rugged terrain, where hikers use cliffs, cables and ladders. It sits between the privately owned Grandfather Mountain attraction, which charges admission, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 5 to 8 p.m.; opens 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted inside buildings. In addition, many park trails are steep and not recommended for pets, so please review the Trails page and plan accordingly. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
About 8 mi straight line from Grandfather Mountain
More Stops If You Have Time
Chimney Rock State Park
Chimney Rock, Rutherford County · State park
A 315-foot rock spire overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure gives this Rutherford County park its name. The Chimney Rock attraction charges admission, while the Rumbling Bald access is free and more rugged.
- Admission
- Rumbling Bald day use free; Chimney Rock attraction charges per person (amount not on park page)
- Hours
- Closes 6 to 9 p.m.; opens 8 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings or in the elevator at the Chimney Rock attraction. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- Both Rumbling Bald and Eagle Rock accesses are closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
South Mountains State Park
Connelly Springs, Burke County · State parkFree Entry
Where the Appalachians meet the Foothills, this park reaches 3,000 feet, with an 80-foot waterfall and nearly 50 miles of trail for hikers, riders and mountain bikers. The Jacob Fork River has designated trout waters, and a separate Clear Creek access lies to the west.
- Admission
- Free day use
- Hours
- Closes 7 to 10 p.m.; opens 7 a.m., by month
- Dogs
- Pets are allowed at the park and at campsites. They are not permitted inside buildings. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6 feet at all times.
- Closed
- The park is closed on Christmas Day.
Checked October 27, 2026. Official page
Drive Times From Five Cities
| Stop | Charlotte | Raleigh | Greensboro | Asheville | Wilmington |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biltmore Estate | 124 min | 225 min | 155 min | 7 min | 317 min |
| Mount Mitchell State Park | 170 min | 270 min | 201 min | 56 min | 363 min |
| Grandfather Mountain | 130 min | 212 min | 141 min | 84 min | 313 min |
| Grandfather Mountain State Park | 130 min | 212 min | 141 min | 84 min | 313 min |
| Chimney Rock State Park | 114 min | 242 min | 173 min | 55 min | 304 min |
First route Google Maps listed, read October 18, 2026, so live traffic may be reflected. Stops without a row are not in our drive-times file. Full table: drive times to North Carolina attractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need?
This plan is built for 2 days. Stops are listed in a workable order, not a promise that every one fits in your time.
Are the prices and hours current?
Each stop was read on its own official page on the date shown under it. Prices and hours change by season; use the official page link before you go.
Where are the events?
Dated events change every week, so they are not on this page. Pick your dates in the trip kit above, then open the event finder for what is on.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Blue Ridge Parkway: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Biltmore Estate: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Linville Caverns: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Grandfather Mountain: dogs not confirmed on the operator page we read; check the official page before you go.
- Drive times between stops are not shown, because we hold no sourced stop-to-stop times; the route buttons in the trip kit open current directions.
Sources
- Blue Ridge Parkway (operator page)
- Biltmore Estate (operator page)
- WNC Nature Center (operator page)
- Mount Mitchell State Park (state park page)
- Linville Caverns (operator page)
- Grandfather Mountain (operator page)
- Grandfather Mountain State Park (state park page)
- Chimney Rock State Park (state park page)
- South Mountains State Park (state park page)
- Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, place points used for straight-line miles
Read on October 27, 2026. Straight-line miles are computed from park GPS or Census town points, not driving distances. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Map of Itinerary Stops
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Blue Ridge Parkway Weekend”, itsnorthcarolina.com/itineraries/blue-ridge-parkway-weekend/ (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.