THE EARNEST TRAVELER
Asheville is the gateway to this whole region — a small, easy airport, an interstate crossroads, and the Parkway running right past the city. The one thing to plan around is which sections of the Parkway are open on your dates.
The Airport
Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) sits about 15 minutes south of downtown, with direct flights from a growing list of cities and easy rental cars. Larger hubs like Charlotte and Greenville-Spartanburg are within a couple of hours' drive if AVL doesn't have your route. You'll want a car here — there's no transit into the mountains.
The Parkway & Its Mileposts
The Blue Ridge Parkway is measured in mileposts from 0 in Virginia to 469 at Cherokee, North Carolina. Around Asheville, the landmarks fall in a tidy range: Folk Art Center (382), Craggy Gardens (364), Mount Mitchell turnoff (355.4), Mount Pisgah (408), and Graveyard Fields (418.8). The speed limit is 45 mph, and the road is dotted with low, narrow tunnels that restrict tall vehicles.
Closures: Seasonal and Post-Helene
Even in a normal year, high sections of the Parkway close for snow and ice in winter, and campgrounds run roughly May through October. On top of that, Hurricane Helene closed segments in 2024; as of 2026 more than 400 miles have reopened and full repairs are expected by year's end, but some stretches remain closed. Plan any Parkway driving around the live NPS road-status page.
The Smokies Connection
Drive the Parkway to its southern end and you arrive at Cherokee, the eastern entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The two destinations chain together naturally — many travelers pair Asheville and the Blue Ridge with a few days in the Smokies just down the road.
Hurricane Helene (September 2024) damaged sections of the Parkway. As of 2026 more than 400 miles have reopened and the National Park Service expects all road repairs finished by the end of 2026 — but some segments, especially between Linville Falls (Milepost 317) and Mount Mitchell (Milepost 355), may still be closed. Always check the live NPS road-status page for the day you travel.
Cell service is thin across the high country and the forests. Download offline maps and your route — and screenshot the day's open Parkway segments — before you lose signal.
Handy for the road in and the days on the Parkway.