The Blue Ridge Parkway is the National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, famous for its scenic beauty. Parkway, which is the longest linear park in America, runs 469 miles (755 km) through 29 Virginia and North Carolina regions, connecting Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It mostly runs along the back of the Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Its southern end is 441 US on the border between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cherokee Indian Reserves in North Carolina, from where it travels north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The road continues through Shenandoah as Skyline Drive, a similar scenic path run by different National Park Service units. Both Skyline Drive and the Virginia section of the Blue Ridge Parkway are part of Virginia State Route 48, although this designation is not signed.
Parkway has been the most visited National Park System unit ever since 1946 except three (1949, 2013, and 2016). Land on both sides of the road is owned and maintained by the National Park Service, and in many places the parking lot is limited by the US Forest Service property. The Parkway is in the North Carolina version of America's Beautiful quarter in 2015.
Video Blue Ridge Parkway
History
Beginning in the reign of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the project was originally called the Appalachian Scenic Highway. Most of the construction is carried out by private contractors under a federal contract under authorization by Harold L. Ickes in his role as administrator of the federal public works. Work began on September 11, 1935, near Cumberland Knob in North Carolina; development in Virginia began in February next. On June 30, 1936, Congress officially endorsed the project as the Blue Ridge Parkway and placed it under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. Some work was done by New Deal's public works agencies. The Works Progress Administration does some road construction. The crew of the Emergency Relief Administration are doing landscaping work and the development of a recreational parkway area. Personnel from four Civil Corps Conservation camps work in road cleaning, roadside cultivation, slope gradation, and repair of adjacent land and forest land. During World War II, the CCC crew was replaced by opponents of conscience in the Civil Public Service program.
The parkway construction creates jobs in the area, but also displaces many residents and creates new rules and regulations for landowners, including requirements relating to how farmers can transport crops. Residents can no longer build their land without permission, or develop land except for agriculture. They are not allowed to use the parkway for commercial travel but are required to transport equipment and materials on the side of the road.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are also influenced by parkways, built through their land. From 1935 to 1940, they refused to surrender the right of way through Qualla Boundary, and they managed to get better terms from the US government. In particular, the revised bill "determines the parkway route, guarantees the payment of $ 40,000 for tribal lands, and requires states to build regular highways through the Soco Valley". (The road in question is part of the 19 United States Route.) Cherokee leaders participated in dedication when the Cherokee section opened in the 1950s.
The parkway construction was completed in late 1966 with one exception. The 7.7 mile (12.4 km) span including Linn Cove Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain did not open until 1987. The project took 52 years to complete.
Maps Blue Ridge Parkway
Ecology along the parkway
Flowering shrubs and wildflowers dominate the parks in the spring, including rhododendrons and dogwood, moving from valley to mountain as cold weather retreats. Smaller annuals and perennials like daisy and daisies throughout the summer. The brilliant autumn foliage took place later in September at the top of the mountain, down into the valley at the end of October. Often in the early-to-mid October and mid to late April, all three seasons can be seen simply by looking down from the cool, windy parkway to the green and warm valleys below. October is very dramatic, because the colored leaves stand out boldly and occur at the same time, unlike flowers.
The large trees include oaks, hickory and tulips at lower altitudes and buckeye and ash in the center, turning into conifers like pine and spruce at the highest altitudes on the parkway. Trees near mountains, peaks, and roads (often called slits or notches) are often distorted and even wrinkled by the wind, and prolonged ice is stored in the clouds passing in the winter.
Route description
The Blue Ridge Parkway tunnel is built through rocks - one in Virginia and 25 in North Carolina. Parts of the parkway near the tunnel are often closed in the winter. Due to ground water droplets from above with freezing temperatures and lack of sunlight, ice often accumulates in this location even though temperatures above freeze in the surrounding area. The highest point on the parkway (south of Waynesville, near Mount Pisgah in North Carolina) is 6,053 feet (1,845 m) above sea level at Richland Balsam on milepost 431 and is often closed from November to April due to bad weather such as snow, fog, and even fog freezing from low clouds. Parkway is done across the river, ravine railway and cross road with 168 bridges and six bridges.
Parkway runs from the southern tip of Skyline Drive of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia at Rockfish Gap to US Route 441 (US 441) at Oconaluftee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina. There is no fee to use the parkway; However, commercial vehicles are banned without the consent of the Park Service Headquarters, near Asheville, North Carolina. The streets are not guarded in winter, and passages that pass through high altitudes and through tunnels are often impassable and hence closed from late fall to early spring. Weather varies greatly in the mountains, so conditions and closures often change rapidly. Speed ​​limits are never higher than 45 mph (72 km/h) and lower in some parts.
Parkway uses short side streets to connect to other highways, and there is no direct intersection with Interstate Highways, making it possible to enjoy wildlife and other sights without stopping for cross-traffic. Milepost along the parkway starts from zero at the northeast end of Virginia and counts to 469 at the southern end of North Carolina. Milepost can be found on the right side of the road while traveling south on the parkway. The major cities and towns along the way include Waynesboro, Roanoke, and Galax in Virginia; and in North Carolina, Boone and Asheville, where he traverses the Biltmore Estate property. The Blue Ridge Music Center (also part of the park) is located at Galax, and Mount Mitchell (highest point in eastern North America) is only accessible via the state highway (NC 128) from the parkway on milepost 355.4.
Highlights in Virginia
- Mile 0 Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro, Virginia, is the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. To the north, the highway connects directly to Skyline Drive, which travels 105 miles (169 km) through Shenandoah National Park.
- 5 to 9.3 Humpback Rock has its own guided trail through a collection of old Appalachian farm buildings. The climbing lane from the parking area (at mile 6.1) leads 0.75 miles (1.21 km) to The Rocks, which humps give the region its name. Greenstone self-trail (8.8).
- 10.7 Ravens Roost offers views of Mount Torry and the Shenandoah Valley to the west. The scenery is built on a cliff, so it is often used for rock climbing and hang gliding. There is also a picnic table.
- 16 Lake Sherando is a recreation place in the George Washington National Forest 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from the parkway through the VA 814. Swimming, picnic, and camping.
- 29 Whetstone Ridge provides many mountain man with fine grained stone.
- 34.4 The Yankee Horse Ridge is said to be the place where the Union Horse's horses are riding and should be shot. The old railway reconstruction railway provides access to Wigwam Waterfall.
- 58 to 63.6 Otter Creek runs 10 miles (16 km) down the Blue Ridge to the James River. Lake Otter (63.1), fishing, trail. 63.8 James and Kanawha Canal are the bridges running across the river to locks and exhibits of the restored canals. The trail guides itself along the river bank.
- 71 Onion Mountain's short circle leads through rhododendrons and laurel mountains.
- 83.4 Fallingwater Cascades can be seen along the 1.6 mile (2.6 km) trajectory.
- 84 to 87 Peaks of Otter are the three mountain peaks that have been popular since the days of Thomas Jefferson. A shuttle bus provides services to Sharp Top.
- 114.9 The Roanoke River Gorge is seen after a short walk.
- 120.4 Roanoke Mountain is 3.7 miles (6.0 km). One-way ring road, with steep levels, across the mountain. Withdrawn vehicles are prohibited.
- 129.6 Roanoke Valley Overlook provides the greatest city views along the parkway.
- 154.5 Smart View is named because it has "exact smart view". The nearest cabin built in the 1890s is known as a place to see the dogwood blooms in early May.
- 167 to 174 Rocky Knob overlooks Rock Castle Gorge.
- 176.1 Mabry Mill is operated by E.B. Mabry from 1910 to 1935. The trail leads to gristmills, sawmills, blacksmiths, and other exhibitions. Old skills are shown in summer and autumn.
- 188.8 Groundhog Mountain has various rural fences: snakes, Post-and-rails, picket and buck. The picnic area and the observation tower are also nearby.
- 189.1 Groundhog Mountain
- 189.9 Aunt Orelena Puckett Cabin Exhibit is the home of a regional midwife.
- 213 Blue Ridge Music Center near Galax city with concerts, musical demonstrations, and a 17,000 square foot (1,600 m 2 ) museum dedicated to any music, especially old music.
Highlights in North Carolina
Not infrequently a small section of the parkway is temporarily closed to repair damage caused by cold winter climates in the mountains or for other maintenance. This detour caused by the closure is well marked and arranged to cause the least disturbance possible, although maintenance such as repaving only ensures a stop/slow switch with one-track restrictions only.
Due to serious damage in 2004 from Hurricane Frances, then again by Hurricane Ivan, many areas along the parkway were closed until spring 2005, with two areas not fully repaired until the spring of 2006.
Large intersection
See also
- Skyline Drive
- Natchez Trace Parkway
- Cherohala Skyway
- Foothills Parkway
Note
References
Further reading
External links
- National Park Service: Blue Ridge Parkway
- Blue Ridge Parkway Association
- Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia
- Driving Through Time: Blue Ridge Digital Parkway
- Historical American Engineering Record (HAER) no. NC-42, "Blue Ridge Parkway, Between Shenandoah National Park & ​​Great Smoky Mountains, Asheville, Buncombe County, NC", 243 photos, 26 transparency colors, 28 scalable images, 346 pages of data, 40 pages photo
- HAER No. NC-42-A, "Blue Ridge Parkway, Linn Cove Bridge, On Mount Grandfather, Asheville, Buncombe County, NC", 41 pages of data
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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