Completion of recovery work on two sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina that suffered landslides from Hurricane Helene a year ago have opened 26 miles of the scenic road to the public Monday.
The repaired areas, located at milepost 375 and 380, enabled the reopening of the Blue Ridge Parkway from milepost 382, in Asheville, to milepost 355.3 at the Ridge Junction Overlook, near NC 80 and the entrance to Mount Mitchell State Park.
This section of the parkway includes popular locations in the Craggy Gardens area, near milepost 364. The opening Monday includes the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, Craggy Pinnacle Trail, and short sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail.
Locations that remain closed include the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area and sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail from the Craggy Trail Shelter to the Snowball Mountain Trail.
Monday's opening also provides access to other popular, adjacent recreation areas, including Mount Mitchell State Park and lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Details about Mount Mitchell State Park’s reopening are available at ncparks.gov.
Visitors should confirm the status of Forest Service trails near Craggy Gardens at the National Forests of NC website.
Monday’s opening also marks the completion of an initial round of recovery projects underway to repair landslides that occurred on the parkway as a result of Hurricane Helene.
The park is prioritizing the restoration of road access through a phased system, and additional projects are beginning in 45 remaining locations. The highest concentration of overall roadway and infrastructure damage along the parkway occurred from the Linville Falls area, near milepost 317, south to Mount Mitchell State Park.
Projects slated for repair as the next phases of road recovery will restore and stabilize the road, remove remaining debris, and repair overlooks and guardrails.
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