Archive for the ‘blue ridge parkway’ Category

BRP renames Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area

Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Virtual Blue Ridge is reporting that Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area at milepost 339.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway has been renamed Crabtree Falls Recreation Area.

The name was changed in order to highlight the spectacular waterfall on Crabtree Creek, which, apparently, many visitors were not aware of.

The 253-acre Crabtree Falls Recreation Area has a campground with tent and RV sites, a free picnic area with grills, a restaurant and a gift shop.

The trail to Crabtree Falls is a two and a half mile round trip hike that begins from the campground. The trail includes a moderate to strenuous elevation gain of roughly 500 feet.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

BRP Ranger Hike: Sam Knob

Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will be leading a moderate, 3-mile hike to the summit of Sam Knob in the Pisgah National Forest tomorrow. The hike begins at 10 a.m. and will climb roughly 620 feet to an elevation of 6,040 feet.

The popular trail leads through alpine-like terrain of northern hardwood forests and open meadows to a "bald" summit that offers outstanding 360-degree views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.

Hikers should bring a snack, water, sunscreen, wear good hiking shoes, and be prepared for unpredictable mountain weather.

The hike will begin from the Black Balsam Parking Area located at the end of Forest Service Road 816, roughly one mile south of Graveyard Fields near Milepost 420.

Please note that the Blue Ridge Parkway is temporarily closed from Wagon Road Gap at Milepost 412 to the Graveyard Fields Parking Overlook at Milepost 418 through Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010 (to conduct storm debris removal and hazardous tree work). Your best bet for reaching the trailhead is to access the BRP at Balsam Gap near MP 440, or at Beech Gap, via Rt. 215, near MP 423.

For additional information on the hike, call the BRP Visitor Center at 828-298-5330, ext. 304. For more information on all trails on the BRP, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Blue Ridge Parkway closures

Monday, August 16th, 2010
There are several temporary road closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway this week as a result of bears, construction, and storm debris removal projects.

In Virginia:

* The Peaks of Otter Picnic Area has been closed temporarily due to a sow with three cubs that have been acting aggressively and have bluff charged several people over the past week in the picnic area and on nearby trails. Employees and visitors are advised to stay out of the area until further notice.

In North Carolina:

* Tree removal projects are being conducted near Deep Gap at Milepost 275 to the Yadkin Valley Parking Overlook at Milepost 290. Parkway visitors should expect minor delays as a result of traffic control through this area.

* The Linville Falls Picnic Area, near Milepost 316, is scheduled to be temporarily closed beginning today, August 16, at 8 a.m. and will remain closed until Wednesday – August 18, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. This closure is necessary for the completion of the paving of the picnic area entrance road, which includes asphalt sidewalks, drain repairs, and re-striping of the road and parking areas.

* The Craggy Gardens Picnic Area at Milepost 367.6 will be temporarily closed from Monday, August 16, at 6:00 a.m. until noon Friday, August 20. Due to the narrow road leading up to the picnic area, pavement overlay activities require complete closure of the entrance road.

* The Blue Ridge Parkway will be temporarily closed from Wagon Road Gap at Milepost 412 to the Graveyard Fields Parking Overlook at Milepost 418 on Monday, Aug. 16 through Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010, to conduct storm debris removal and hazardous tree work. Access to the parkway from U.S. Route 276 will remain open.

For updates on parkway road and weather conditions, please call 828-298-0398.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
Virtual Blue Ridge has announced the dates for the 8th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition. Amateur and professional photographers can begin submitting their photos on September 17, 2010.

This years' competition theme is The Parkway Tree Project. The areas comprising the Blue Ridge Parkway boast nearly 100 tree species that contribute to ecological zones of unsurpassed diversity. The Parkway Tree Project seeks to bring greater public awareness to the rich natural resources of the region and to document significant trees that contribute to the character, environment, and/or aesthetic of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Photographers are encouraged to capture images of trees along the Blue Ridge Parkway that stand out as the most beautiful, the oldest or largest, trees that tell a story or have a place in history, and those that are unique for their shape, species, or character.

The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition offers seven separate categories for submissions, and $4,000 in cash and prizes. Competition categories include:

* Adventure
* Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and Share the Journey ®
* Culture
* Our Ecological Footprint
* Flora and Fauna
* Landscape.

A panel of professional photographers will review all entries and narrow them down to approximately forty-six, which will hang in exhibition at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, February 4 through June 4, 2011.

Registration and submissions will be open from September 17, 2010 through 5:00 pm on Friday, December 17, 2010. Amateur and professional photographers 13 years of age and older should submit at www.appmtnphotocomp.org prior to the competition's close.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Mount Lyn Lowry tract purchased by CTNC

Thursday, July 29th, 2010
A 35-acre tract of forested land next to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Browning Knob has recently been purchased to safeguard its scenic views and wildlife habitat.

The Mount Lyn Lowry property, adjacent to the Parkway on the Jackson-Haywood County line near Waterrock Knob (between Mileposts 449 and 450), was purchased by the Conservation Trust for North Carolina with funds from private donors.

CTNC plans to convey the tract to the National Park Service for inclusion in the boundaries of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

"The Mount Lyn Lowry property is small in size, but large in importance to the region’s wildlife habitat and spectacular natural beauty,” CTNC executive director Reid Wilson said. “Its location next to the Parkway and less than six miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park makes it another link in a critical chain of protected lands and waterways in this area.”

To read more, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com