Beginning of Blue Ridge Parkway — Attraction in Waynesboro

The official starting point of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which begins at milepost 0 on the stone bridge going over Route 250, heading South for 469 miles all the way to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in North Carolina. A lot of people get it confused with Skyline Drive which heads North from here and has entrance fees for visitors. The Parkway however is completely FREE to access. There are no gas stations on the Parkway so try to plan ahead.

The Parkway speed limit is 45, unless otherwise posted, but you do need to take caution going around the many curves as there are often bicyclists and pedestrians also trying to enjoy the beauty of these mountains. Patience is your best friend here. The curves here do not follow a consistent turn radius so some of them get a little tighter as you're going around them. Because of this, looking at the views while navigating these curves is a good way to end up driving off the side of the mountain and there is a good chance other drivers will not see you. You probably won't have cell service either so it could take hours or even days or weeks for someone to find you.

Please DO NOT stop in the road to take pictures as you will cause an accident very quickly. Pull off to the side with your hazard lights on (ONLY when the ground is DRY) where there is adequate room or stop at one of the many overlooks for amazing views of the surrounding valleys. Trees, branches, and large rocks may fall and block the road even during nice weather, so keep your eyes forward and off your cell phones. Please give motorcyclists plenty of space when riding behind them as they can stop a lot faster than your car or truck.

Motorcyclists, please take caution as this is one of the deadliest roads in the National Park system for you to be on. The safest way to ride here is in Lane Position 2, in a single file line. The shoulder tends to have a lot of small pebbles and debris which will cause you to lose traction and go flying off the side and straight into the Great Beyond. The left side attracts a lot of drivers that love to cross over the yellow lines and will give you an awful looking new haircut if you lean into the turns while in Lane Position 1.

And finally, please keep your trash inside of your vehicle until you can dispose of it at one of the litter cans at the Visitor Centers, or just take it home with you. Some trash might be biodegradable, but it still looks awful and attracts a lot of wildlife that end up getting hit and injured or killed. NOTE: The Blue Ridge Parkway is FEDERAL PROPERTY, the Park Police are FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, and all crimes here...

I adore traveling on the Blue Ridge parkway. Sometimes I actually get off the main roads just to have a nice enjoyable peaceful ride. You have to be comfortable in this section. Lots of corners and turns. Easy to speed but it is clear what the speed limit is. You want to respect this because obviously they know when and where animals are and they do dart across the way. Lots and lots of deer. I've seen many other animals but deer will be your biggest problem as you travel. So pay attention and make sure that the deers are protected. I took some photos of this entrance way. It's the beginning of the Blue Ridge parkway once you get out of the Shenandoah area. Glad to be able to contribute. Some of the information was not as clear as it should be. Enjoy all the stops and this gorgeous area of Virginia. It never ever gets old.

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"The most visited of National Parkway" (14,976,085 visitors in 2019), "America's most scenic drive", "The fall extravaganza in red and gold". Blue Ridge Parkway was the first national rural parkway to be conceived, designed, and constructed for a leisure-type driving experience. Its varied topography and numerous vista points offer easy public access to spectacular views of central and southern Appalachian rural landscapes and forested mountains. It connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The Parkway is the highest and longest continuous route in the Appalachian area. Along its 469-mile length linking Shenandoah National Park (Virginia) to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina & Tennessee). The project took over 52 years to complete (1935-1987) with 26 tunnels and cross roads by 168 bridges and...