Schedule for Blue Ridge Parkway Trip (southbound)

Aug 4-14, 2004

Click here for an Excel version of this table
Day
 1
 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
 10
Date
 Wed, Aug 4
 Thur, Aug 5
 Fri, Aug 6
 Sat, Aug 7
 Sun, Aug 8
 Mon, Aug 9
 Tue, Aug 10
 Wed, Aug 11
 Thur, Aug 12
 Sat, Aug 14*
Miles/Day
 60
 60
 57
 62
 57
 43 **
 69
 61
 48
 49
Climb/Day
***
 4802 ft
 6322 ft
 6435 ft
 5617 ft
 6660 ft
 4680 ft
 7860 ft
 6225 ft
 5000 ft?
 ?
Start
Milepost
 0
 60
 120
 177
 239
 296
 339
 408
 469
Start
Location
 Rockfish
Gap Vis Cen
 Otter Creek
Campgr
 Roanoke
Mtn Campgr
 Meadows
of Dan Campgr
 Doughton
Pk Campgr
 Julian Price
Campgr
 Crabtree
Mead Campgr
 Mt. Pisgah
Camgr
 River Valley
Campgr
 Quality Inn
Gatlinburg
End
Milepost
 60
 120
 177
 239
 296
 339
 408
 469

End
Location
 Otter  Creek
Campgr		 Roanoke
Mountain Campgr		 Meadows
of Dan Campgr		 Doughton
Park Campgr		 Julian Price
Memorial
Campgr		 Crabtree
Meadows Campgr		 Mt. Pisgah
Camgr		 River
Valley
Campgr		 Quality Inn
Gatlinburg		 Knoxville
Airport
# Tent Sites
 42
 74
 ?
 110
 129
 71
 70
 ?

End
Campgr
Facilities
 Restaurant
(open 8-8),
but no store
Grocery 4
mi S on 501
 Bathrooms
only
 Nearby
Mabry Mill
(restaurant)
Mayberry
Trading Post
MP 180
 Bluff's Lodge
& Coffee
Shop at
MP 241.1
(great for
breakfast)
 Lakeside
camping.
Bathrooms
only.
 Snack bar
(10-6 wkdays
8-6 wkends)
 Camp store,
laundry,
very nice
restaurant
at Mt. Pisgah
Inn
 Many motels
restaurants
in Cherokee
 Huge
tourist
destination
 I had to go
to Knoxville
to get a rental
car (none
available in
Gatlinburg)
Campgr
Phone
 434-
299-5125		 540-
767-2492		 276-
952-2292		 336-
372-8568		 828-
295-7591		 828-
765-6083		 828-
648-2644


Misc

Mountain
House
Restaurant,
Blue Ridge
Motel at
MP 180
 Sparta, NC
7 mi from
  MP 229
(banks, laundry,
hardware store,
and lots more).
 Food 1 mile
S on US 221
access road
Left on Holloway
Mtn Rd at
MP 298.6.		 MP 334 take
226A to Little
Switzerland
(motels, etc)
MP331 - 6 mi
on 226 to
Spruce Pine, NC		 Mt. Pisgah Inn
828-235-8228
Very nice, but
reservations
are probably
necessary



Notes:
* - I allowed an extra day for rest, mechanical problems, etc., but was able to say it until I reached Gatlinburg.  I enjoyed having a free day in this tourist mecca.
** - This is the shortest day - only 43 miles.  This works out well because campgrounds aren't available everywhere.   This is also one of the best days to
        explore.  It is well worth the trip to spend 2-3 hours on Grandfather Mountain.  It is privately owned and features restaurants, a visitor center, a zoo
         with lots of bears, and their famous "mile-high suspension bridge" where you get an incredible 360 degree view.  You have to pay $12.00 to go up
        the mountain and no biking or hiking is allowed (the drive up is incredibly steep with no shoulders and constant switchbacks).  I locked my bike next
        to the entry gate (it seemed pretty safe as it is in open view with security people stationed there) and asked someone for a ride.  Stopping at the Linn
        Cove Visitor Center is also recommended.  It is an engineering marvel.
*** - The Blue Ridge Parkway requires just over 48,000 feet of vertical climb in either direction.  For an 8-day trip, this means about 6000 ft of climbing
          a day. The number of vertical feet climbed each day is probably a more accurate way to judge each day's difficulty than the number of miles covered.
**** - The campgrounds on the parkway are run by the National Park Service.  They are nice to look at, but have very little in the way of facilities.  They
           do not have showers or electricity.  They generally just have a nice bathroom and clean water.  Your main option for getting clean is to take a sponge
           bath at the sink with cold water!  The Meadows of Dan Campground; however, is privately owned so a hot shower is available!

Author:  Paul Gordy
Email:  blueridgecyclist@cox.net