The Blue Ridge Parkway is seldom
flat! You are always going up or down. The parkway requires
over 48,000 feet of vertical climbing in either direction. Biking
the parkway in 8 days means that you will climb an average of 6000
ft/day. This number is probably at least as significant as the
number of miles that are cycled.
The National Park Service provides some nice tables showing the number
of feet climbed along various stretches of the parkway. I have
arranged the data for an 8 day trip - northbound or southbound. I
also have these table available in an excel document (
Climbing Tables
in Excel).
| Blue
Ridge Parkway - Northbound |
|
Blue
Ridge Parkway - Southbound |
| Source: National Park Service |
|
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Source:
National Park Service |
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| Major Uphill |
|
Total |
Elevation |
|
|
Major Uphill |
|
Total |
Elevation |
|
| Mileposts |
|
Elevation |
Climbed |
|
|
Mileposts |
|
Elevation |
Climbed |
|
| Start |
Stop |
Climbed |
Per Day |
|
|
Start |
Stop |
Climbed |
Per Day |
|
| 469.1 |
431.4 |
7470 |
|
|
|
0.0 |
24.0 |
2810 |
|
|
| 431.4 |
408.0 |
1835 |
9305 ft
|
Day 1 |
|
24.0 |
48.0 |
1742 |
|
|
| 408.0 |
384.0 |
850 |
|
|
|
48.0 |
63.0 |
250 |
4802 ft
|
Day 1 |
| 384.0 |
358.5 |
4265 |
|
|
|
63.0 |
76.7 |
3305 |
|
|
| 358.5 |
339.5 |
1459 |
6574 ft
|
Day 2 |
|
76.7 |
96.0 |
1360 |
|
|
| 339.5 |
336.3 |
246 |
|
|
|
96.0 |
120.4 |
1657 |
6322 ft
|
Day 2 |
| 336.3 |
312.0 |
3120 |
|
|
|
120.4 |
144.0 |
3200 |
|
|
| 312.0 |
296.9 |
1375 |
4741 ft
|
Day 3 |
|
144.0 |
168.0 |
2530 |
|
|
| 296.9 |
288.0 |
810 |
|
|
|
168.0 |
177.7 |
705 |
6435 ft
|
Day 3 |
| 288.0 |
264.6 |
3050 |
|
|
|
177.7 |
192.0 |
1040 |
|
|
| 264.6 |
240.0 |
2625 |
6485 ft
|
Day 4 |
|
192.0 |
216.0 |
2047 |
|
|
| 240.0 |
216.0 |
1566 |
|
|
|
216.0 |
240.0 |
2530 |
5617 ft
|
Day 4 |
| 216.0 |
192.0 |
2225 |
|
|
|
240.0 |
264.6 |
2680 |
|
|
| 192.0 |
177.7 |
1457 |
5248 ft
|
Day 5 |
|
264.6 |
288.0 |
3160 |
|
|
| 177.7 |
168.0 |
988 |
|
|
|
288.0 |
296.9 |
820 |
6660 ft
|
Day 5 |
| 168.0 |
144.0 |
1840 |
|
|
|
296.9 |
312.0 |
1390 |
|
|
| 144.0 |
120.4 |
2006 |
4834 ft
|
Day 6 |
|
312.0 |
336.3 |
2705 |
|
|
| 120.4 |
96.0 |
2680 |
|
|
|
336.3 |
339.5 |
585 |
4680 ft
|
Day 6 |
| 96.0 |
76.7 |
2865 |
|
|
|
339.5 |
358.5 |
3475 |
|
|
| 76.7 |
63.0 |
0 |
5545 ft
|
Day 7 |
|
358.5 |
384.0 |
680 |
|
|
| 63.0 |
48.0 |
1870 |
|
|
|
384.0 |
408.0 |
3705 |
7860 ft
|
Day 7 |
| 48.0 |
24.0 |
2670 |
|
|
|
408.0 |
431.4 |
2775 |
|
|
| 24.0 |
0.0 |
1450 |
5990 ft
|
Day 8 |
|
431.4 |
469.1 |
3450 |
6225 ft
|
Day 8 |
|
|
|
48722 ft
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
48601 ft
|
Total |