RALEIGH, N.C. (September 30, 2013) — Fall foliage seekers can travel the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited unit of the National Park Service, even with a federal government shutdown. But with visitor centers and other staffed facilities set to close, careful planning is recommended for travelers driving along the 252 miles from the North Carolina High Country to the Great Smoky Mountains.
“Without the convenience of comfort stations every 20 or 30 miles, travelers will want to scope out less obvious places to take a break,” said Wit Tuttell, director of tourism marketing for the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development. “The payoff for mapping out the possibilities is discovering some of the small-town gems on the journey.”
North Carolina state parks —Stone Mountain, Mount Jefferson, Mount Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain — also make ideal stopping points. Reports from rangers at state parks across North Carolina are posted at VisitNC.com/fall to keep leaf-watchers informed about the foliage and other conditions.
Staffed facilities at Great Smoky Mountains National Park would also be unavailable with a shutdown. But the scenery along U.S. 441 will remain accessible, and area outfitters and attractions can immerse visitors in a spectacular fall experience.
On the coast, some beach access might be limited along the national seashores, but with North Carolina’s 320-mile Atlantic coastline, visitors still have a vast playground of surf and sand. And if National Park Service attractions are closed, alternatives help offset the loss. Those who had planned to climb the Bodie Island Lighthouse or the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse can head north to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse at Corolla, another lofty historic light tower with spectacular views. If gates to the Wright Brothers National Memorial are closed, a visit to Jockey’s Ridge State Park affords an experience soaring on a replica of the 1902 Wright Brothers glider as well as hang gliding and kite flying.
Find planning information for fall travel across North Carolina at VisitNC.com. Detailed Blue Ridge Parkway maps and guides are available at www.blueridgeparkway.org.