Very informative and helpful, thanks a lot for this great video. We're currently planning our yearly vacation to the US and this time Blue Ridge Parkway is on our list too. We'll do the full length from top to bottom, just taking in the views, maybe some short hikes in between. So we will basically let the area surprise us, as we usually do. But tips like the different access roads and the apps are awesome since it makes life a lot easier, even if we're super flexible. So thanks again, I'm sure we'll watch some more of your videos to be prepared.
Back in the day, 1970s, we stayed at the Pisgah View Ranch, a beautiful place to stay and close to the Parkway. They even fix a picnic lunch if you are gone at lunchtime. I have relatives in Roanoke and my family is from Atkins, Virginia from back in the 1700s. I retired to the Philippines and believe me I miss the mountains and cool climate.
Thank you so much for the info. This will be our first trip on the BRPW coming from Virginia through North Carolina to enjoy the fall foliage. Your points will be useful.
Don’t like Roanoke? You completely skipped Mill Mountain and Explore Park. Traffic in NoVA is a nightmare, not Roanoke. It’s not as bad as you make it out to be. And don’t forget Peaks of Otter - a great meal and overnight lodging.
I really appreciate your comment! We love Peaks of Otter. We've made a few videos there. Sharp Top is amazing, and we've spent the night at the lodge too. That being said, the Peaks are about 30 miles from Roanoke (it's about an hour drive give or take). From Interstate 81, getting to the Peaks is faster from Buchanon, and you can avoid traffic in Roanoke. The point I was trying to make in the video is that Roanoke has this weird marketing hegemony over the entire Parkway in Virginia, and it's reflected in internet searches. Heck, it's even reflected in map searches. You can be right next to an access point, and regardless of the Map app you're using, it will send you to Roanoke; even from where we live in Harrisonburg! What I left out is that the entrance point at Afton is a mess. Once your on the parkway, it's great. But the exit is run down. I really want to make a video about it, but I don't like being negative. I agree with you about Mill Mountain. This summer I want to dedicate an entire video to both Explore Park and Mill Mountain.Thank you so much for watching and thanks for commenting!
Last 2 times I been down in the area I’m constantly tailgated by people going crazy bec I ride the speed limit. Why do people come to scenic areas to run the roads like a race track 🤷🏻♂️
I am actually booked to take the Amtrak Auto Train the last week in August up and back from Sanford FL. I am only going to ride Shenandoah National park and a Northern Virginia stretch of the blue ridge parkway. The North Carolina stretch of the blue ridge parkway will have to be done on a future trip
I'm planning a trip from Toronto to Myrtle Beach and would love to drive a portion on the blue ridge parkway, any recommendations on where to get on and off?
Super long response, but you asked, so here you go! This is going to sound complicated but it’s easy. It seems as if there are two major routs out of Toronto onto your main destination. This will work with either Route. In Hagerstown, Maryland pick up Interstate 81 South. Stay on 81S for about two hours until you reach Staunton, Virginia where you’ll pick up Interstate 64E towards Charlottesville, Virginia. Once on I64E, it’s about 22 minutes to the exit that leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The name of the community or town is Afton, Virginia. (After you take the 164E exit in Staunton, enter Blue Ridge Parkway in your phone. Interstate signs leading to the parkway are often missed.) That location is the official beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway, mile 0. Now, maneuvering back towards Myrtle Beach depends on how much you’re enjoying the parkway, and how much time you have. For a nice day-long Virginia based stretch of the Parkway, you’ll want to exit at Fancy Gap, Virginia. From there, you have several potential routes to Myrtle Beach. From what I can tell, these routes are less than 5 hours. Go to this website www.blueridgeparkway.org/parkway-map/. This website will help a lot. Just remember, your phone won’t work most of the time on the Parkway. ***Here’s a faster route if you don’t mind some backtracking. One the routes out of Toronto takes you through DC to pick up Interstate 95 South. Once on I95S. You could always pickup Interstate 64W in Richmond, Virginia. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get from Richmond, Virginia to Afton, Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway Entrance). Obviously, exiting the Parkway is the same as mentioned above. While I’ve written a book already, I think it might be helpful to mention Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Skyline is identical to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but there’s a fee. I think it’s around $30 per vehicle. There are amazing views on Skyline. (Check our Skyline Drive playlist if you don’t know much about it.) Skyline Drive is amazing. Yes, we like the Blue Ridge Parkway more, but we have annual passes to Skyline too. In your case, you could drive all the Skyline in a little less time than some of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It you take the route through DC, you would navigate to Front Royal, Va. It’s as simple as entering Front Royal into your map app just before arriving in D.C., and then Skyline Drive. The Blue Ridge Parkway begins where Skyline ends. If you drive all the Skyline, you end up on the same exit as the Blue Ridge Parkway. But instead of continuing, you would simply jump I64E towards Charlottesville Va. It takes about 6 or 7 hours to get to Myrtle Beach from Charlottesville. I see where it takes 14 hours to get to Myrtle Beach from Toronto. The best I can tell, any mountain excursion is going to add a lot of hours. At a glance, it will add at least 8 hours; possibly 12, or 14. Do I recommend it? Any of the suggestions I’ve made here are worth your time and effort. I even recommend leaving a day early just to make it happen. It’s an inspiring drive to say the least. Personally, I’d take Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Ashville, North Carolina. It’s 5 hours from Asheville to Myrtle Beach. That’s a long haul, but worth every second. Thanks for the question, and let us know what you decided! Sorry for any typos, I’m typing fast. Bill
@@BillMarion wow! This is fantastic! Thank you so much for doing this. I might take your suggestion and leave a day earlier. The skyline drive sounds like a great alternative as well. Thanks again!
It's too bad anymore than you often can't enjoy the drive or the sights because there are so many people tailgating or driving aggressively because you're trying to observe the speed limit.
You could pull off, observe the view from an overlook and let those people around. You are supposed to observe the road while you are driving. Worse than texting and driving.
I totally get it. I’ve been down a couple times on my Harley and if I ride the speed limit and try enjoying myself I constantly got some impatient ass hole riding up my ass. If you pull over and let them by you just got another one up your ass 30 seconds later. So I just won’t go down there anymore. I dunno why everybody has to make scenic roads into a race track
I will be heading from pigeon Forge so hitting the south part of the Blue Ridge by the smoky Mountain national Park then going to Linville Falls is where the cabinet is that a possible one day trip and be able to see everything too?
I'm looking for places to camp in my Van along the way as I travel south on the Parkway. I will be starting at Love Gap which is where I live. Is there an app that can help me find campgrounds or dispersed camping as I travel the length of the BRP? Thanks for your video.
This is the app I recommend www.blueridgeparkway.org/ Is it perfect? No. I'm sure you already know how difficult it is to maintain a solid signal on the parkway. But the App has helped me on a few occasions. The folks that run the app are volunteers, so they do the best they can. I wish someone would come out with a solid realtime app. Thanks for watching. Our BRPW playlist is pretty informative. Check it ou!
This is the second video I watched about my planned drive over the BRP. Aaaaaaa, not one mention about gas . Dont know what these guys are riding in/on, but Im gonna need gas
You have to exit the BRPW for fuel. blueridgeparkway.org is a handy app for access points along the parkway. Our BRPW playlist is helpful too, but I think the app is what you're looking for to help plan your trip. Thanks for watching!
I’ve been all over the BRP at night in North Caroline and Virginia. You have to mindful of deer, especially during the rut, and bear. Depending on where you’re at on the parkway, you can drive 50 miles without seeing headlights or even a car parked at a look off. Closer to access points you might see a few cars from the local towns or something. We’ve never had any issues. Don’t get me wrong, it’s kind of scary up there at night. It’s like any mountain road. Lots of weird sounds, strange lights in the distance, but it’s just being in the mountains. Truthfully, we love it up there at night, especially in Virginia. So many deer and bear come out at night. Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting!
There are plenty of exits for gas stations along the Parkway. You can download the app blueridgeparkway.org to help with finding the best exits. Most of the time, it’s pretty easy. Thanks for watching!
Im planning a big road trip with my family for late June, im driving from cleveland to covington, GA staying there for a day or 2 and then driving to orlando from there. Leaving orlando we have a long drive back to cleveland, would u recommend driving the parkway if we just planned on driving straight through? I just kinda figured it would be a more scenic route than the regular interstates.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I love questions like this. People use the parkway as a scenic North/South corridor all the time. Whether it's going to work for you plans will depend on how much additional time you have for your return trip. Personally, I think any time spent on the parkway is worth it. Where you access the parkway will matter. The parkway is 469 miles long, and the speed limit is 45 mph the entire length of the parkway. (Trust me, some people think its slower). I don't know your primary Interstate route from Orlando to Cleveland. I spent most of my life living close to an I 75 exit in three different states. At first, I assumed you'd be taking 1 75. But Google has you leaving Florida on 95N and in South Carolina picking up Interstate 77. If that's the case, then trying to drive the whole parkway (from the entrance point in Cherokee NC) will take you at least a day and a half. (You would also have to count driving to Cherokee, NC from I 77.) But taking I 95 and eventually I 77 leaves a solid option. You can pick up the Parkway in Virginia just off Interstate 77 near a small town called Fancy Gap (Their are exit signs from I 77). Fancy Gap is right on the Parkway. It's a quick drive from the interstate to the parkway. Once on the parkway, start driving north to the end of the parkway parkway. (And get your camera ready). We've driven the stretch on the Parkway from Fancy Gap, Va to Afton, VA a lot! From the parkway access at Fancy Gap, it takes about 5 hours to get to end of the parkway at Afton, Va. That includes a few restroom stops, and maybe a couple of overlooks. The parkway will end in Afton, Virginia, at Interstate 64. Afton, Virginia is about 7 hours from Cleveland, Ohio. So, this idea adds about 5 hours (give or take) to your total trip. But here are a few things to keep in mind. Minus traffic and additional stops, it'll take you just over 9 hours to get to Fancy Gap, Va from Orlando, Florida. You'll want to be on the Parkway at Fancy Gap no later than 3:00 PM (2:00 PM if possible) The days are long in June so that works to your advantage. I love driving in the Parkway at night, but the Parkway is full of wildlife. Your departure time from Orlando is crucial in making this window. Let me know if this helped any, or let me know if you have any additional questions. East of the Mississippi, there's no greater drive!
@@BillMarion wow, thanks for the detailed response. We'll probably follow your suggestion and not drive the whole parkway but definitely want to see at least a portion of it. Really appreciate the reply, thanks!
Blue Ridge Parkway. Beautiful in any season.❤
Very informative and helpful, thanks a lot for this great video. We're currently planning our yearly vacation to the US and this time Blue Ridge Parkway is on our list too. We'll do the full length from top to bottom, just taking in the views, maybe some short hikes in between. So we will basically let the area surprise us, as we usually do. But tips like the different access roads and the apps are awesome since it makes life a lot easier, even if we're super flexible.
So thanks again, I'm sure we'll watch some more of your videos to be prepared.
You're going to have such a great time! I'm excited for you! Be sure to do some hiking! Thank you so much for watching and thanks for commenting.
Back in the day, 1970s, we stayed at the Pisgah View Ranch, a beautiful place to stay and close to the Parkway. They even fix a picnic lunch if you are gone at lunchtime. I have relatives in Roanoke and my family is from Atkins, Virginia from back in the 1700s. I retired to the Philippines and believe me I miss the mountains and cool climate.
Pisgah Inn is still glorious. In fact, after reading your comment, I might head that way this coming weekend! Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for the info. This will be our first trip on the BRPW coming from Virginia through North Carolina to enjoy the fall foliage. Your points will be useful.
Don’t like Roanoke? You completely skipped Mill Mountain and Explore Park. Traffic in NoVA is a nightmare, not Roanoke. It’s not as bad as you make it out to be. And don’t forget Peaks of Otter - a great meal and overnight lodging.
I really appreciate your comment!
We love Peaks of Otter. We've made a few videos there. Sharp Top is amazing, and we've spent the night at the lodge too. That being said, the Peaks are about 30 miles from Roanoke (it's about an hour drive give or take). From Interstate 81, getting to the Peaks is faster from Buchanon, and you can avoid traffic in Roanoke. The point I was trying to make in the video is that Roanoke has this weird marketing hegemony over the entire Parkway in Virginia, and it's reflected in internet searches. Heck, it's even reflected in map searches. You can be right next to an access point, and regardless of the Map app you're using, it will send you to Roanoke; even from where we live in Harrisonburg! What I left out is that the entrance point at Afton is a mess. Once your on the parkway, it's great. But the exit is run down. I really want to make a video about it, but I don't like being negative. I agree with you about Mill Mountain. This summer I want to dedicate an entire video to both Explore Park and Mill Mountain.Thank you so much for watching and thanks for commenting!
Thank you for your video!! I really did enjoy it and look forward to exploring the southern end and your guidance is much appreciated!!
woohoo- cool travel. catch ya later. Bill-👐
A week away from heading to Maggie Valley from MS on 3 wheels !! Thanks for a great look into what to expect.
Have a great time and thanks for watching and commenting!
Last 2 times I been down in the area I’m constantly tailgated by people going crazy bec I ride the speed limit. Why do people come to scenic areas to run the roads like a race track 🤷🏻♂️
We just let them pass. What part of the parkway have you experienced that the most?
We did Skyland drive from Front Royal to the blue ridge parkway in the mid 90s when Cherokee entrance was being repaired.
I take 10 days and I go all the way to Shenandoah national park, Then I take the auto train home back to Florida, yes I ride a motorcycle.
Auto train? Tell me more!
I am actually booked to take the Amtrak Auto Train the last week in August up and back from Sanford FL. I am only going to ride Shenandoah National park and a Northern Virginia stretch of the blue ridge parkway. The North Carolina stretch of the blue ridge parkway will have to be done on a future trip
Another great video of Tips. Thank you for getting right to the info.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Lockman Plain
I'm planning a trip from Toronto to Myrtle Beach and would love to drive a portion on the blue ridge parkway, any recommendations on where to get on and off?
Super long response, but you asked, so here you go!
This is going to sound complicated but it’s easy. It seems as if there are two major routs out of Toronto onto your main destination. This will work with either Route. In Hagerstown, Maryland pick up Interstate 81 South. Stay on 81S for about two hours until you reach Staunton, Virginia where you’ll pick up Interstate 64E towards Charlottesville, Virginia. Once on I64E, it’s about 22 minutes to the exit that leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The name of the community or town is Afton, Virginia. (After you take the 164E exit in Staunton, enter Blue Ridge Parkway in your phone. Interstate signs leading to the parkway are often missed.)
That location is the official beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway, mile 0. Now, maneuvering back towards Myrtle Beach depends on how much you’re enjoying the parkway, and how much time you have. For a nice day-long Virginia based stretch of the Parkway, you’ll want to exit at Fancy Gap, Virginia. From there, you have several potential routes to Myrtle Beach. From what I can tell, these routes are less than 5 hours. Go to this website www.blueridgeparkway.org/parkway-map/. This website will help a lot. Just remember, your phone won’t work most of the time on the Parkway.
***Here’s a faster route if you don’t mind some backtracking. One the routes out of Toronto takes you through DC to pick up Interstate 95 South. Once on I95S. You could always pickup Interstate 64W in Richmond, Virginia. It takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get from Richmond, Virginia to Afton, Virginia (Blue Ridge Parkway Entrance). Obviously, exiting the Parkway is the same as mentioned above.
While I’ve written a book already, I think it might be helpful to mention Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. Skyline is identical to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but there’s a fee. I think it’s around $30 per vehicle. There are amazing views on Skyline. (Check our Skyline Drive playlist if you don’t know much about it.) Skyline Drive is amazing. Yes, we like the Blue Ridge Parkway more, but we have annual passes to Skyline too. In your case, you could drive all the Skyline in a little less time than some of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It you take the route through DC, you would navigate to Front Royal, Va. It’s as simple as entering Front Royal into your map app just before arriving in D.C., and then Skyline Drive. The Blue Ridge Parkway begins where Skyline ends. If you drive all the Skyline, you end up on the same exit as the Blue Ridge Parkway. But instead of continuing, you would simply jump I64E towards Charlottesville Va. It takes about 6 or 7 hours to get to Myrtle Beach from Charlottesville.
I see where it takes 14 hours to get to Myrtle Beach from Toronto. The best I can tell, any mountain excursion is going to add a lot of hours. At a glance, it will add at least 8 hours; possibly 12, or 14. Do I recommend it? Any of the suggestions I’ve made here are worth your time and effort. I even recommend leaving a day early just to make it happen. It’s an inspiring drive to say the least.
Personally, I’d take Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Ashville, North Carolina. It’s 5 hours from Asheville to Myrtle Beach. That’s a long haul, but worth every second.
Thanks for the question, and let us know what you decided!
Sorry for any typos, I’m typing fast.
Bill
@@BillMarion wow!
This is fantastic! Thank you so much for doing this. I might take your suggestion and leave a day earlier. The skyline drive sounds like a great alternative as well.
Thanks again!
It's too bad anymore than you often can't enjoy the drive or the sights because there are so many people tailgating or driving aggressively because you're trying to observe the speed limit.
You could pull off, observe the view from an overlook and let those people around. You are supposed to observe the road while you are driving. Worse than texting and driving.
I totally get it. I’ve been down a couple times on my Harley and if I ride the speed limit and try enjoying myself I constantly got some impatient ass hole riding up my ass. If you pull over and let them by you just got another one up your ass 30 seconds later. So I just won’t go down there anymore. I dunno why everybody has to make scenic roads into a race track
I'm hoping I can someday finish driving it.
We keep trying to plan a trip where we drive the whole thing and made a video. BUT...life...
Beautiful. As always, thanks for sharing. Take care and God Bless.
Great video Bill and the music is fantastic . Have missed you . Hope you and Caroline are ok .
Thanks for this one brother. I love Boone NC.🤣1018
I will be heading from pigeon Forge so hitting the south part of the Blue Ridge by the smoky Mountain national Park then going to Linville Falls is where the cabinet is that a possible one day trip and be able to see everything too?
It’s possible, but get an early start, and keep an eye on the time while enjoying looking offs.
I'm looking for places to camp in my Van along the way as I travel south on the Parkway. I will be starting at Love Gap which is where I live. Is there an app that can help me find campgrounds or dispersed camping as I travel the length of the BRP? Thanks for your video.
This is the app I recommend
www.blueridgeparkway.org/
Is it perfect? No. I'm sure you already know how difficult it is to maintain a solid signal on the parkway. But the App has helped me on a few occasions. The folks that run the app are volunteers, so they do the best they can. I wish someone would come out with a solid realtime app. Thanks for watching. Our BRPW playlist is pretty informative. Check it ou!
This is the second video I watched about my planned drive over the BRP. Aaaaaaa, not one mention about gas . Dont know what these guys are riding in/on, but Im gonna need gas
You have to exit the BRPW for fuel. blueridgeparkway.org is a handy app for access points along the parkway. Our BRPW playlist is helpful too, but I think the app is what you're looking for to help plan your trip. Thanks for watching!
Love it there. During the fall it is beautiful.
Thank you so much! My favorite place in whole world.
@@davidryan8918 Our favorite place too! Thank you for watching! We have an entire BRPW playlist. Check it out!
I can see the parkway from my house and we use it all the time as a “ shortcut”! We’re very close to Peaks of Otter
We love it! Thanks for watching!
A local once warned me to stay off the Parkway at night - some sketchy characters are there.
I’ve been all over the BRP at night in North Caroline and Virginia. You have to mindful of deer, especially during the rut, and bear. Depending on where you’re at on the parkway, you can drive 50 miles without seeing headlights or even a car parked at a look off. Closer to access points you might see a few cars from the local towns or something. We’ve never had any issues. Don’t get me wrong, it’s kind of scary up there at night. It’s like any mountain road. Lots of weird sounds, strange lights in the distance, but it’s just being in the mountains. Truthfully, we love it up there at night, especially in Virginia. So many deer and bear come out at night. Thanks for watching and thanks for commenting!
Everything is coming to life there, looks good !
well..mostly stock footage used in this lol
@@BillMarion I was hoping it was new, looks nice thugh.
It's snowing in some of those locations this coming weekend if you can believe that!
(Last I heard)
I’m staying in north ga. Where do start the ride to get onto Blue Ridge parkway
The southern most part is near the town of Sylva on Hwy 23 or a little further north, Hendersonville
I LOVE the Blue Ridge!
Looks awesome is there signs for gas stations i wanna do the whole thing on my motorcycles and gonna suck looking for gas with no cell service
There are plenty of exits for gas stations along the Parkway. You can download the app blueridgeparkway.org to help with finding the best exits. Most of the time, it’s pretty easy. Thanks for watching!
Thank you very much!
Thanks for one of the best Informative Video I just have seen 👍
I'm grateful you took some time to watch it, and thanks for leaving a comment!
Im planning a big road trip with my family for late June, im driving from cleveland to covington, GA staying there for a day or 2 and then driving to orlando from there. Leaving orlando we have a long drive back to cleveland, would u recommend driving the parkway if we just planned on driving straight through? I just kinda figured it would be a more scenic route than the regular interstates.
Thanks for watching and commenting! I love questions like this. People use the parkway as a scenic North/South corridor all the time. Whether it's going to work for you plans will depend on how much additional time you have for your return trip. Personally, I think any time spent on the parkway is worth it. Where you access the parkway will matter.
The parkway is 469 miles long, and the speed limit is 45 mph the entire length of the parkway. (Trust me, some people think its slower). I don't know your primary Interstate route from Orlando to Cleveland. I spent most of my life living close to an I 75 exit in three different states. At first, I assumed you'd be taking 1 75. But Google has you leaving Florida on 95N and in South Carolina picking up Interstate 77. If that's the case, then trying to drive the whole parkway (from the entrance point in Cherokee NC) will take you at least a day and a half. (You would also have to count driving to Cherokee, NC from I 77.) But taking I 95 and eventually I 77 leaves a solid option.
You can pick up the Parkway in Virginia just off Interstate 77 near a small town called Fancy Gap (Their are exit signs from I 77). Fancy Gap is right on the Parkway. It's a quick drive from the interstate to the parkway. Once on the parkway, start driving north to the end of the parkway parkway. (And get your camera ready). We've driven the stretch on the Parkway from Fancy Gap, Va to Afton, VA a lot! From the parkway access at Fancy Gap, it takes about 5 hours to get to end of the parkway at Afton, Va. That includes a few restroom stops, and maybe a couple of overlooks. The parkway will end in Afton, Virginia, at Interstate 64. Afton, Virginia is about 7 hours from Cleveland, Ohio. So, this idea adds about 5 hours (give or take) to your total trip. But here are a few things to keep in mind.
Minus traffic and additional stops, it'll take you just over 9 hours to get to Fancy Gap, Va from Orlando, Florida. You'll want to be on the Parkway at Fancy Gap no later than 3:00 PM (2:00 PM if possible) The days are long in June so that works to your advantage. I love driving in the Parkway at night, but the Parkway is full of wildlife. Your departure time from Orlando is crucial in making this window.
Let me know if this helped any, or let me know if you have any additional questions. East of the Mississippi, there's no greater drive!
@@BillMarion wow, thanks for the detailed response. We'll probably follow your suggestion and not drive the whole parkway but definitely want to see at least a portion of it. Really appreciate the reply, thanks!
First