Blue Ridge Parkway Reopen Repaired Miles of Road Just in Time for Peak Fall Color

Drivers planning a fall trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway have more miles open to them now. The National Park Service says 458 of the road’s 469 miles are accessible.

In an October 5 announcement, NPS said visitors can now drive without a break from James River at milepost 63.7 in Virginia to Little Switzerland near milepost 344 in North Carolina.

Back in 2024, Hurricane Helene forced the entire 469-mile Parkway to close. The storm brought as much as 30 inches of rain to some areas, knocked down thousands of trees and caused dozens of landslides.

The new openings also come during one of the busiest times of year on the Parkway. According to NPS, most trees change color during October, although there is no single peak date for the entire route.

Two more Helene-damaged sections are open

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One of the new openings is just south of Linville Falls, between mileposts 317.5 and 324.7.

Another section reopened between Little Switzerland at milepost 333.9 and North Carolina Highway 80 at milepost 340.2. Both were part of the ongoing Hurricane Helene repairs. NPS says 60 slide repairs were needed after the storm. Forty-eight are now finished, with crews working on the final 12.

Other changes affect fall travelers, too. The Deep Gap Bridge at milepost 276.4 is open again after scheduled maintenance, and loops B and D at Julian Price Campground have reopened after being closed because of Helene.

NPS says arborists and volunteers helped restore access to the campground. Reservations are available through October 30.

Hurricane Helene caused damage all along the Parkway

The storm hit the Parkway with heavy rain, strong winds and widespread tree damage. NPS counted 58 catastrophic landslides after Helene, along with damage to roads, trails, culverts, overlooks and buildings.

During the first year of cleanup, NPS says crews removed 350,000 cubic feet of storm debris from an 11-mile section near Asheville, while volunteers contributed more than 22,600 hours to the recovery.

Over 400 miles of the Parkway had reopened by fall 2025. Crews also reopened about 140 miles of trails during that first year.

In Roanoke, Virginia, mileposts 115 through 121 reopened after a multiyear repaving and rehabilitation project. NPS also finished a major road reconstruction project between mileposts 229.6 and 305.1 in September. Both projects were funded through the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund.

There are still 11 miles left to repair

The final Helene road repairs are between mileposts 344 and 355 in North Carolina. NPS expects that stretch to reopen by the end of 2026.

Fall color will keep changing while that work continues. The Parkway stretches nearly 470 miles and changes more than 5,000 feet in elevation, so not all leaves turn at once.

NPS says scattered color can begin at higher elevations in late September. Most trees change during October, starting on the highest peaks and moving down the mountainsides as the month goes on. NPS recommends checking current road conditions before a trip.