Drive 150 Miles of the Parkway in 9 Holes
The Nine Holes
One Putt at a Time.
Every hole is a hand-built tribute to an iconic stop along the Blue Ridge Parkway — glowing under blacklight, from misty falls to a working waterwheel. Here’s the full journey.
1
Hole 1
Roaring Fork Falls
Follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to mile marker 344, the intersection of NC 80. Drive 2.2 miles north on NC 80 and turn left onto South Toe River Road. Cross the bridge and turn left toward Busick Work Center. Park on the left at the gated entrance to the center. You will see the sign on the right for the half-mile gravel trail to the falls. After passing some old concrete bunkers, formerly used to store explosives, you will come to a fork in the road. Stay to the right and cross a small foot bridge and follow the trail along a stream. After a short walk, you will arrive at the base of the waterfall.
- Milepost 344 · Near Burnsville, inside the Pisgah National Forest at the base of Mt. Mitchell
2
Hole 2
Linn Cove Viaduct
Linn Cove Viaduct from the Blue Ridge Parkway, drive directly to Milepost 304.4 in Linville, NC and park at the visitor center lot. You can drive right across the bridge or park to view it on foot.
Walking to Viewpoints
- Underneath view: Walk from the parking lot onto the short, paved 0.3-mile round-trip path that leads under the bridge.
- Classic postcard view: Take the dirt Tanawha Trail past the boulders for about 0.5 miles to reach the iconic rocky photo spot above the curve.
- Milepost 304.4 · Near Linville & Newland
3
Hole 3
Mount Mitchell
Mt. Mitchell with an elevation is 6,684 feet (highest point east of the Mississippi River) is located in Yancey County, roughly 35 miles northeast of Asheville. Mount Mitchell State Park is located off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 355.3 to 355.4. Turn onto North Carolina Highway 128 from this junction to reach the summit access area.
- Milepost 355 · Highest peak east of the Mississippi
4
Hole 4
Craggy Tunnel
The Craggy Pinnacle Tunnel is a 245-foot-long stone motor vehicle tunnel located at Milepost 364.1 (near Milepost 364.4) on the Blue Ridge Parkway about 18 miles north of Asheville, North Carolina. Sitting right next to the popular Craggy Gardens area and the trailhead for the Craggy Pinnacle hike.
- Milepost 364.4 · Craggy Gardens area
5
Hole 5
Into the Woods
This short mile-high hike offers huge rewards. It’s only a 1.4-mile round-trip hike to the top of the 5,892-ft. summit, Craggy Pinnacle at Craggy Gardens. The exceptional panoramic 360-degree views are hard to beat in Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The hiking trail goes through tunnels of rhododendron, gnarled sweet birch trees and wildflowers. Near the top, there are side trails to explore.
The elevation at the parking lot is 5,640 ft., so you only climb 252 ft. in elevation on the trail. It’s not difficult. Located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 364.1, it’s free to visit. Plus, it’s a great spot to watch the sunrise or sunset.
- The Craggy Pinnacle Hike · near Craggy Gardens
6
Hole 6
Hellbender Trail
The Hellbender Trail is a concept developed from existing plans in Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Madison, and Transylvania counties to document a vision for region connected by trails for people to bike and walk. Currently the region has about 18 miles of disconnected multi-use paths spread out over Asheville, Black Mountain, Brevard, Canton, Fletcher, Hendersonville, Mars Hill, and Waynesville.
- Pisgah Streams · Home of the Eastern Hellbender
7
Hole 7
Looking Glass Falls
Sitting about 9.4 miles south from the junction of the parkway and U.S. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest. It is located about 6 miles north of Brevard on US-276. It is a roadside waterfall with parking areas alongside the highway and a short staircase leading down to the base.
- Near Milepost 417 · Pisgah National Forest
8
Hole 8
The Waterwheel
The only water wheel directly on the Blue Ridge Parkway is Mabry Mill, located at Milepost 176.2 in Floyd County, Virginia. It features a historic wooden water wheel, a gristmill, a sawmill, and a blacksmith shop. The picturesque mill, with its slowly turning water wheel is one of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s most iconic scenes.
If you don’t want to make the drive to Virginia, a nearby alternative site is Mingus Mill near Cherokee, North Carolina. Located inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this historic mill is a well-preserved and interesting site, featuring a water-powered turbine, not a big wheel. Easy walking paths with beautiful surroundings, free admission and convenient parking, make this a great quick stop during your WNC adventures.
- Milepost 176 · Mabry Mill · Appalachian heritage — waterpower & craft
9
Hole 9
Grandfather "Clock" Mountain
While not actually a clock in real life, Grandfather Mountain tells the tale of time as it was formed about 300 million years ago. The entrance to Grandfather Mountain is located on U.S. 221, one mile south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 305. The Grandfather Mountain View overlook (Milepost 306) offers a spectacular view of the southern end of iconic Grandfather Mountain as it soars to an elevation of 5,939 ft. The Blue Ridge Parkway traverses Grandfather Mountain at a lower elevation. This section of the parkway includes the Linn Cove Viaduct and the 13.5 mile Tanawha Trail. Visitors can also experience the Mile High Swinging Bridge which spans 80 foot chasm at one mile in elevation.
- Milepost 305 · Inspired by Grandfather Mountain
- 4 Bottom tunnel
- 3 Large opening
- 2 Hit the pendulum
- 1 Hit the button, hole-in-one!