Blue Ridge Parkway photos

The idea behind the Blue Ridge Parkway, authorized in 1936, was to sculpt an epic country road that would unfurl amid the knobs, hollows, notches and gaps of Virginia and North Carolina.
This view looks toward Linville Gorge near Marion, N.C.

Linville Falls can be found on a short detour off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Linville, N.C.

From left, Lisa Tami, Linda Widmer, David Widmer and Patrick Tami take in the view of Linville Falls in North Carolina.

Deer roam along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville, N.C.

Taylor Medlin of Raleigh, N.C., visits the Orchard at Altapass in Spruce Pine, N.C., to pick apples.

Visitors walk along a path at the Orchard at Altapass in Spruce Pine, N.C.

Hikers hit a trail at Crabtree Falls near Marion, N.C.

Laura Connor, center right, takes in the view of the Haw Creek Valley with her family along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, N.C.   (Mike Belleme / For The Times )

Fall colors paint the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Abbott Lake, near Peaks of Otter Lodge, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Bedford, Va.   (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times )

Abbott Lake, near Peaks of Otter Lodge, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Bedford, Va.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Linn Cove Viaduct, Grandfather Mountain, along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.   (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times )

A shot of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Alligator Back, Cranberry, N.C.   (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times )

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., is a popular stop near the Blue Ridge Parkway.   (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times )

Mabry Mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Meadows of Dan, Va.   (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times )

Inside Mabry Mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway at Meadows of Dan, Va.   (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times )

A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.