Upcoming Events
May 19th
Grand opening of 11 new TRACK trails - see the KIP article for details May 21-23rd
Portraits on the Parkway May 26th Grand opening of the Mount Jefferson State Natural Area TRACK Trail June 2nd Grand Openings of the Peaks of Otter and Blue Ridge Music Center TRACK Trails For Ranger-led events and more, visit our website. |
Did you know?
 The estimated cost to build the Parkway in 1933 was $16.6 million. |
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Save the Journey®
Donate today
and your tax deductible contribution will help preserve this magnificent National Park area for future generations.
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"April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks Go"
- Christopher Morley
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Calling all photographers! We are always looking for beautiful photos of the Blue Ridge Parkway to use in our e-news and other publications. If you have photos that you would be willing to let us use, please get in touch with our communications staff at
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Did you know?
The Parkway varies in elevation from about 649 feet at Virginia's James River to 6,053 feet at Richland Balsam, south of Asheville.
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Protect the Parkway
For each new or renewed specialty plate, $20 is given to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
The entire specialty plate fee of $30 is tax deductible.
If you are a North Carolina resident,
Click Here to
find out how you can help protect the Blue Ridge Parkway's historic, cultural and scenic resources today and into the future.
Already own a
NC Blue Ridge Parkway Specialty Plate?
Enter to Win a 2 Night Stay at Mast Farm Inn, a Porsche rental, and a $100 gift certificate to Mast General Store!
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photo by Vicki Dameron
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"The air is like a butterfly
With frail blue wings.
The happy earth looks at the sky
And sings." - Joyce Kilmer, Spring |
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photo by Norris Barnes
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"Meadowlarks
give lusty cheers
when spring appears
when spring appears.
Buds and seeds
prick up their ears
and blades of grass
show eager spears.
And only icicles
weep tears
when spring appears
when spring appears."
- Aileen Fisher
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Make a Legacy Gift 
Consider joining the
Andre Michaux Society
and protecting the Parkway for perpetuity by including the Foundation in your estate plans. |
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Become a
Parkway Protector
With a commitment of just $10 a month, you can become a Parkway Protector and join a special group of our most dedicated monthly supporters - caring people just like you who love the Parkway.
It's easy - simply setup a monthly donation using this link.
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Enjoy some photos of beautiful Spring flowers by Vicki Dameron
and some by our staff
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Your Stewardship in Action |
Protect the North Carolina
Blue Ridge Parkway Specialty Plate
If you live in North Carolina, we need your help to contact members of the NC General Assembly to protect the full-color license plate.
 Since 2004, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Specialty License Plate has generated $3.5 million for the Foundation and the Parkway and $1.7 million for the State of North Carolina. Our full-color plate is in jeopardy, and we need your help in preserving this essential revenue which allows us to provide funding for those critical projects and programs for the Parkway.
This May, the NC General Assembly may take up this issue in their short session and YOUR support can make a difference. Please call, email or write your legislators before the session starts on May 16th. You can download a fact sheet about the issue here.
Please visit ProtectThePlate.org to find more information about the issue and how to contact your legislators.
And as always, you can stay updated on this issue between newsletters through Facebook and Twitter.
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National Park Week Becomes
"Parkway Appreciation Days"
 National Park Week is a chance to hike, learn, share, and give back in the nation's 397 national parks. Each year, the Park Service takes this time to celebrate what we all have inherited as Americans - 84 million acres of the world's most spectacular scenery, historic landmarks and cultural treasures.
In celebration, admission is free to all national parks this week. But did you know that admission to the Parkway is free EVERY day? Many of our National Parks receive extra income from admission fees, but the Parkway relies solely on its shrinking Federal budget and donations from supporters like YOU.
Let's turn National Park Week into Parkway Appreciation Days. Show how much the Parkway means to you with a donation to help preserve and protect this living museum of nature, culture and history.
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Claim YOUR Favorite spot on the Parkway!
Most of us have a favorite spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway - an overlook, a trail, a picnic area - that holds special memories for us. Now you can "own" your favorite spot through "My Inch Of The Earth", and support the Parkway at the same time.
Through MyInchOfTheEarth.com, you can claim your very own virtual inch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, plus share pictures and stories describing why this place is important to you. You can share your story and special place with friends through Facebook, Twitter, email and more and invite others to claim their own virtual inch. Each virtual inch you choose in the Blue Ridge Parkway is exclusive just to you.
Most importantly, each virtual inch you claim in the Blue Ridge Parkway helps to support the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation in our work to help protect and preserve this very special place. Each inch selected costs $1 a month ($12 annually) and 75% automatically helps to support the National Park Foundation, the national charitable partner of the National Park Service, and the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. (Although you won't see the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation listed, be assured that the National Park Foundation is passing on a percentage of the donation to us for all of the inches on the Parkway!)
To claim your favorite spot, sign-up at www.MyInchOfTheEarth.com and follow the directions.
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The Parkway - End-to-End!
For the first time in many years, the Parkway will be truly open end-to-end. On May16th, when the stone wall construction near Air Bellows Gap between MP 217-237 is completed, the Parkway will have NO detours with only one lane closures impacting traffic through the summer season. A full list of the planned summer construction can be found here.
So, this is the year to plan that End-to-Ender journey if you haven't already!
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Tunnel Construction South of Asheville is complete!
The tunnel construction at MP 401 and 416 has been completed and the road is now open to two-lane traffic. As you head south, be sure to stop at Graveyard Fields and look at our new donor board describing the future enhancements to the area.
While you're there, pick up a donation envelope and help us reach our goal of over $65,000 in matching funds or donate here today!
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New Blue Ridge Parkway Travel App
The Blue Ridge Parkway Association will shortly be introducing a new smartphone app to help you enjoy your trip along the Parkway. You can sign up to find out when the app has been release here.
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First True End-to-Ender
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Several friends and I rode the Parkway from end to end in July 1987, but the section around Grandfather Mountain was unfinished and we had to use the 221 detour. The section was to open after the Dedication ceremonies on Sept.11, 1987. I rode my Triumph Bonneville to work at Steelcase the day before the opening, and after work I rode to Grandfather Mtn. It began to rain when I got there and began to get dark. I was afraid my Triumph wouldn't start in the morning if it got rained on all night, so I found a gravel road behind the overlook at Grandfather Mountain overlook, and spread my tarp, rolled my bike onto one edge and wrapped the tarp over it, and crawled in under the tarp beside my bike. I spent the night in the most terrible thunderstorm I have ever camped in. It was pretty the next morning when I awoke, so I hurried to the overlook to become the first one in line to cross the Linn Cove Viaduct... Read the rest of Raymond's Story One of the special attributes of the Parkway is that everyone has their own special connection and personal memories. If you have a special memory you would like to share or would like to read other Parkway stories, please visit our website.
If you've traveled the Parkway from one end to the other, submit your story and request your rewards package at EndtoEnder.org
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Kids in Parks Growing by Leaps and Bounds!
This is such exciting news that we decide to include this article again this month so you can mark your calendars!
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's Kids in Parks program will be opening new TRACK trails across the country this spring. Here is a list of the currently scheduled openings:
Please join us at one or more of these openings if you can!
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Don't Miss Portraits on the Parkway
Jonathan Burton Photography is announcing its 7th Annual Portraits on the Parkway event. It is for children ages 5-18. A portion of all of the proceeds will go to help the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
It will be held this year from May 21-23 at the Moses Cone Estate from 4:40pm until 8pm. For a session fee of $75 you will receive (1) 8x10, (2) 5x7's, and (8) Wallets of your favorite pose. You can learn more or sign up at www.settopop.com by clicking on "Events" and selecting Portraits on the Parkway or by calling the studio at (828)266-9889.
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"Grandfather's View of the Milky Way" by Dale Forrest
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The winners of the ninth annual Appalachian Mountain Photo Competition have been announced! Best in Show honors went to "Grandfather's View of the Milky Way" by Dale Forrest. The winner of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation's category "The Ribbon of Road" went to "Tunnel Effects" by Adam Wolfe. Congratulations to all the winners who are listed
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"Tunnel Effects" by Adam Wolfe
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here.
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 W. Ambrose Mills, III, new to our Council of Advisors in 2011, is a native of Polk County, NC. As a youth he camped and hiked trails near the Parkway, and later enjoyed frequent motor trips on it. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, was commissioned an Infantry officer, and retired from the Army as Lieutenant Colonel after 27 years of service. He was International Sales Manager for a subsidiary of Martin Marietta, leaving to found Intertech,an international trading company. This took him to many countries, with a concentration on Asia, especially China. Now living in his hometown of Tryon, he is chair of the Polk County Economic and Tourism Development Commission, and has served on the board of the Polk County Community Foundation. He is Project Manager for developing the Bradley Nature Preserve at Alexander's Ford, a 160 acre preserve that includes a segment of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.
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Parkway Place Challenge
Okay - the historical photo was too tough! So we're moving back to the present. Do you know the location of this photo? Submit your answer on our website by midnight, May 28th. Five winners will be drawn at random from those who submit the correct answer, and each winner will receive their choice of an array of prizes.
 Last month's correct answer was the Alligator Back overlook at Milepost 242. If you submitted a correct answer, the 5 random winners will be drawn this week, and you will be notified if you are one of the winners.
Do you have a photo that you think would be a great puzzler? Submit it here!
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