Blue Ridge Parkway · Pisgah National Forest
Parkway & trails: check first.
Hurricane Helene closed roads and trails all around Asheville in September 2024, and some are still closed. This page links you to the official status pages and keeps dated notes of what they said when we last checked. It never tells you a road or trail is open right now.
Photo: Road leading to Craggy Gardens. Will Thomas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · credits
Official status pages
Check these the morning you go
These are the agencies' own pages. They change often, sometimes daily.
Parkway road statusNational Park Service. Open, closed and ungated sections by milepost. Page said "Road status as of 7:14 A.M., Tuesday, November 10, 2026" when we read it.nps.gov ↗
Parkway trails in North CarolinaNPS trail list, last updated Feb 19, 2026. Check road status and alerts too.nps.gov ↗
Craggy Gardens trail & facility statusNPS "2026 Craggy Gardens Trail and Facility Status" map, on a page last updated Apr 17, 2026.nps.gov ↗
Parkway Helene recoveryWhat the Park Service is repairing and when it expects to finish.nps.gov ↗
National forest alertsForest Service alerts, trailhead by trailhead, for Pisgah and the other national forests in NC. Each alert carries its own date.fs.usda.gov ↗
National forest closure ordersForest Service index of current closure orders. Page dated Aug 12, 2026 when we read it.fs.usda.gov ↗
National forest Helene pageForest Service recovery updates and closure orders.fs.usda.gov ↗
Mount Mitchell State ParkNC State Parks alerts, including how to reach the park. The page shows no date.ncparks.gov ↗
DuPont State Recreational Forest closuresNC Forest Service list of closed trails and areas. Page last modified 06/26/2026.ncagr.gov ↗
DriveNC: surrounding highways, not the ParkwayNCDOT's live map of state highway incidents and closures, such as I-26 and I-40. It does not cover the Parkway. Checked Sept 28, 2026.drivenc.gov ↗
WLOS news on the ParkwayLocal TV news for context, not official status. Each story carries its own date.wlos.com ↗
Weather forecastNational Weather Service. Check the elevation you're heading to, not just town.weather.gov ↗
Dated note · not live status
The Parkway near Asheville, as NPS listed it
From the NPS road status page, which said "Road status as of 7:14 A.M., Tuesday, November 10, 2026" at the top when we read it on Nov 10, 2026. Mileposts run north to south; Asheville is around milepost 382 to 393.
This is a snapshot, not today's status. Check the NPS road status page before you drive.
| Milepost | Section | NPS status, Nov 10 | NPS note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 316.5 | Linville Falls Spur Road | Open | Linville Falls Campground and Picnic Area are closed due to Helene damage. |
| 317.5 – 333.9 | US 221 (Linville Falls) to Little Switzerland, well north of Asheville | Open | Listed by NPS in three shorter sections, all open. |
| 333.9 – 342.1 | Little Switzerland to Victor Crossing | Open | Crabtree Falls Campground is closed; the picnic area is open. The Crabtree Falls Trail is open with some walking bridge closures. |
| 342.1 – 344.2 | Victor Crossing to NC Highway 80 | Ungated | NPS's term for this section. |
| 344.2 – 355.3 | NC Highway 80 to Mount Mitchell State Park | Closed | Helene-related closure. NPS: all recreation is prohibited. |
| 355.3 – 364.5 | NC 128 (Mount Mitchell State Park) to south of Craggy Gardens Tunnel, including Craggy Gardens Visitor Center | Open | |
| 364.5 – 367.6 | South of Craggy Gardens Tunnel to north of Craggy Gardens Picnic Area | Open | |
| 367.6 | USFS Road 63 (Stoney Fork Access Rd) | Closed | Until further notice (Forest Service gate). |
| 367.6 – 381.9 | North of Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to the Folk Art Center | Open | |
| 381.9 – 382.8 | Folk Art Center to US 70 (Tunnel Road) | Ungated | NPS's term for this section. |
| 382.8 – 384.1 | US 70 to Park Headquarters and Visitor Center | Open | |
| 384.1 – 384.7 | Visitor Center to US 74 (I-40 Exit 53A) | Ungated | NPS's term for this section. |
| 384.7 – 388.8 | US 74 to US 25 (Hendersonville Road) | Open | |
| 388.8 – 393.6 | US 25 to NC 191 (Brevard Road) | Open | Short, daytime single-lane traffic control for the duration of a contractor project. |
| 393.6 – 405.5 | NC 191 to the NC 151 access road, past Stoney Bald | Open | Listed by NPS in several shorter sections, all open. |
| 405.5 – 411.9 | Elk Pasture Gap to Pisgah Store (Pisgah Campground and Inn) to US 276 | Closed | NPS lists both sections as closed for road maintenance. |
| 411.9 – 443.0 | US 276 to Balsam Gap (US 23/74), past Graveyard Fields and Black Balsam | Open | Listed by NPS in several shorter sections, all open. |
| 443.0 – 469.1 | Balsam Gap to US 441 at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, past Waterrock Knob | Open | Listed by NPS in two sections, both open. For US 441 itself, NPS points to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. |
NPS closes high sections of the Parkway in winter for ice and snow, so the list changes quickly once the cold arrives.
NPS Helene recovery page · updated Sept 15, 2026
What the Park Service says about repairs
NPS says the worst Helene damage is between milepost 317 and 355, and that all road-related recovery projects are "estimated for completion by the end of 2026." It also lists 400+ miles of the Parkway restored for public use and 140 miles of trails reopened. Read the NPS page ↗
Leaf season · dated notes
Fall color: it starts up high and works down.
The leaves turn first on the highest peaks and last in the valleys, so peak color moves down the mountains over several weeks. The city and the Biltmore Estate are usually among the last places to turn. These are the pages that track it week by week.
Weekly fall color reportExplore Asheville, the county's tourism office, posts a report each week by elevation and by Parkway milepost: what's past peak, what's turning, and what's still green.exploreasheville.com ↗
Biltmore fall color reportBiltmore's own report on the estate's gardens and grounds.biltmore.com ↗
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Fill up in townNC State Parks: there are no gas stations between Asheville and Mount Mitchell State Park, and the park can be reached only from the Asheville side of the Parkway.
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Shorter days, seasonal stopsNPS says most visitor contact stations on the Parkway are seasonal, typically open May through October. The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at milepost 384 stays open year-round. Visitor centers ↓
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Dress for the top, not the townThe high overlooks are often much colder and windier than downtown. Check the forecast for the elevation you're driving to. Safety ↓
Read Nov 10, 2026 from Explore Asheville, Biltmore, NC State Parks and the National Park Service.
Dated note · Feb 19, 2026
Parkway trails near Asheville
The NPS North Carolina trails page was last updated February 19, 2026 when we read it. It marked these trails near Asheville "OPEN*", and the asterisk means: because of Helene damage, use caution, as unseen hazards may be present and conditions can change with the weather.
That NPS page is months old, and it also shows a temporary Mountains-to-Sea Trail closure near the I-26 bridge in Asheville whose expected end date has passed. Some trailheads also sit on road sections that closed later. Check the NPS trails page and road status together before you go.
NPS's Craggy Gardens Visitor Center listing (read Sept 28, 2026) said the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area and sections of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail from the Craggy Trail Shelter to the Snowball Mountain Trail remained closed. The NPS road status list of Nov 10, 2026 does not list the picnic area as closed; NPS says it opens seasonally. Devil's Courthouse and Waterrock Knob are not itemized on the current NPS road status list: call NPS at 828-348-3400 before you go.
| Milepost | Trail | NPS difficulty | NPS, Feb 19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 361.2 | Glassmine Falls (view of falls) | Moderate | OPEN* |
| 364.2 | Craggy Pinnacle Trail | Moderate | OPEN* |
| 364.6 | Craggy Gardens Trail | Moderate | OPEN* |
| 374.4 | Rattlesnake Lodge Trail | Moderate | OPEN* |
| 384.0 | Mountains-to-Sea Trail segment at the NPS Asheville Visitor Center | Easy/Moderate | OPEN* |
| 393.7 – 405.5 | Shut-In Trail / Mountains-to-Sea Trail segments | Moderate to Strenuous | OPEN* |
| 407.6 | Mt. Pisgah Trail (summit view) | Moderate/Strenuous | OPEN* |
| 407.6 | Buck Springs Trail | Easy/Moderate | OPEN* |
| 408.5 | Frying Pan Mountain Trail | Moderate/Strenuous | OPEN* |
| 418.8 | Graveyard Fields Loop Trail | Moderate | OPEN* |
| 419.4 | John Rock Trail | Easy | OPEN* |
| 422.4 | Devil's Courthouse Trail | Moderate/Strenuous | OPEN* |
| 431.0 | Richland Balsam Trail | Moderate | OPEN* |
| 433.8 | Roy Taylor Overlook Trail (paved) | Easy | OPEN* |
| 451.2 | Waterrock Knob Trail | Moderate/Strenuous | OPEN* |
Pisgah National Forest · dated notes
What the Forest Service lists
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Bradley Creek Trail (TR351) and part of Yellow Gap Road (FS Road 1206)Alert dated Sept 14, 2026: temporarily closed to all traffic, including hikers, bicyclists and equestrians, near milepost 6.7 from Highway 276, while crews repair landslide damage.
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Helene damage in the national forestsThe Forest Service says the storm damaged about 850 miles of trails and 885 miles of roads in the national forests in North Carolina, and asks visitors to use extra caution and know the current closure orders.
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Ranger districts near AshevillePisgah Ranger District 828-866-3437 (Forest Service district office page) · Appalachian Ranger District 828-689-9694 (Forest Service Helene page).
From the National Forests in North Carolina alerts and Helene page (updated Sept 14, 2026), read Sept 28, 2026.
Parkway visitor centers near Asheville
Talk to a ranger
Hours as the National Park Service's visitor center listings gave them when we read them (Sept 28, 2026).
Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center · MP 384
- 195 Hemphill Knob Rd, Asheville
- 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM daily; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day
- Maps, rangers, exhibits and a short hiking loop
Folk Art Center · MP 382
- On the Parkway just north of US 70 in east Asheville
- NPS lists 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
- Run by the Southern Highland Craft Guild
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center · MP 364
- 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM; 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Nov 1 to 16
- Closed for the season from Nov 17, 2026 to Apr 14, 2027 (NPS)
- NPS says the picnic area opens seasonally; its Nov 10 road list does not show it closed
Safety
Up high, plan for colder and closed.
Obey closure gates and signs: NPS says recreation or access of any kind is prohibited in some closed sections. NC State Parks says Mount Mitchell State Park can be reached only from the Asheville side of the Parkway, and there are no gas stations between Asheville and the park.
Numbers to save
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Emergency: 911Asheville Police say: if you have an emergency, call 9-1-1.
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Missing person or overdue hiker on the ParkwayNPS: 828-298-2491
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Blue Ridge Parkway informationNPS: 828-348-3400