Blue Ridge Parkway Journeys

Every weekend this October, the Blue Ridge Parkway invites the public to join the celebration at Mabry Mill where free special programs will highlight the area.

Fall Gathering Days
Saturdays, October 8, 15, and 22
10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Wood smoke and the smell of apple butter boiling signal fall. Come help with chores associated with the fall season, like making apple butter and making and drying fruits and vegetables. See other chores common to the area in the early 1900s such as wheel-making, chair-making, basket-making, and fiber arts demonstrations.

Mabry Mill Bands
Sundays, October 2-23
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Enjoy traditional string band music of the Carroll/Patrick/Floyd county areas. Bring a lawn chair and your flat footin’ shoes.

October 02 Mac Traynham and the Blue Ridge Thunderbirds
October 09 Mountain Ivy
October 16 South Fork Ramblers
October 23 Mountain Ivy

Author Book Signings
Saturday October 15 & 22 at the Gift Shop

Fall Color Special All October at the Restaurant
Chicken Pot Pie Dinner with spiced apples, fried green tomatoes, coffee or tea – $6.95

Corn Grinding and Mill Talks Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm
September 30 – October 30 and

Building a water-powered mill was Ed Mabry’s dream, and he accomplished it in innovative ways. Learn about this icon of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the role the mill and the Mabrys played in the community. See the grist mill in operation.

Halloween Party at Mabry Mill Restaurant
Ghosts and Goblins are welcome for Halloween haunting and special treats!!

Mabry Mill Restaurant and Gift Shop is open from 8 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week through the end of October.

For more information, contact: Mindy deCesar, (540) 745 9680 or Mabry Mill Restaurant, (276) 952-2947

Additional Resources :: [ Listen Online ]   [ Tree Information ]   [ Fall Color Gallery ]

The first weekend of October is upon us, and the mountain foliage, true to form, is beginning to make the transition to the color that brings so much attention here in the fall.  Typically the Parkway experiences that change in fall color around the middle of October, but many factors contribute to variations in where and when the color will peak.  The Parkway stretches almost 500 miles north to south.  It meanders from the east to west facing slopes.  Most importantly, it varies in elevation from just under 650 ft at James River in Virginia to over 6,000 ft south of Mt. Pisgah in North Carolina.

Many visitors have been frustrated trying to go to one spot on one day in October, hoping to find the leaves in full color.  A far better plan is to drive some distance on the Parkway, changing elevations and north/south orientation.  Anyone who does this around mid to late October will catch at least some of the peak color that we’re famous for.

In the northern most districts in Virginia, colors are definitely under way, although probably less than 20% showing right now.  Mainly showing are Dogwoods, Tulip Poplar, Virginia Creeper, Sourwood, Black Gum, and a few other species.  Mostly red and yellow colors are showing right now.  Try the section around Clark’s Gap at milepost 40 which is showing nicely along the road edge with color frosting to a rich green backdrop.  At the Peaks of Otter at milepost 80-90, visitors will find Dogwood, Sourwood, Sumac, Sassafras, Sour Gum, and as always Virginia Creeper and even some Poison Ivy which is nice and red.

Around the Blue Ridge Music Center near the North Carolina / Virginia state line, there is a touch of yellow coming from the Birch and Tulip Frasier, Magnolia, and some red splotches showing on Maples as well.  In the North Carolina district around Grandfather Mountain to Linville falls, the color is beginning to show on the mountainside, with elevation as always playing a big role.

Fall wildflowers are Sunflowers, Jewel Weed, Goldenrod, and purple and white Asters around the Julian Price Loop.  In the high elevations north of Asheville around Craggy Gardens and Mt. Mitchell, the color should be delightful this next week, perhaps even close to peak color.  The drive through the Asheville area will still be showing red Sourwood, Dogwood, maybe some early Maples, and even Virginia Creeper.

So enjoy October in the mountains, enjoy the harvest time activities in our neighboring towns, and as we always tell visitors, enjoy the view, but watch the road.

Regular updates for color reports will be posted to our web site home page. You can also use the National Park Service information line at 828-298-0398 to keep informed of what’s being reported on the Parkway.

For more nature and science information, visit our virtual resource center, http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway/general/nature.asp, which will provide you with much more information.

Click here for a list of Blue Ridge Parkway tree species and their colors.

Have a safe Parkway visit! Enjoy the view, but watch the road.

Additional Resources :: [ Listen Online ] [ Bloom Schedule ] [ Wildflower Gallery ]

Here in late September, the fields of the Parkway are full of Black-eyed Susan, Joe-Pye Weed, Queen Anne’s Lace, Ironweed, Goldenrod, and some Butterfly Weed.  There are great displays of Cardinal Flower in a few wet areas.  The staff at the Peaks of Otter is reporting Ironweed and Jewel Weed, Woodland Sunflower, and Pink Turtlehead in addition to all the above species.

Some fall color is showing around milepost 80-90 with Dogwood, Sourwood, and Tulip Tree, along with Virginia Creeper and Sassafras.  A few striped Maple and Sweet Birch are also beginning to show some color.  The meadows and agricultural lands in the Rocky Knob/Mabry Mill area are showing nice displays of Joe-Pye Weed, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrod, and even a few early signs as well of fall color here and there.

Touch-Me-Nots, Jewel Weed, Spotted Knapweed, Coreopsis, and Goldenrod are all common throughout the North Carolina section, especially around Price Lake.  From Linville Falls through Gillespie Gap around the Minerals Museum, look for Ox-eye Daisy, Phlox, Angelica, Jewel Weed, Yarrow, Ironweed, Coreopsis, and Black-eyed Susan, all common in this area.

Mountain Ash is coming in along around the Craggy Gardens area.  Things seem to be gearing up for a splendid fall showing.  Tall Coneflower, Fleabane, Ox-eye Daisy, and Goldenrod can be found on the Craggy Garden trails as well.  Blueberry bushes on the Pinnacle and Mountain Ash seem to attract visitor’s attention right now.  The beginning of fall color is also beginning to show around milepost 400 with Sourwoods and Dogwoods turning red as well.

As always, we remind you to drive carefully along the Parkway. Keep your eyes on the road as you enjoy the view. In a few weeks, more indications of fall color will be showing up with peaks commonly coming in early to mid-October.

Regular updates for color reports will be posted to our web site home page. You can also use the National Park Service information line at 828-298-0398 to keep informed of what’s being reported on the Parkway.

For more nature and science information, visit our virtual resource center, http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway/general/nature.asp, which will provide you with much more information.

Have a safe Parkway visit! Enjoy the view, but watch the road.

The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT) and the Blue Ridge Parkway are pleased to announce the certification of a new segment of the OVNHT and to invite the public to join in a ceremony officially recognizing the designation on Thursday, September 29, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. at the Hefner Gap Overlook, Parkway milepost 326.

The OVNHT preserves and commemorates the route used by patriot militia in their 1780 campaign that led to victory over loyalist forces led by Major Patrick Ferguson at the key battle of Kings Mountain.  Working with a variety of partners, the National Park Service (NPS), as administrating agency for the trail, continues to identify trail segments and open them up for public use.  The newly opened 1.3-mile section of pathway is actually an original part of the route and is a roadbed that is centuries old.

On September 29, 1780, this section of historic roadway saw the passage of hundreds of patriot militia on horseback heading east through Hefner Gap and towards North Cove.  Led by Colonels John Sevier and Issac Shelby, these Overmountain men had come from frontier settlements in present day east Tennessee some days previously.  They would play a key role in the victory at Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780.

In 2008, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina was able to purchase the 534 acre Rose Creek tract, preserving land which borders the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as containing the newly certified OVNHT segment.  In April of this year, the land was conveyed to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, which has worked with NPS officials to have the trail section certified.

The event is free and open to the public.  Members of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association in period colonial dress will participate.

In the event of inclement weather, the program will be held at the nearby covered pavilion at the Historic Orchard at Altapass, located at Parkway milepost 328.3.

For further information, please contact OVNHT Superintendent, Paul Carson, at (864) 936-3477, or Blue Ridge Parkway Ranger, Jonathan Bennett, at (828) 765-1228.

Additional Resources :: [ Listen Online ] [ Bloom Schedule ] [ Wildflower Gallery ]

It is mid-September and depending on your location you may find a few signs of fall color on some trees along the Parkway. This is just a reminder to the display that always arrives here in the mountains around the middle of October.  Generally the fields full with this time of year with Black-eyed Susan, Joe-Pye weed, Queen Anne’s Lace, Ironweed, Goldenrod and in some places great displays of Cardinal Flower in wet areas.

The staff at the Peaks of Otter in Virginia is spotting Ironweed, Jewel Weed, Woodland Sunflower, and Pink Turtlehead in addition to the above species.  The meadows and agricultural lands in the Rocky Knob/Mabry Mill area are showing nice displays of Joe-Pye Weed, Black-eyed Susan, Goldenrod, and even a few early signs of fall color here and there.

In North Carolina, around the Julian Price Lake loop trail, Touch-Me-Nots, Jewel Weed, Spotted Knapweed, Coreopsis, and Goldenrod are common.  Purple and white Asters are particularly nice on the trail around the lake.  From Linville Falls through Gillespie Gap at the Mineral Museum, look for Ox-eye Daisy, Phlox, Angelica, Jewel Weed, Yarrow, Ironweed, Coreopsis, and Black-eyed Susan.

Mountain Ash is coming on around the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center.  Things are gearing up for a splendid fall showing.  Tall Coneflower, Fleabane, and Ox-eye Daisy, Goldenrod, and White Snakeroot can be found on the Craggy trails as well.

As always, we remind you to drive carefully along the Parkway.  Keep your eyes on the road as you enjoy the view.  In a few weeks, more indications of fall color will be showing up with peaks commonly coming in early to mid-October.

Regular updates for color reports will be posted to our web site home page. You can also use the National Park Service information line at 828-298-0398 to keep informed of what’s being reported on the Parkway.

For more nature and science information, visit our virtual resource center, http://www.virtualblueridge.com/parkway/general/nature.asp, which will provide you with much more information.

Have a safe Parkway visit! Enjoy the view, but watch the road.