Blue Ridge Park way - Massanutten Resort
Blue Ridge Park way - Massanutten Resort
Blue Ridge Park way - Massanutten Resort
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82<br />
Points to Ponder<br />
THINGS TO DO<br />
Today’s visitors to the <strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Ridge</strong> <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong> can enjoy the<br />
scenery in <strong>way</strong>s that early designers of the road could not<br />
imagine. From overnight backpacking along the Appalachian<br />
Trail in Virginia to short stops at overlooks, the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong><br />
accommodates more visitors than any other unit of America’s<br />
National <strong>Park</strong> System. Crowds and congestion, however, are<br />
rare except during October weekends.<br />
Rocky Top Village Inn - 89 units, outdoor heated pool, microwaves,<br />
refrigerators, free continental breakfast & free high speed<br />
wireless internet. 1 block from main <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong>. (800) 553-7738.<br />
Ski Mountain Chalet & Condo Rentals - 1-12 bedrooms, Fully<br />
furnished, tls, linens, kitchens, fireplaces. Some units have hot tubs,<br />
saunas, whirlpools & pool tables. All have access to recreational<br />
areas with tennis courts & pools in season. 416 Ski Mtn. Rd., Gatlinburg,<br />
TN 37738 www.skimtnchalets.com (865) 436-7846 or<br />
(800) 824-4077.<br />
SHoPPING & MISCELLANEoUS<br />
G. Webb Gallery - Watercolours & prints that tell the story of the<br />
<strong>Blue</strong> <strong>Ridge</strong> Mountains. Located in a 1910 homeplace. Open yearround.<br />
www.gwebbgallery.com. (865) 436-3639.<br />
PIGEoN FoRGE, TN<br />
Variety of music, shopping, attractions, restaurants, and accommodations,<br />
plus Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains.<br />
Website: www.mypigeonforge.com Call 1-800-251-9100.<br />
ATTRACTIoNS<br />
Titanic Museum Attraction - 2134 <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong>, Pigeon Forge.<br />
2012 is the year of Titanic! USA Today says…”not to be missed!”<br />
www.titanicpigeonforge.com (800) 381-7670.<br />
FooD, LoDGING, & CAMPING<br />
Days Inn - 2760 <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong>, Pigeon Forge TN 37863. Between lights<br />
3 & 4, close to the malls. Restaurants, attractions, great mountains,<br />
scenery. Free continental breakfast.<br />
SHoPPING & MISCELLANEoUS<br />
Christmas Place - at Bell Tower Square - 2470 <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong>,<br />
Pigeon Forge, TN. The South’s largest Christmas village.<br />
www.christmasplace.com (800) 445-3396.<br />
www.twitter.com/BR<strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong>Assoc<br />
www.facebook.com/blueridgepark<strong>way</strong>association<br />
HARTFoRD, TN<br />
Exit I-40 exit #447, near the NC/TN state line.<br />
Pigeon River Gorge Zipline Canopy Tours - off the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong><br />
MP 443 to Hartford, TN. Fly across the river & thru the trees.<br />
River rafting services also available with Wildwater Rafting.<br />
www.pigeonrivercanopytours.com. (888) 482-7328.<br />
ToWNSEND, TN<br />
25 mi. west of Gatlinburg via Rt. 321.<br />
Tuckaleechee Caverns - 25 miles west of Gatlinburg on US Hwy<br />
321 & Tenn. Hwy 73. One of the greatest natural attractions of the<br />
Great Smokies. Open (March 15-Nov. 15) 9am-5pm (March & Nov.<br />
10am-5pm). Rated a Diamond attraction by AAA. (865) 448-2274.<br />
SWEETWATER, TN<br />
North of Chattanooga on I-75, Exit 60.<br />
Lost Sea - U.S. Registered Natural Landmark. Cavern tour and<br />
glass-bottom boat ride. Exit I-75 at Sweetwater. Open daily 9 a.m.<br />
Adults $17.95, Children 5-12 $7.95, 4 & under Free. (423) 337-6616.<br />
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS<br />
Q: Why can’t we bicycle on the trails?<br />
A: There are wonderful bicycling opportunities on the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong><br />
itself and on all paved roads in campgrounds and picnic<br />
areas. Most park trails are narrow, steep, and winding and are<br />
not designed for safe use by both hikers and bicyclists. Dirt<br />
roads and trails designed specifically for off-road bicycles are<br />
numerous in the four US National Forests that the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong><br />
travels through and in partner facilities such as Virginia’s Explore<br />
<strong>Park</strong> near Roanoke. The <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong> is currently developing a<br />
General Management Plan that will guide park management for<br />
decades to come. The issue of bicycling is a part of this planning<br />
document.<br />
Q: Who built the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong>?<br />
A: The <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong> was a product of the Great Depression era<br />
work programs and designed to connect Shenandoah and Great<br />
Smoky Mountains National <strong>Park</strong>s by <strong>way</strong> of a recreational motor<br />
road. A variety of federal programs, the Virginia and North<br />
Carolina High<strong>way</strong> Departments, and private contractors saw<br />
the project to completion. The Civilian Conservation Corps had<br />
a number of camps along the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong> route and their primary<br />
responsibility was in landscaping, and building trails, picnic<br />
areas, campgrounds and some buildings. Italian and Spanish<br />
stone masons were employed by private contractors to complete<br />
much of the beautiful stone work seen in many areas. About half<br />
of the <strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong> was opened to traffic by World War II and, except<br />
for one section, the rest was completed through the 1950s and<br />
1960s. The section around Grandfather Mountain, containing<br />
the Linn Cove Viaduct, was completed in 1987, finishing the<br />
<strong>Park</strong><strong>way</strong> from end to end.
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