There’s no better—or more accessible—place to celebrate the Parkway’s spectacular scenery, history, and culture than in the Boone NC area.

This is your complete guide to the Boone area portion of the Parkway, the pivot point of America's most scenic road. Click the subject links at left, breeze through our overview below, and explore the interactive map at the bottom of the page.

Basics of the Parkway

Camping on the Parkway

Climb the Highest Peaks by Car

Hiking on the Parkway

Nature on the Parkway

Picnic on the Parkway

Visitor Centers and Cabins

Along the way, there’s culture at the Folk Art Center, Parkway Craft Center, Northwest Trading Post, and natural history at the Museum of NC Minerals. Choose from four Parkway campgrounds (including the largest), six picnic areas (and countless tables at overlooks), and a classic National Park Service inn at Bluffs Lodge. 

Long or short, a Parkway sojourn is a peak experience, a relaxing, 45-mph route that’s continually at the crest. Dozens of overlooks invite you to pull off for a view. Easy trails entice you back to nature. Explosive spring blooms, cool summer days, and electric autumn color are all Boone area hallmarks of the NC High Country—the central, pivotal point on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Explore Our Interactive Map!

Roam the interactive map below. Informative windows pop up at map symbols along the entire route. Zoom in close—on "Satellite" view you'll literally see the parking lots and trailheads of the Parkway destinations covered in this guide. In the map symbol window, click "more," then "zoom here." Or choose "Directions" and find dozens of Parkway destinations from wherever you are. Start in the north, follow the road south, and you'll get a local's introduction to planning your own Boone-area Parkway adventure.

View Blue Ridge Parkway - Boone NC Area in a larger map