Natural Splendors

Natural Splendors

Geology and Terrain

The Ancient Appalachians

The southern Appalachian Mountains are ancient by any standard; some rocks are an estimated 1.2 billion years old. Over the aeons the mountains were uplifted and shifted by changes in the earth's crust, then weathered and worn into their present configuration during the past 100 to 200 million years.

Not Like the Rockies

The southern Appalachians have only a handful of peaks reminiscent of the towering, rock studded mountains of the West; most of that lofty presence eroded long ago and now makes up the soil of the coastal plains of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Exceptions occur, such as Sharp Top, at Peaks of Otter (Milepost 86.0), which has an unusually sharp peak of aged, coarsely crystalline rock, and Flat Rock (Milepost 308.3), a quartzite outcrop that provides a stunning vantage point overlooking North Carolina's Grandfather Mountain and the Linville Valley.

The Blue Ridge

Most of the roadway follows the backbone of the Blue Ridge, providing lofty views of surrounding lowlands and distant mountain peaks; the southern 114 miles wind through North Carolina's Black Mountains, Craggies, Pisgahs, and Balsams before ending in the Great Smokies. To the east of the parkway is the fertile, gently contoured terrain of the Piedmont section of Virginia and North Carolina. To the west are the rugged mountains that form the western rampart of the southern Appalachians; in Virginia, from Waynesboro to Roanoke, the southern section of the famed Shenandoah Valley lies between the southern Appalachians and the Piedmonts.

Flora

Famous Fall Foliage

Having been softened and worn down by the elements and the ages, the mountains provide fertile footing for a wide variety of vegetation. Particularly famous is the parkway's display of fall foliage and, thanks to strict rules against collecting, the spring and summer proliferation of wildflowers.

Deciduous Blends

Except for the dark green spruce and fir blanketing the high elevations of the Black Mountains and the Mt. Mitchell area (Milepost 340-355), most of the parkway foliage is typical of the deciduous oak-hickory blend common to the region. Interspersed throughout are dogwood, sourwood, tulip poplar, black gum, sassafras, red maple, hemlock, and Virginia and white pine.

Flame & Catawba

Bursting forth in June, flame azalea and catawba rhododendron are the splashy stars of the parkway's wildflowers; more furtive blooms can be spotted throughout the season. The wetland dwelling skunk cabbage appears in February, and the colorful bull thistle is common along the roadside and in lowland pastures from June to the first killing frost. In between, some 110 other species are notable enough to be included in the "Blue Ridge Parkway Bloom Calendar."

Showy Laurels

From early June through July, you're sure to notice the showy mountain laurel blossoms, typical of open hardwood forests. Pennsylvania's shade-tolerant state flower flourishes happily in this region. Drive through the Bradford Ranger District in late May and early June for some of the best views.

Fauna

Hard to Spot

Although wild animals abound along the parkway, they tend to be harder to spot and more wary of human approach than in the adjoining Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks.

Wild Recluses

The Virginia white-tailed deer, a common roadside grazer in the parks, is a rare sight along the parkway, its place taken by the woodchuck, known colloquially as the groundhog. Likewise, the black bear is a reclusive parkway denizen. Joining the woodchuck in common daytime sightings, especially along nature trails, are squirrels and chipmunks. At night you might see foxes, raccoons, opossums, and skunks; bobcats are fairly common after-dark travelers, but seeing one is a once-in-a-lifetime treat.

Raptors & Snakes

More than 100 species of birds appear along the parkway during the spring migration, and more than 200 additional species visit year-round. During the fall raptor migration, several birds-of-prey species glide southward along the mountain ridgeline, a seasonal event that attracts an ever-increasing number of birders. The parkway's two poisonous snakes, the timber rattler and copperhead, are rare; there is also a wide variety of nonpoisonous snakes, lizards, frogs, and salamanders.