Key Stretch of Blue Ridge Parkway Reopens After Helene

Hurricane Helene carved a path of devastation across the southeastern United States in September and left areas like the Blue Ridge Mountains around Asheville, North Carolina in complete destruction. Now, less than two months later, an important part of the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway is once again open to drivers. 

On Nov. 6, the Blue Ridge Parkway announced that it reopened an 11-mile stretch of the famous road near Asheville. The newly reopened portion reaches from milepost 382.5 at U.S. 70 near the Folk Art Center to milepost 393.6 at NC Route 191 near the North Carolina Arboretum and the French Broad Overlook at milepost 393.8.

"With today’s opening, we have now restored access to over 310 miles of the Parkway," Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent Tracy Swartout said in a statement. "Incident teams and contractors have been working on this section for over a month, with large numbers of damaged trees, vast amounts of tree debris in the roadway, and heavy equipment at work simultaneously throughout the corridor."

With the road now back up and running, the Asheville Visitor Center at milepost 384 will resume year-round operations every day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Normal operations at the Folk Art Center, meanwhile, are set to resume Nov. 9. 

If you're looking to hike in this area, go for it, but be advised that damage from the storm could present a danger out on the trails, including "hazards resulting from landslides, downed or leaning trees, washouts, and other damage."