Memorial Day weekend on Blue Ridge Parkway. What to know about campgrounds, picnicking

ASHEVILLE - The Blue Ridge Parkway ― hands down the most popular site in the National Park Service ― can be a fickle creature.

There can be sections closed on the whim of weather or even due to a rock slide or road renovations. While much of the 469-mile parkway, which stretches along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Cherokee, are now open, there are some fits and starts still happening.

Here's what to know before heading out to the mountains on a spring adventure. And for the latest openings/closings and other parkway info, check out the website at nps.gov/blri.

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Which picnic areas and campgrounds are open?

On the North Carolina, or southern end, of the parkway, those picnic areas that remain open year-round are now open, but only two of the eight campgrounds have opened so far this spring. Following are the picnic areas and campgrounds, including milepost numbers and opening-closing dates, starting at the northernmost North Carolina section of the parkway and heading south.

Picnic areas:

• MP 241.1, Doughton Park Picnic Area, May 12-Oct. 30.

• MP 271.9, Jeffress Park Picnic Area, Open year round – no services in winter.

• MP 296.4, Price Park Picnic Area, Open year round – no services in winter.

• MP 316.4, Linville Falls Picnic Area, Open year round – no services in winter.

• MP 340.2, Crabtree Falls Picnic Area, May 12-Oct. 30.

• MP 367.6, Craggy Gardens Picnic Area, May 12-Oct. 30.

• MP 407.8, Mount Pisgah Picnic Area, May 12-Oct. 30.

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Campgrounds:

• MP 239.2, Doughton Park Campground, May 26-Oct. 30.

• MP 296.9, Price Park Campground, A Loop – Open. Remaining loops open May 26-Oct. 30.

• MP 316.4, Linville Falls Campground, Open through Oct. 30.

• MP 339.5, Crabtree Falls Campground, May 26-Oct. 30.

• MP 408.8, Mount Pisgah Campground, May 26-Oct. 30.

When are visitor centers open?

The Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 near the U.S. 74 entrance in Asheville, and the Folk Art Center, at MP 382 near the U.S. 70 entrance, are open year-round but are subject to closures depending on the weather.

The following visitor centers will open on these dates:

• MP 241.1, Doughton Park Visitor Center, May 26-Nov. 12, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• MP 294, Moses Cone Manor House, Open through Nov. 12.

• MP 304.4, Linn Cove Visitor Center, Closed for season for repairs.

• MP 316.4, Linville Falls Visitor Center, Open through Oct. 29, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• MP 330.9, North Carolina Museum of Minerals, Through Oct. 29, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• MP 364.5, Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, Through Nov. 12, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• MP 382.2. Folk Art Center, Open Year-round, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

• MP 384.5, Asheville Visitor Center, Open Year-round, daily 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

• MP 451.2, Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, Through Nov. 19, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

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Why is the water level dropping at Price Lake?

Work has begun to repair the Price Lake Dam bridge, Milepost 296, about two hours northeast of Asheville. As a result, lake levels in the area are expected to drop several feet below the top of the dam beginning this week, and visitors may experience single lane closures in the area, according to parkway spokesperson Leesa Brandon.

In early June there will be a two-week full road closure from MP 296.4 to MP 296.8, she said. A signed detour will route visitors around the project area when the temporary closure is implemented. Access from either the north or the south to visitor facilities and recreation areas within the Price Lake project area will be maintained during the two-week closure.

"The lake and campground are open and expected to stay open through the project," water levels depending, Brandon said. The lake is popular for fishing and boating. Price Lake Boat Rentals, the on-site concession operator, is also expected to remain open.

The dam that regulates the lake’s water level was damaged during Tropical Storm Fred in June 2021. During an inspection after the storm, Federal Highway Administration bridge engineers discovered severe deterioration of the concrete columns supporting the bridge above the dam. This project reconstructs the bridge pier columns as well as addresses routine bridge maintenance to replace guardrails and joint seals and repoint the masonry. Once work is complete, it will take time for lake levels to rise to normal levels weather permitting.

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Are there any road sections closed in NC?

Road closures related to a major infrastructure project funded through the Great American Outdoors Act are ongoing in a 75-mile section of the parkway from MP 229.6, just north of Doughton Park, to MP 305.1, near Grandfather Mountain.

The $98 million project is a three-year repaving and rehabilitation project that will also address drainage structures, curbs, walks, shoulders, guardrails, overlooks, and signage, according to a National Park Service news release. It will be phased with a staggered series of closures and expected to last through September 2025.

“While the project is underway, I encourage park visitors to plan ahead and consult the park’s website to understand detour routes and ensure ready access to their favorite sites on and off the Parkway," Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout said in the release.Expect short-distance and short-duration single lane closures in this section northeast of Asheville. By May 15 the contractor plans to put full closures with detours in place from MP 229.6 to 238.5, and MP 261.2 to 276.4. A signed detour will direct traveler s around the full closure via routes N.C. 21, N.C. 18, and U.S. 221.

Check the parkway's road status page for the latest detour maps.

Within the active closure, all activity is prohibited for cars, bicycles and hikers to ensure the safety of parkway visitors and staff. Find the latest detours and details on the parkway's road status page.

Karen Chávez is Executive Editor for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Tips, comments, questions? Call 828-236-8980, email, KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or follow on Twitter @KarenChavezACT. Please help support local journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Blue Ridge Parkway spring openings and closings what to know