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Protecting America's Favorite Drive
The Blue Ridge Parkway Project
 The Blue Ridge Parkway is a national treasure.
Its 469 miles of spectacular views, extensive forests, hiking trails and pristine streams in North Carolina and Virginia attract more than 16 million visitors per year, making it the most visited unit of the National Park Service. It generates more than $2 billion to the economies of the communities through which it passes.
But the Parkway is an extremely fragile ribbon, as its natural, cultural and scenic integrity are threatened by development. In many places, the Parkway property is only 800 feet wide, and most of the land that comprises the views is privately owned. Over time, forests are cut, streams become choked with silt, and remarkable vistas are marred by new subdivisions, roads and other development.
 The Blue Ridge Parkway passes through many different natural landscapes, communities and political boundaries. Effective protection of the natural lands within view of the Parkway demands one organization to coordinate efforts with local land trusts, the National Park Service and other public agencies, and to promote increased public and private funding to ensure the Parkway’s protection.
As we mark the Parkway's 75th anniversary this year, CTNC is dedicated to fulfilling that role in North Carolina. We have protected more than 30,000 acres along the Parkway in almost 40 locations, donating 15 of those properties to the National Park Service for inclusion in the Parkway's boundaries.
See a map of CTNC-protected properties and read about some of our biggest successes.
Read a National Park Service Study (.pdf) that forecasts what will happen if Parkway views are degraded.
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