43-725: The Blue Ridge Music Center is a music venue, museum, and visitor center on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virginia . The center celebrates the living musical heritage of the surrounding mountains and interprets its significance within the larger landscape of American music and culture through concerts, exhibits, and programs. The site is a partnership between the National Park Service and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation . 36°34′20″N 80°51′02″W / 36.5722°N 80.8505°W / 36.5722; -80.8505 Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway
86-644: A census-designated place (CDP), Cherokee overlaps most or part of three of the seven communities of the Qualla Boundary: Painttown, Wolftown, and Yellowhill. Cherokee and its surrounding Qualla Boundary is in the very mountainous Swain and Jackson counties. The highest elevation is 6,643-foot (2,025 m) Kuwohi at the border with Tennessee. Clingman's Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Oconaluftee River flows through downtown Cherokee. As of
129-499: A minimum impact on the land. The vehicle tunnels were often constructed to reduce excessive landscape scarring that open cuts would have produced. They are used in areas of steep terrain where ridges run perpendicular to the roadway alignment. North Carolina's more rugged terrain required the majority of the tunnels. Most of the work on the tunnel digging was done by hand and provided by the Civilian Conservation Corps in
172-607: A retired game show host and animal rights activist, has called for closing the black bear zoos at these attractions. Cherokee Wonderland and Frontier Land were two amusement parks that operated in the area in the late 1960s and into the early 21st century, respectively. The latter was converted into a water park before being closed to make way for development of Harrah's Cherokee. When they were open, both parks featured their own 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow gauge railroads (named Cherokee Wonderland Railroad and Frontier Land Railroad ). Cherokee Central Schools operates
215-567: Is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States , noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for 469 miles (755 km) through 29 counties in Virginia and North Carolina , linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park . It runs mostly along the spine of the Blue Ridge , a major mountain chain that
258-493: Is designed to allow for freer flowing traffic and better vistas than frequent intersections and stoplights would allow for. The parkway uses short side roads to connect to other highways, and there are no direct interchanges with Interstate Highways , making it possible to enjoy wildlife and other scenery without stopping for cross-traffic. Mileposts along the parkway start at zero at the northeast end in Virginia and count to 469 at
301-438: Is extremely variable in the mountains, so conditions and closures often change rapidly. The speed limit is never higher than 45 mph (72 km/h) and is lower in some sections. In addition to the road, the parkway has a folk art center located at mile marker 382 and a visitor center located at mile marker 384, both near Asheville. There are also numerous parking areas at trailheads for the various hiking trails that intersect
344-574: Is in the center of the tunnel and the minimum height is at the edge stripe. Download coordinates as: Cherokee, North Carolina Cherokee / ˈ tʃ ɛr ə ˌ k iː / ( Cherokee : ᏣᎳᎩ , romanized: Tsalagi ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Swain and Jackson counties in Western North Carolina , United States, within the Qualla Boundary land trust. Cherokee
387-606: Is located in the Oconaluftee River Valley around the intersection of U.S. Routes 19 and 441 . As of the 2020 census , the CDP had a population of 2,195. It is the capital of the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , one of three recognized Cherokee tribes and the only one in North Carolina. The community also serves as a tourist destination, with numerous campgrounds, motels, and hotels serving visitors to
430-538: Is managed by a different National Park Service unit. Both Skyline Drive and the Virginia portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway are part of Virginia State Route 48 (SR 48), though this designation is not signed. The parkway has been the most visited unit of the National Park System every year since 1946 except four (1949, 2013, 2016 and 2019). Land on either side of the road is owned and maintained by
473-525: Is part of the Appalachian Mountains . Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 441 (US 441) on the boundary between Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, from which it travels north to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The roadway continues through Shenandoah as Skyline Drive , a similar scenic road which
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#1733114666051516-507: Is the first and longest of the triplet tunnels. The local people once referred to ferns as "ferrins." Ferrin Knob Tunnel #2 is located at milepost 401.3 and Ferrin Knob Tunnel #3 is located at milepost 401.5. The distinctive stone masonry portals now on the parkway tunnels were generally not part of the original construction of the 1930s. They were added later. The tunnels are listed below by milepost , name, and length. The maximum height
559-450: Is the site of attractions such as: Eastern Cherokee history, culture, and crafts are portrayed in the historical drama Unto These Hills , presented annually during the tourist season. The Cherokee area offers many campgrounds, trails and river adventures. It is also home to three roadside attractions with zoos: Cherokee Bear Zoo, Chief Saunooke Bear Park, and Santa's Land. The zoos have been considered controversial. Bob Barker ,
602-446: The 2020 United States census , there were 2,195 people, 867 households, and 561 families residing in the CDP. The EBCI negotiated an agreement with the state, and in 1997 opened Harrah's Cherokee Casino for gaming. It has generated jobs and revenue for the tribe, providing money that the EBCI applies to its people's education, welfare and culture. In 2005, nearly four million people visited
645-640: The America the Beautiful quarter in 2015. The parkway was closed in October 2024 due to damage from Hurricane Helene . An extension of the parkway from its terminus at Beech Gap, North Carolina to a point north of Atlanta, Georgia , was proposed in 1961 by North Carolina Congressman Roy A. Taylor . The route was proposed to pass Whiteside Mountain , Bridal Veil Falls , Cuilasaja Gorge, and Estatoah Falls , ending between Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia after crossing
688-641: The Chattahoochee River and passing to the east of Lake Sidney Lanier . By 1963 the National Park Service had proposed a terminus at Interstate 75 north of Marietta, Georgia , in the vicinity of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park . President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill to extend the parkway in 1967. A five-year schedule was proposed, with a budget of $ 87,536,000 (equivalent to $ 611 million in 2023 ). In 1970 planning
731-547: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina . It is an undivided two-lane expressway for most of its route. Access is controlled via interchanges with local roads and state/US highways. The parkway crosses (but does not interchange with) several interstate highways along its route and is carried across streams, railway ravines and cross roads by 168 bridges and six viaducts. Frequent pull-offs, rest areas, and scenic overlooks line
774-607: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park , with a major entrance to the park lying within the community. The Cherokee Historical Association runs the Oconaluftee Indian Village , a living-history museum , as well as the popular outdoor drama Unto These Hills , and is associated with the Museum of the Cherokee People . Cherokee serves as the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway . The Oconaluftee River flows through
817-458: The Linn Cove Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain did not open until 1987. The project took over 52 years to complete. Due to serious damage in 2004 from Hurricane Frances , then again by Hurricane Ivan , many areas along the parkway were closed until the spring of 2005, with two areas that were not fully repaired until the spring of 2006. The parkway was on North Carolina's version of
860-541: The North Carolina – Virginia state line at mile 216.9. The 1749 party that surveyed the boundary included Peter Jefferson , father of Thomas Jefferson . Begun during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt , the project was originally called the Appalachian Scenic Highway. Original plans called for the parkway to connect Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park with
903-405: The 1930s. Little machinery was used with the intention of creating manual labor in depressed economic times. They did have for tunneling truck-mounted water-cooled compressed air drills called "Jumbos." After the initial holes were drilled into the substrata , dynamite was used for blasting away the rock. Concrete lining was done during construction due to tunnel cave-ins. This concrete lining
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#1733114666051946-568: The CCC crews were replaced by conscientious objectors in the Civilian Public Service program. The parkway's construction created jobs in the region, but also displaced many residents and created new rules and regulations for landowners, including requirements related to how farmers could transport crops. Residents could no longer build on their lands without permission, or develop land except for agricultural use. They were not permitted to use
989-454: The Cherokee had to rely on jobs related to national park tourism and recreation, which provided work for about half of the year. Many tribal members had to rely on public assistance to survive during the winter. Cherokee is a tourist -oriented area, located at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and at the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway . In addition to the casino, it
1032-706: The K–12 public schools. Cherokee High School is the local high school. The private elementary school, New Kituwah Academy , is based on language immersion in Cherokee. Previously the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provided educational services, and in their schools students were not permitted to speak Cherokee. Scenes from movies such as Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier , Digging to China , Forces of Nature , The Fugitive , and Stroszek were shot in Cherokee. The Cherokee One Feather newspaper has served
1075-561: The National Park Service, and in many places parkway land is bordered by United States Forest Service property. There is no fee for using the parkway; however, commercial vehicles are prohibited without approval from the Park Service Headquarters, near Asheville, North Carolina . The roadway is not maintained in the winter, and sections that pass over especially high elevations and through tunnels are often impassable and therefore closed from late fall through early spring. Weather
1118-549: The National Park Service. Some work was carried out by various New Deal public works agencies. The Works Progress Administration did some roadway construction. Crews from the Emergency Relief Administration carried out landscape work and development of parkway recreation areas. Personnel from four Civilian Conservation Corps camps worked on roadside cleanup, roadside plantings, grading slopes, and improving adjacent fields and forest lands. During World War II ,
1161-545: The Navy during World War I . Daniels wanted the parkway to go through North Carolina and persuaded Ickes to choose the North Carolina route. The Bruce Bowers documentary The Blue Ridge Parkway: The Long and Winding Road gives Congressman Robert Doughton the credit for getting the route changed. The documentary claims Doughton worked to pass the Social Security Act only after getting the route changed. Most construction
1204-416: The casino and generated a per capita profit of roughly $ 8,000 annually. Each member of the tribe is paid some annual income; the tribe reinvests other monies for health and related services, and long-term development. Since the late 20th century, most manufacturing and textile plants left the area, moving their jobs offshore to lower wage areas, such as Southeast Asia. The regional economy suffered. Many of
1247-512: The cold and windy parkway to the green and warm valleys below. October is especially dramatic, as the colored leaves stand out boldly and occur mostly at the same time, unlike the flowers. Major trees include oak , hickory , and tulip tree at lower elevations and buckeye and ash in the middle, turning into conifers such as fir and spruce at the highest elevations on the parkway. Trees near ridges, peaks, and passes (often called gaps or notches) are often distorted and even contorted by
1290-456: The cold winter climate of the mountains or for other maintenance. The parkway's natural resource protection protocol limits the use of ice melting chemicals, and certain areas could remain closed for extended periods. During road closures alternative routes are used, but short-term closures may not have a signed detour route. Sections of the parkway near the tunnels are often closed in winter due to icy conditions. The Blue Ridge Parkway crosses
1333-568: The parkway either turning west into Tennessee at Linville, North Carolina , or continuing southward through North Carolina. Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes put together a three-person panel to study the possible routes the parkway could take. That panel, named after its chairman George L.P. Radcliffe , recommended the Tennessee route. However, Roosevelt had remained friends with Josephus Daniels , Roosevelt's superior as Secretary of
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1376-413: The parkway for any commercial travel but were required to transport equipment and materials on side roads. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians were also affected by the parkway, which was built through their lands. From 1935 to 1940, they resisted giving up the right-of-way through the Qualla Boundary , and they were successful in gaining more favorable terms from the U.S. government. Specifically,
1419-516: The parkway in the spring, including rhododendrons and dogwoods , moving from valleys to mountains as the cold weather retreats. Smaller annuals and perennials such as the daisy and aster flower through the summer. Brilliant autumn foliage occurs later in September on the mountaintops, descending to the valleys by later in October. Often in early-to-middle October and middle to late April, all three seasons can be seen simply by looking down from
1462-569: The parkway, and several campgrounds located along the parkway allow for overnight stays. The Blue Ridge Music Center (also part of the park) is located in Galax, and Mount Mitchell (the highest point in eastern North America ) is only accessible via North Carolina Highway 128 (NC 128), which intersects the parkway at milepost 355.4. The parkway runs from the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park 's Skyline Drive in Virginia at Rockfish Gap to U.S. Route 441 (US 441) at Oconaluftee in
1505-522: The revised bill "specified the parkway route, assured the $ 40,000 payment for the tribe's land, and required the state to build [a] regular highway through the Soco Valley". (The highway referred to is part of U.S. Route 19 .) Cherokee leaders participated in the dedications when the Cherokee sections opened in the 1950s. Construction of the parkway was complete by the end of 1966 with one notable exception. The 7.7-mile (12.4 km) stretch including
1548-492: The rock—one in Virginia and 25 in North Carolina . Much of the parkway is located at high elevation, with colder, wetter and windier conditions than in surrounding areas. The highest point on the parkway (south of Waynesville , near Mount Pisgah in North Carolina) is 6,053 feet (1,845 m) above sea level on Richland Balsam at milepost 431. Sections of the parkway may be temporarily closed to repair damage caused by
1591-497: The sides of the road. Outside of the Asheville, Boone and Roanoke areas, it largely avoids major population centers, and the road parallels several US and Interstate Highways along sections of its route, which are generally used for longer haul traffic. Because of this, the road and its vistas are designed to be the attraction itself, rather than merely a means of efficient travel. The use of interchanges and grade separation at cross roads
1634-458: The southern end in North Carolina. The mileposts can be found on the right-hand side of the road while traveling southbound on the parkway. Major towns and cities along the way include Waynesboro , Roanoke , and Galax in Virginia; and in North Carolina, Boone and Asheville , where it runs across the property of the Biltmore Estate . The Blue Ridge Parkway tunnels were constructed through
1677-477: The town and is popular for tubing. Cherokee is the capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and part of the traditional homelands of the Cherokee people. In the 1870s, the Eastern Band purchased the land for what is called the "Qualla Boundary". To continue the heritage of the Cherokee in the town, several signs for Cherokee's streets and buildings are written in both Cherokee syllabary and English. As
1720-492: The wind, and persistent rime ice is deposited by passing clouds in the winter. The Blue Ridge Parkway has also been a corridor for the spread of many invasive species, including oriental bittersweet , privet, and multiflora rose. There are 26 tunnels constructed along the Blue Ridge Parkway. One, the Bluff Mountain Tunnel, is in Virginia and twenty-five are in North Carolina . The design standards specified
1763-403: Was carried out by private contractors under federal contracts under an authorization by Ickes in his role as federal public works administrator. Work began on September 11, 1935, near Cumberland Knob in North Carolina ; construction in Virginia began the following February. On June 30, 1936, Congress formally authorized the project as the Blue Ridge Parkway and placed it under the jurisdiction of
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1806-534: Was first used in the Devil's Courthouse Tunnel. It was later discovered that it enhanced the interior lighting within the tunnel itself. Where done the lining covered about a quarter of the interior structure. An additional benefit was the elimination of moisture entering the tunnel. Moisture in the winter caused ice problems. The Pine Mountain Tunnel is the longest on the parkway at 1,434 feet (437 m). Ferrin Knob Tunnel #1
1849-435: Was interrupted by the projected commercial development of land in the proposed path. Increasing costs associated with rerouting and the passage of time coincided with efforts to cut national debt and concerns about the project's environmental impact, and the project stalled in 1973. The project was formally cancelled on September 11, 1985; no construction work had ever taken place. Flowering shrubs and wildflowers dominate
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