Parkway Seasonal Closings Announced

Date: October 24, 2006

(Asheville, NC) Blue Ridge Parkway campgrounds and several concessionaire facilities, including the lodge and restaurant at Mt. Pisgah, will close for the season on the morning of October 30, and most visitor centers, picnic areas and other concessionaire facilities will follow at month’s end or in early to mid-November.

In addition, the 11-mile section of the scenic route between N.C. Highway 80 and Mt. Mitchell State Park is slated to close November 1 for tunnel repair and maintenance. Barring snow or ice, most of the 469-mile Parkway will remain open and access to Mt. Mitchell will be available from the south.

For those interested in off-season outings, nearly all of the Parkway’s more than all 350-miles of hiking trails are available year-round. Picnic areas will operate through November 12, with Peaks of Otter picnicking available through December 3 and Price Park open through the winter, weather permitting.

With light traffic and with the clear skies that follow the passage of seasonal cold fronts, late fall can be an ideal time to visit the Parkway. Traditional year-round facilities and services will continue, including the restaurant and lodge at the Peaks of Otter, the Museum of North Carolina Minerals near Spruce Pine, and the Folk Art Center at Asheville. Visitor centers at Craggy Gardens and Linville Falls will operate on a reduced schedule into November. The Parkway Craft Center at the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park will be open 7-days-a-week (except Thanksgiving) through November 30. The existing short detour near Blowing Rock should be eliminated by mid-November.

The scheduled tunnel repair is expected to keep the N.C. 80 to Mt. Mitchell section closed until early April. A posted detour will route southbound traffic onto N.C. 226 near Spruce Pine to U.S. 221/226 south, then I-40 west from Marion to Exit 55, then U.S. 70 west to the Parkway. (Northbound travelers who are not visiting Mt. Mitchell or the Folk Art Center should exit at Milepost 382 onto U.S. 70 east.) For information on current road closures call [phone].

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY FACILITY CLOSINGS

CAMPGROUNDS.

All campgrounds 10/30/06 (Last night for camping is 10/29)

PICNIC AREAS

Price Park (weather permitting) Open Year-round Peaks of Otter 12/04/06 All Other Parkway Picnic Areas (Picnicking through 11/12) 11/13/06

VISITOR CENTER CLOSINGS

(Unless otherwise noted, facilities open 7-days a week through posted closing date) Hours Humpback Rocks November 5 9-5 James River Closed October 22 9-5 Peaks of Otter October 31 9-5 Rocky Knob October 29 9-5 Blue Ridge Music Center October 31 9-5 Moses Cone (Information desk and bookstore) Through October 31 open 7-days-a-week 9-5 November 3 – 26, Fridays – Sundays Only (Craft Center open through November 30) Linn Cove October 31 9-5 Linville Falls Through Oct. 31 9-5 November 2 – 5 9-5 Museum of North Carolina Minerals Open Year-Round Through Oct. 31 9-5 Nov 1 – late May 2007: 7-day/week, closed for Lunch 12-1 9-5 Craggy Gardens Through October 31 9-5 Nov. 4 – 19 Weekends only 10-4 --more— Folk Art Center Open Year-Round Hours: May 27 – Oct. 31 9-6 Other Times 9-5 Waterrock Knob October 31 10-5

CONCESSIONS FACILITIES

(Unless otherwise noted, facilities are open through the posted closing date) Otter Creek Restaurant/Gift Shop – Milepost 60.8 October 29 Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant - Milepost 85.9 Lodge, Restaurant and Gift Shop Open Year-Round Peaks Country Store: October 29 Sharp Top Bus Service: October 29 Rocky Knob Cabins – Milepost 174.1 October 29 Mabry Mill Restaurant/Gift Shop - Milepost 176.2 November 5 Bluffs Lodge/Restaurant/Gift Shop – Milepost 241.1 November 5 (Breakfast available November 6) Price Park Lake Boat Rentals – Milepost 297.1 Weekends through October 29 Crabtree Meadows Snack Bar/Gift Shop/Camp Store – Milepost 339.5 October 29 Northwest Trading Post Gift and Craft Shop – Milepost 258.8 November 5 Parkway Craft Center at Moses Cone Manor House – Milepost 294 November 30 Folk Art Center – Milepost 382 Open year-round except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Pisgah Inn/Restaurant/Gift Shop/Country Store – Milepost 408.6 October 29 (Breakfast available October 30