Road and Facility Closures

Road Closures

Weather conditions, maintenance projects or emergency events may cause temporary road closures along the parkway. The chart below lists distinct sections of the parkway oriented from north to south, and organized by gate locations with route information at the various access and exit points.

Maintenance Closures: Managing and maintaining the parkway is a complex undertaking and requires a multifaceted approach. Seasonally a variety of projects are planned and executed. In addition to road status updates below, visitors should consult recent news releases and the park's social media to learn about what's planned in a given season.

Weather Closures: Much of the parkway is located at high elevation, where it is colder, wetter, and windier than in the surrounding communities. The parkway may need to be closed due to ice, snow or downed trees—even at times when the weather at lower elevations is warm and pleasant. In spring and fall, ice may persist in tunnels long after temperatures have warmed outside the tunnels.

Road status as of 05:00 a.m., Sunday, December 3rd, 2023.

Status is subject to change throughout the day after the page has been updated.

Virginia Sections of Parkway

Parkway Mileposts by Section	Crossroads	Status	Notes and Maintenance Closure Information
0.0 - 2.2	Rockfish Gap (I-64) to VA Route 610 (Howardsville Turnpike)	Open
2.2 - 4.4	VA Route 610 (Howardsville Turnpike) to VA Route 610 (Old Draft Drive)	Ungated*
4.4 - 13.6	VA Route 610 (Old Draft Drive) to VA Route 664 (Lyndhurst Drive), including Humpback Rocks Visitor Center	Open
13.6 - 16.1	VA Route 664 (Lyndhurst Drive) to VA Route 814 (Love Road)	Ungated*
16.1 - 27.1	VA Route 814 (Love Road) to VA Route 56 (Tye River Road)	Open
27.1 - 29.1	VA Route 56 (Tye River Road) to VA Route 603 (Irish Creek Road)	Ungated*
29.1 - 45.5	VA Route 603 (Irish Creek Road) to US Route 60	Open
45.5 -61.4	US Route 60 to VA Route 130 (Elon Road)	Open
61.4 - 66.3	VA Route 130 (Elon Road) to VA Route 501, including James River Visitor Center	Open
66.3 - 76.4	VA Route 501 to Apple Orchard Parking Area	Open
76.4 - 85.9	Apple Orchard Parking Area to VA Route 43 (Peaks Road), including Peaks of Otter Lodge	Open
85.9 - 91.0	VA Route 43 (Peaks Road) to Bearwallow Gap	Ungated*
91.0 - 105.8	Bearwallow Gap to US Route 460	Open
105.8 - 112.4	US Route 460 to VA Route 24 (Washington Avenue)	Open
112.4 -121.4	VA Route 24 (Washington Avenue) to US Route 220	Open
115.0	Explore Park Rd. (Roanoke River Pkwy)	Open
120.3	Roanoke Mountain Loop	Closed	Until Further Notice
120.4	Mill Mountain Spur Road	Closed
121.4 - 135.9	US Route 220 to Adney Gap	Open
135.9 - 167.2	Adney Gap to Rocky Knob Maintenace Area	Ungated*
167.2 - 170.3	Rocky Knob Maintenace Area to VA Route 720 (Old Fields Rd), including Rocky Knob Picnic Area	Open
170.3 - 198.4	VA Route 720 to VA Route 685 Turkey Ridge Road, including Mabry Mill & US Route 52	Ungated*
198.4 - 199.0	VA Route 685 Turkey Ridge Road to Ranger Road/Fancy Gap Maintenance Area	Open
199.0 - 200.1	Ranger Road/Fancy Gap Maintenance Area to Sunbelt/Autumnview Road	Ungated*
200.1 - 202.1	Sunbelt/Autumnview Road to VA Route 608 (Old Appalachian Trail) Includes I-77 Crossing	Open
202.1 - 234.1	VA Route 608 to Mahogany Rock (NC)	Open, then closed at mp 229.6	Full closure in effect between mileposts 229.6. to 238.5. These closures are related to a major infrastructure project underway, learn more here. (including detour map)

North Carolina Sections of Parkway

Parkway Mileposts by Section	Crossroads	Status	Notes and Maintenance Closure Information
234.1 - 242.3	Mahogany Rock (NC) to Alligator Back Overlook	Variable closures within gated section	Full closure in effect between mileposts 229.6 to 238.5. These closures are related to a major infrastructure project underway, learn more here. (including detour map)
237.1	Air Bellows Gap Access Road	Variable closures within gated section	Full closure in effect between mileposts 229.6 to 238.5. These closures are related to a major infrastructure project underway, learn more here. (including detour map)
242.3 - 285.5	Alligator Back Overlook to Bamboo Gap	Variable closures within this section	Full closure in effect between mileposts 248.1 to 249.3 AND 261.2 to 276.4. These closures are related to major infrastructure projects underway in the area, learn more here. (including detour map)
285.5 - 288.0	Bamboo Gap to Aho Gap	Open
288.0 - 290.8	Aho Gap to Green Hill Road	Ungated*
290.8 - 292.1	Green Hill Road to US Highway 321/221 Blowing Rock	Open
292.1 - 294.5	US Highway 321/221 Blowing Rock to Sandy Flat Gap, including Moses Cone Manor	Open
294.6 - 296.4	Sandy Flat Gap to Price Park Picnic Area	Open
296.4 - 298.5	Price Park Picnic Area to Holloway Mountain Road	Ungated*
298.5 - 305.1	Holloway Mountain Road to US Highway 221 (Beacon Heights)	Open
305.1 - 305.2	US Highway 221 to Beacon Heights Overlook	Ungated*
305.2 - 307.9	Beacon Heights Overlook to Roseboro Road	Open
307.9 - 314.6	Roseboro Road to Shuffler Road/Parkway Road	Ungated*
314.6 - 317.5	Shuffler Road/Parkway Road to US Highway 221 (Linville Falls)	Open
316.5	Linville Falls Spur Road	Open
317.5 - 324.7	US Highway 221 to Jacksontown Access Road (Bear Den CG)	Open
324.7 - 330.9	Jacksontown Access Road to NC Highway 226 (Gillespie Gap)	Ungated*
330.9 - 333.9	NC Highway 226 (Gillespie Gap) to Little Switzerland	Open
333.9- 342.1	Little Switzerland to Victor Crossing	Open
342.1 - 344.2	Victor Crossing to NC Highway 80	Ungated*
344.2 - 355.3	NC Highway 80 to Mount Mitchell State Park	Open
355.3	Mount Mitchell State Park	See Note	For updated information about Mt. Mitchell State Park please visit: Mount Mitchell State Park | NC State Parks (ncparks.gov)
355.3 - 364.5	NC Highway 128 to South of Craggy Gardens Tunnel, including Craggy Gardens Visitor Center	Closed	Ice covered roads.
364.5 - 367.6	South of Craggy Gardens Tunnel to North of Craggy Gardens Picnic Area	Closed	Ice covered roads.
367.6 - 375.7	North of Craggy Gardens Picnic Area to Bull Gap (North of Elk Mountain/Ox Creek Road)	Closed	Ice covered roads.
367.6	USFS Road 63 (Stoney Fork Access Rd)	Closed	Until Further Notice
375.7	Ox Creek/Elk Mountain Access Road	Open
375.7 - 381.9	Bull Gap (Elk Mountain/Ox Creek Road) to Folk Art Center	Open
377.4	Craven Gap Access Road (Town Mountain Road)	Open
381.9 - 382.8	Folk Art Center to Highway 70 (Tunnel Road)	Ungated*
382.8 - 384.1	Highway 70 (Tunnel Road) to Park Headquarters and Visitor Center	Open
384.1 - 384.7	Park Headquarters and Visitor Center to Highway 74 (I-40 Exit 53A)	Ungated*
384.7 - 388.8	Highway 74 (I-40 Exit 53A) to Highway 25 (Hendersonville Road)	Open
388.8 - 393.6	Highway 25 (Hendersonville Road) to NC Route 191 (Brevard Road)	Open
393.6 - 402.7	NC Route 191 (Brevard Road) to Stoney Bald	Open
400.3	USFS Road 5000 (Bent Creek Access Road)	Open
402.7 - 405.5	Stoney Bald to NC Highway 151 Access Road	Open
405.5	NC Highway 151 Access Road	Open
405.5 - 408.8	Elk Pasture Gap to Pisgah Store	Open
408.8 - 411.9	Pisgah Store (Pisgah Campground and Inn) to US Route 276	Open
411.9 - 418.7	US Route 276 to North of Graveyard Fields Overlook	Open
418.7 - 420.2	North of Graveyard Fields Overlook to USFS Road 816 (Black Balsam)	Open
420.2 - 423.2	USFS Road 816 (Black Balsam) to Beech Gap (NC Route 215)	Open
423.2 - 443.0	Beech Gap (NC Route 215) to Balsam Gap (US Route 23/74)	Open
443.0 - 455.7	Balsam Gap (US Route 23/74) to Soco Gap (US Route 19)	Open
455.7 - 469.1	Soco Gap (US Route 19) to US Route 441 thru Great Smoky Mtns. NP	Open
458.2	Heintooga Spur Road	Open
469.1	US Route 441 thru Great Smoky Mountains National Park	See Note Closed	Please visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website for road status updates.

*Note: Sections of the roadway marked as "ungated" are open except in emergency situations.

 

Facility Closures

These closures are in addition to the closures posted at the top of the page:

• Otter Creek Restaurant (Milepost 60.8) south of Buena Vista, VA is closed.
• Bluffs Lodge is closed.
• Rocky Knob Cabins are closed.
• Linn Cove Visitor Center is temporarily closed.

Please visit the Operating Hours and Seasons page for additional facility schedules and closures.

Trail and Backcountry Closures

Please read the information about avoiding crowded trails in the COVID-19 Information section above.

• Dobie Mountain Trail at Humpback Rocks in VA (Milepost 6) has been permanently closed.