DISCOVER BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY OFFERS SO MUCH

The Blue Ridge Music Center is near a number of popular Blue Ridge Parkway attractions.

Known as America’s Favorite Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles to connect Shenandoah National Park and the Skyline Drive in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. The Parkway is more than just a drive. It is a haven for biodiversity, a living museum of mountain culture and history, and a recreational paradise. With hiking trails, grand overlooks, picnic and camping areas, interpretive waysides, and visitor centers, it provides opportunities to enjoy all that makes this region of the country so special.

Rocky Knob
Rocky Knob
Mabry Mill
Mabry Mill
Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area
Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area
Orlene Puckett Cabin
Orlene Puckett Cabin
Cumberland Knob
Cumberland Knob
The Bluffs
The Bluffs
Doughton Park
Doughton Park
Brinegar Cabin
Brinegar Cabin
Rocky Knob
Rocky Knob
View from Rocky Knob overlooking rolling mountains

Rocky Knob

Milepost 167

One of the earliest recreation areas developed on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Rocky Knob offers stunning scenery and numerous recreational opportunities. The recreation area covers more than 4,000 acres and four trails offer a variety of scenic and historical wonders. Rangers offer interpretive talks and demonstrations during the summer. Three large picnic areas, trails into Rock Castle Gorge (known for its beautiful rock crystalline quartz formations and biodiversity), and the wonderful agricultural scenes along the roadway make this a truly unique portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Features include:

  • Picnic area
  • Campground (RV, tent, and back-country)
  • Hiking trails

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Mabry Mill
Mabry Mill
A Place in the Band logo

Mabry Mill

Milepost 176

A 1905 project of Ed and Lizzie Mabry, the gristmill and sawmill they constructed by hand is still in operation and is one of the most popular and photographed attractions on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Features include:

  • Picnic area
  • Historical demonstrations
  • Live music on Sundays – late May through October
  • Restaurant and Gift Shop

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Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area
Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area
Groundhog Mountain Lookout Tower stands tall next to a blue sky

Groundhog Mountain Picnic Area

Milepost 188

This site includes a picnic area and restrooms, as well as a lookout tower offering views of Buffalo Mountain on one side and the Carolina Piedmont on the other. There is also an exhibit of fence types used by early settlers of the region.

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Orlene Puckett Cabin
Orlene Puckett Cabin
Puckett Cabin sits next to green trees

Orlene Puckett Cabin

Milepost 190

This cabin was the home of Orlean Hawks Puckett, a midwife who delivered nearly 1,000 children between 1890 and the year of her death in 1939. To many, her story illustrates the strength of Appalachian women in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, the Orlean Hawks Puckett Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, works to promote and strengthen child, parent, and family development.

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Cumberland Knob
Cumberland Knob
Picnic table at Cumberland Knob

Cumberland Knob

Milepost 217.5

Located in North Carolina just across the Virginia state line, Cumberland Knob is the birthplace of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Parkway construction began at Cumberland Knob in 1935, and it was the first public Parkway attraction to open. A popular picnicking spot, you can also take a leisurely walk or a more demanding hike to nearby Gully Creek.

Features include:

  • Picnic Area
  • Hiking Trails

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The Bluffs
The Bluffs

The Bluffs Restaurant

Milepost 241

In 1949, The Bluffs became the first dining establishment to open on the Blue Ridge Parkway. After closing in 2010, the restaurant was brought back to life with extensive remodeling, maintaining the history charm of the original interior while bringing the building into the new millennium, and was reopened in 2020.​

Specializing in homestyle cooking on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with sweet potato pancakes, cathead biscuits, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, burgers, salads, fruit cobbler, and more!

Open seasonally. Check the Facebook page or Website for current hours.

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Doughton Park
Doughton Park
Doughton Park trails overlooks mountain range
Map of Doughton Park trails

Doughton Park

Milepost 241

This 7,000-acre recreation area is named after the late Congressman and Parkway advocate Robert L. Doughton. Appalachian history comes to life among the ridgetop meadows and steep mountainsides of Doughton Park. Hike some of the 30 miles of trails, from a moderate stroll to adventurous all-day hiking through the meadows, streams, and hillsides. Hikers may encounter 25 stream crossings through ankle to knee-deep water.

Features include:

  • Picnic area
  • Campground
  • Hiking trails
  • Caudill Cabin
  • The Bluffs Restaurant t (closed since 2010, the restaurant is slated to reopen in the summer of 2020)

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Brinegar Cabin
Brinegar Cabin
Brinegar Cabin sits on bright green grass

Brinegar Cabin

Milepost 238

This cabin in Alleghany County, North Carolina, was the home of Martin Brinegar and Caroline Joines Brinegar. Constructed in the 1880s, the cabin is open to visitors on weekends in the summer and fall, staff permitting, and hosts cultural demonstrations such as spinning. Tour the demonstration garden and exhibits for a chance to step back into history.

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Blue Ridge Music Center

Have Questions? Contact us Today!

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Program and Concert Information:
(866) 308-2773 x 212
Visitor Center Information:
(276) 236-5309
(May – October)
Hours of Operation:
Closed for the season
Reopens May 2025
Concert series announced early March
Email:
info@blueridgemusiccenter.org
Location:
Music Center Road
Galax, VA 24333
Milepost 213 on The Blue Ridge Parkway
Mailing Address:
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
717 S Marshall St., Ste 105-B
Winston-Salem, NC 27101