A stretch of NC’s Blue Ridge Parkway reopens months after Helene. Here’s where
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- Blue Ridge Parkway reopens 12 miles between Blowing Rock and Linville Falls.
- Hurricane Helene caused 57 landslides along nearly 200 miles of the Parkway.
- Full restoration spans three repair phases, with work extending through 2026.
Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene’s hit on Western North Carolina, more of the most famous road in the state is reopened.
After the devastating damage left behind from the storm, a 12-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Blowing Rock and Linville Falls is back open — from milepost 305.2 to milepost 317.5.
“The opening of this road section, closed since Hurricane Helene due to a landslide and large amounts of debris, is the first of multiple openings expected in the coming weeks and months as the Parkway’s first round of recovery repair projects nears completion,” a Monday, July 21 release from park officials reads.
“As a result of Hurricane Helene, the Parkway identified at least 57 landslides of varying complexity across nearly 200 miles in North Carolina.”
Is the Blue Ridge Parkway open?
Since the fall, crews have been working to restore road access, repair road damage and stabilize slide areas, officials said, to be completed in three phases:
Phase 1: Including July 21’s opening, this initial round addresses 12 repairs in eight geographic areas. Once complete, across this summer and fall, over 48 miles of the Parkway will be restored for public use across various places in the western part of the state.
Phase 2: Projects included in this phase will repair 21 landslide areas primarily between milepost 318.2 and 323.4, in the area south of Linville Falls. Contracting is currently underway for projects included in this phase, and work is expected to be complete by fall of 2026.
Phase 3: Planning is still underway, which will address repairs to more than 23 sites (primarily between milepost 336.7 and 351.9, between Little Switzerland and the Mount Mitchell).
“The recovery is going to be long,” Tracy Swartout, the parkway superintendent, said during a status report posted online in early April, The News & Observer previously reported. “It’s not going to be a sprint; it’s going to be a marathon. The projects are going to take time.”
Helene’s hit on Blue Ridge Parkway
According to the National Park Service, some of the most significant damage to the Parkway’s primary roadway was in North Carolina.
Since the storm hit in September, over 310 miles of the 469-mile stretch has reopened. But officials are still reminding travelers to “be patient and respect remaining closures.”
“Multiple seen and unseen hazards exist in closed areas, and crews and heavy equipment at work make areas unsafe,” the park’s announcement of the reopening reads.
“Visitors should also be aware that trail assessments are also still underway, and caution should be exercised as hikers may encounter hazards on trails such as landslides, tree debris, and washed-out sections or bridges.”
You can find the latest information on road closures and recovery efforts in the area online at nps.gov.
This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 4:43 PM with the headline "A stretch of NC’s Blue Ridge Parkway reopens months after Helene. Here’s where."
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