Naaman Horn, of the National Park Service, talks about the reopening of a nearly 20-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway for the first time since Hurricane Helene devastated the region. (Video from Oct. 25, 2024)
BALSAM, N.C. – The tireless work of countless people who have descended upon western North Carolina to assist in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene in September is paying off as National Park Service (NPS) officials announce additional sections of the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway have been reopened.
NPS officials said they restored access to nearly 55 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in two sections Wednesday morning.
HELENE RUINS FALL LEAF-PEEPING SEASON FOR MOST OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
This photo shows Waterrock Knob Overlook facing east at milepost 451.2
(FOX Weather)
The first area is located between milepost 411.8 and 421, from U.S. Highway 276 to Black Balsam, including Graveyard Fields overlook and trailheads at milepost 418.8.
The second section was located between milepost 423.2 and 469, from State Highway 215 to U.S. Highway 441 in Cherokee, North Carolina, near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance. The NPS said this also includes all trails and trail crossings in that corridor, as well as Heintooga Spur Road to the Masonic marker and the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center and Park Store at milepost 451.2.
The NPS said that the section between milepost 421 to 423.2 will remain closed due to a significant landslide that occurred when the hurricane was ravaging the region.
Aerial footage captured by the North Carolina National Guard provides a dramatic look at the scope of catastrophic flooding caused by the effects of Hurricane Helene when the deadly storm swept across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic after making landfall in Florida last week.
“The Parkway is an important travel corridor for our surrounding communities and a treasured recreation destination,” Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout said in a statement. “Opening these additional miles of the Parkway in North Carolina is an important step forward, but much work remains.”
The NPS said it expects the Devil’s Courthouse closure to remain in place for “an extended period” while a plan to reconstruct the area continues to be developed.
Hurricane Helene may have hit a month ago, but cleanup efforts are far from over. FOX Weather’s Robert Ray shows us what people are still enduring long after the storm.
Visitors are also advised that conditions on park roads and trails are still evolving and are expected to change over the coming weeks and months. The NPS has also said that trail assessments are not yet complete, and caution should be exercised for anyone exploring nature in the area.
This is the second major reopening of an area of the heavily traveled Blue Ridge Parkway in a week.
Last Wednesday, a nearly 20-mile stretch was reopened for the first time since Hurricane Helene. The NPS said reopened sections are also providing improved transportation links while communities nearby continue to recover in the wake of the deadly storm.
The iconic road was also shut down in Virginia, but a 200-mile stretch was reopened in mid-October.