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NPS to Package Three Lodges on the Blue Ridge Parkway Under One Concessions Contract

Submitted by David and Kay Scott on December 17, 2011 - 2:41am
The National Park Service recently announced that it would package the Blue Ridge Parkway concessions operation for lodging, retail, and food and beverage visitor services for Peaks of Otter Lodge, Bluffs Lodge, and Rocky Knob Cabins under a single prospectus expected to be released in April 2012.

Grant Will Rehabilitate Boone Fork Trail Portion of Mountains-to-Sea Trail on Blue Ridge Parkway

Submitted by NPT Staff on December 5, 2011 - 2:03am
A $75,000 grant from the North Carolina Recreation Trails Program will fund rehabilitation and improvement of one the most popular trails in Julian Price Memorial Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Fears Rise That Congress Could Open More Units Of National Park System to Hunting

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 21, 2011 - 2:30am
Few units of the National Park System are open to hunting, but there are fears that legislation now working its way through Congress could clear the way for hunting across dozens of parks in the system.

License Tag Law Threatens Support for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian National Scenic Trail

Submitted by Danny Bernstein on November 16, 2011 - 2:41am
License tag money has helped support national parks in North Carolina for over a decade. But a new law enacted by the Republican legislature will decrease the amount of money that will go to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Blue Ridge Parkway Management Alternatives Draw More Than A Little Debate

Submitted by Randy Johnson on November 14, 2011 - 2:56am
The first-ever management plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway treads a fine line between two forces park managers have juggled for the 76-year history of the high road—the economic development aspirations of adjacent communities and the need to ensure the integrity of a “national park” that’s 469-miles long and a half-mile wide.

NPCA Report Paints Somber Portrait Of An Underfunded National Park Service

Submitted by Kurt Repanshek on November 10, 2011 - 2:23pm
America is abundantly rich in the "natural assets" found within the National Park System, but inadequate funding by Congress is threatening the core health of that system, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

Four Men Given Jail Time For Digging Up Gingseng In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by NPT Staff on November 8, 2011 - 1:54am
Jail terms ranging from 15 days to 120 days were handed to four men convicted of digging ginseng in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Stretches Of Blue Ridge Parkway To Be Closed For Months For Work on Historic Guardrails

Submitted by NPT Staff on November 2, 2011 - 1:44am
Planning to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway in the months to come? Be sure to bring your roadmap, as construction work along three stretches in North Carolina will impede your progress.

Joshua Tree National Park Abandons General Management Plan Revision, Blue Ridge Parkway Proceeding With Its GMP

Submitted by NPT Staff on November 1, 2011 - 1:37am
While Joshua Tree National Park officials have abandoned efforts to revise their long-range General Management Plan, preferring instead to focus on specific issues, Blue Ridge Parkway officials are moving ahead with their own GMP.

Backroads and Byways – Balsam Mountain Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Submitted by Jim Burnett on October 16, 2011 - 12:47am
If you're looking for an alternative to the more heavily-traveled roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, here's a great option for the fall color season, or for a late spring or summer drive next year: the Balsam Mountain Road.