Walking the Broken Blue Ridge Parkway

Hurricane Helene left the Blue Ridge Parkway ravaged and in need of major repairs. Trees are snapped, banks have collapsed, and roads need major debris removal.
We were afforded the opportunity to hike the a small portion of the #blueridgeparkway just above Asheville at the Town Mountain Rd access.
The videos do not do it justice. The sights are truly breathtaking, beautiful, and all together heartbreaking.

[@leolionroarrrrrrr5509]

The blue ridge mountains? I had a friend show me them once. Nice scenery

[@tdelphia1]

I live on the West coast now, but went to school in Knoxville and spent many happy times in the Smokies and driving the Blue Ridge. Your emotions mirror mine when a favorite area here burns in a wildfire and I know that if it fully recovers, it won't be in my lifetime. I am truly sorry for the loss (of beauty, of infrastructure, and all the poor souls).

[@vf5126]

A problem with the Parkway is, not only is it on a ridge, it’s mature trees have no protection as much of the adjoining land is no longer forested..

[@dorothymiller2650]

What a total mess looks like a tornado went straight though.

[@jacktaggart2489]

The magnificent Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive were products of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. It will take major efforts by the Park Service and great expense to restore the BRP. Fortunately, the temperate forests heal relatively quickly. Nature just trims the forests periodically. The beloved and majestic Black Mountains have stood the test of many generations and have remained lofty sentinels in the Southern Appalachians for all of us to continue to enjoy. Thanks for posting!

[@ThomasBranson-yv5ub]

I was camping above the Blue Ridge parkway when this storm hit. It was devastating. After the storm I hiked down to the parkway and I was in disbelief. My beloved mountains was destroyed. My daughter told me stay put that she was on her way to get me. I am a Batt. Fire and Rescue Chief and I had to get back to North Carolina and help my family and friends. I pray for the people that call the mountains home as I do. It was terrible.

[@davidmccartney7577]

Nooooo, that’s nature at work🥴

[@janethompson2305]

Even if it IS Nature at work, it's still devastating & shocking. U can't deny that 😢❤ God bless Ur broken hearts🙏🤲🕊✝️😇🕯🌸🌻🩷

[@kenwbrenner]

H. Thanks for this video. I'm a big fan of the Blue Ridge Parkway and hope they are able to get it re-opened soon. Seeing the downed trees makes me realize how bad it probably is on the AT in western NC, eastern TN, and southwest VA. God Bless to all who were so badly affected by the storm!

[@SmokyMountainBlessed]

it's very sad, we have enjoyed many drives on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I hope the bears and wildlife survived and the parkway is repaired quickly

[@missingutah]

That looks like tornado damage! Holy cow! What a shame.

[@pttpforever]

Thank you for going up there and showing us. I think it was PBS who produced a documentary about how that road was built by the WPA and a LOT of local men during the Great Depression. Doing that put food on their family's tables all up and down it for quite some time. It sure seems to me something similar should be done to restore it and all highways that let everyone get to it. The truly sad part of this is that winter will be here soon. That road is closed in the winter because it gets too snow covered and icy for travel...or work .

[@timothyupleger7007]

My heart hurts at seeing this destruction. The Blueridge Parkway is my favorite route to motorcycle tour. I've been up and down it 15 times. Nature can be brutal. It also heals itself in time. God bless you all down there. You're in my prayers.

[@erikpeterson25]

Thx for this...the Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Treasure .....very sad to see this destruction ❤

[@cathylarkins9949]

Golly never thought I’d see the Blue Ridge look like this😢

[@MountainsRiverSea]

😭all those beautiful hardwoods ! 😢💔

[@dirtyhandshomestead7839]

I know! Generational oaks snapped in half. Powerful storm!

[@iridescentchick3133]

Sad to see the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway so devastated. It will take years for the trees to grow and the rhododendrons to bloom. Thanks for sharing this video. 😢

[@brotherlittlefoot2216]

I live near Balsam and do Sasquatch/Sabe research up on the PW and in many other places. I can't even get to many families to see how they survived. A family on a local river that was washed out told me last night that they lost some family members when the storm came. It's like waiting just to find out if my family is still alive,but I am getting as close as I can. Thanks for sharing..

[@Howard-bj1jq]

I read in the Richmond paper that BRP in VA is open. What a mess around Ashville, however.

[@donutman48]

On the Bright side, once this all recovers and in time it will,the view just got opened up.

[@jackieturner5145]

We said the same thing. Their overlooks had become so overgrown. Hate it happened this way though

[@mlbrooks4066]

Reminds me of how the whole state of South Carolina looked after Hugo many years ago. Road signs twisted off. Trees twisted off. I worked for a power company up north and we sent crews down to help because every single power pole the electric company had in SC was down. Every single pole. It took a while but they recovered tho I hear they had damage from Helene too.

[@CaptainGoldbeered]

We had a lot of trees down in the upstate so a lot of power lines were down too. We got more wind than anything. We had some flooding and some bridges are out but nothing compared to WNC and southern TN. I feel for them, they got absolutely pummeled because of all the rain and subsequent flooding.

[@ervinslens]

Nature is sometimes unpredictable and so powerful! Nice episode man!

[@luckyotter623]

The BRP is one of my favorite places in the world too. So heartbreaking to see it like this. On the bright side, there are so many trees down it looks like some new views opened up - not that anyone can see them. Hopefully they will be able to reopen it in time for spring.

[@my4hvids]

I think it'll take decades for some areas to recover. The number of mature trees down is so sad

[@APhotographerTravels2025JohnMc]

Yes it’s a beautiful place it well grow back. I keep thinking about the farms and ranches below in the valleys of this parkway. It woul help if got off that parkway go down and record the homes and farms so we far away can see damage don’t so we direct are donations to where its need. This parkway should be the last place that needs attention, of course power lines and a passable road are needed Thanks for the video.

[@HelenBurns-y8c]

My heart hurts. The level of destruction climbs daily.

[@mondocjenson-dy8zd]

You got that right.

[@sue8344]

This makes me so sad . I live 2 miles from the arboretum and heading up to Mt Pisgah was something I did at least on e a week

[@rpinkham5416]

Seeing this broke my heart. Thinking of all who have lost everything.

[@MaconMedia]

This view reinforces my thoughts that the next few fire seasons in western North Carolina are going to be brutal as the fallen trees season and dry out.

[@thomasmint1761]

??

[@tina8796]

This seems like it could take years not months to clean up and get back to some type of normalcy. Mother Nature is the Boss. I'm so sad about all of the tragedies associated with this storm

[@donnacochran3335]

Looks like tornado damage there on the way up to the top of the mountain.

[@1daffodill]

I wonder about the via duct area of the blue ridge too

[@kowashy03]

Amazingly the linn cove viaduct probably held up the best out of the parts I have seen. As of today you can drive from blowing rock to the end of the viaduct. However! The BRP just south of the viaduct near linville is in pieces. Parts of the road have slipped down the mountains. And even worse, maybe the worst on the whole parkway is the highway 80S intersection with the BRP. Countless sections will need complete rebuilding and potentially a few new bridges. That's how much land slid out at the top of 80/parkway entrance.

[@XCBen]

In 100 years, you won't even notice the scaring.

[@allenrhys844]

Mother Nature is trying to get our attention, by tearing apart one of the garden spots of our planet. As climate change continues to change these storms, this will get worse not better. We're not listening to the message.

[@SaxonTerror]

​@@allenrhys844well found the liberal in the comments

[@caryvielhauer9743]

@@allenrhys844 More like government manipulation. They own patents on weather modification and use it for their benefit and big money. Thems hills are full of LITHIUM, SILICA, and other toxic things. There is the message! And they want to stir it up and ruin those beautiful valleys!

[@daisyb282]

@@allenrhys844yea, those haarp machines sure can heat up things, don’t they?

[@daisyb282]

@@caryvielhauer9743they want it all for themselves.

[@Naturedrawn]

Thanks for this. What milepost were you on? As a landscape designer I see possibility for opening up the vista even more. And in time you’ll not even know anything happened. Have faith in nature 🙏

[@janicebrinson5940]

My heart is broken.

[@jolynbranch1211]

Thank you for sharing this with us. October is always our month to be in the mountains and the BRP is our favorite place. I’m so sad we won’t be able to be on the parkway as usual this year, and my heart aches for all the people whose lives have been devastated. Even though it’s a shocking sight, I appreciate being able to see what it’s actually like right now, and to see the mountains, as beautiful as always in the distance.

[@nonaccount4684]

Still beautiful

[@joanh295]

When they told us the mountain winds were going to be bad.....well they were right.

[@sue8344]

At what milepost was this?

[@selainebarron]

Heartbreaking. May God be with the victims and those coming to their rescue.

[@chipcromer]

What section is this?

[@dirtyhandshomestead7839]

This is at the end of Town Mountain Rd, not far from downtown Asheville. I’m not sure what Mike post but it’s above Asheville, Tunnel Rd area.

[@Panzer_the_Merganser]

@@dirtyhandshomestead7839That’s around MP 375 then. I thought that’s where you were, but selfishly hoped you weren’t. I know that stretch up through Craggie Gardens like the back of my hand, and this devastation (aside from the huge loss of life) is absolutely heartbreaking. It’ll be decades before things look even remotely close to how they used to be (those huge oaks and tulip poplars are a tremendous loss) Thanks for posting this I’d been dreading seeing the carnage, but now I have and can move on. Thanks again and best of luck.

[@chrisvalery3678]

Can't imagine how Mt Pisgah and Mitchell fared

[@mikeinch3690]

I live on Mt Pisgah. Trust me when I tell you. It's bad beyond belief. I'm at 3000 feet elevation. In about 30 mins. I can be at the highest point which is over 6000 feet. Boulders the size of a bus imbedded in the road.

[@Panzer_the_Merganser]

@@mikeinch3690 Ah damn. I figured it was bad both directions from Asheville, but wasn’t sure.

[@celiaannnc]

What did this? Straight line winds? Water? Looks like tornado damage!

[@pamelamcgurk2101]

I vote for the answer to what did this -- yes all of it except all the conspiracy garbage.

[@royreynolds108]

lBoth.

[@daisyb282]

Add weapons from the sky. Those weapons can mimic tornado damage.

[@graalcloud]

Jewish directed energy weapons

[@dwightforeman1258]

What do you mean by it’s eight days post Helene what does that have anything to do with it? This is the reality of a hurricane my friend.

[@albinoyak2755]

Just water back after 20 days!

[@absoluteelectricandmainten7432]

Is this part of the section that was closed when you videoed it?

[@1daffodill]

Thanks for the video. So much destruction. In time this will b back. I know ow it won’t b the same but God will c to it. It’s his creation.

[@KOOLBadger]

I was suppose to drive it on the 20th of Oct.😢

[@denisestarr2314]

Sad

[@epichaloclips]

The highest wind gusts of Helene did this.

[@SaxonTerror]

Nooooo really????

[@daisyb282]

Add weapons from the skies that can destroy and there you go!

[@pikayell]

Wow, nice hiking. Don't have to dodge all the usual traffic.

[@oxpack]

Depending on how closed it actually is, might be best time ever for biking it - no cars! Often it is closed but not really. But sometimes closed can mean a night in jail if you cross the line. Best to ask. Sad the freddies will likely say too dangerous. They’ve never biked with distracted drivers buzzing you. So it goes.

[@Gunga-ct9nz]

Our ancestors built and our current federal government can not maintain it

[@gottasay4766]

But the guvmint is maintaining it. What are you taking about?

[@celiaannnc]

I was on it in August. It was great. The government didn't do this.

[@robertard4610]

Nice try commrade.

[@Panzer_the_Merganser]

@@Gunga-ct9nz Federal government has always had the parks as an afterthought. Their entire budget is less than 1% of annal Federal spending, going back decades. Even though these parks are a shining example of what’s right with this country, they are held together with a shoestring budget.

[@merlelowe2368]

It seems it now takes longer to repair roads than it took to build them originally. I expect the repairs to the BRP to take years to complete, if ever.

[@Skiers8564]

Tornados

[@Itsmeagain828]

So whos is checking the integrity of the bridge at Grandfather?

[@elizam2119]

If you are talking about the Viaduct, that will be the NCDOT and the Parkway staff. NCDOT are holy terrors in my experience (former park ranger :) )

[@graalcloud]

From what I saw the viaduct section of the parkway is fine and is already open again

[@jeclose]

To be honest, it doesn't look that bad.

[@thomasmint1761]

Completely agree. Hardly “broken”

[@CaptainGoldbeered]

This video doesn’t show the major damage that has it closed.

[@walkinghills]

Trust me; it looks a lot worse in person. I live here and have taken many photos but they never show the massive destruction that it really is. Especially when you know what it looked like before. This type of disaster has never happened before in western NC.

[@gfl1957]

Unsafe and illegal to do this. Federal charges.

[@shelly2251]

And that's safe how?

[@MrMrsregor]

What are you talking about? Why are people obsessed with every thing being unsafe? He is literally just walking down a road that is closed and looking at fallen trees… the danger is over ?

[@rickss69]

Cut those trees back from the roadway and utility lines and you have very little downtime from storms. This is not rocket science.

[@STho205]

Then it would be the Blue Ridge Interstate Highway...aka I40 which itself was broken in three places. Keep studying, you might get a job at Boeing with such logic

[@Titus2BibleStudy]

There are parts of the road that completely washed away. This area may just be downed trees, but other sections are much worse.

[@graalcloud]

The truth is it used to be cleared like you're saying at one point but environmentalist tree huggers wanted to keep every tree possible so now you get less of a view at many overlooks and then this happens.

[@echt114]

@@Titus2BibleStudy Where specifically is it washed away? They've already opened almost all of it from Asheville to US 441 near Smoky Mtn National Park.