High Mountain Wilderness Views The southernmost stretch of the Parkway, between Asheville and the Great Smokies, boasts the highest peaks on the Parkway--Waterrock Knob and Richland Balsam. Here, the Parkway climbs to 6,047 feet, the highest point along the 469-mile motor road, and you will drive at elevations above 4,000 feet, with many miles above 5,000 feet. During the winter, because of the extreme cold at these high elevations, this part of the Parkway is closed more often than the rest of the Parkway. The classic Parkway postcard scene--ridgeline after ridgeline shrouded with fog--can be found from overlooks along this section. Many overlooks afford extensive views of the Great Smokies, but unfortunately, due to high elevations, the views are often lost in clouds. This section is wild, traveling along portions of Pisgah and Nantahala national forests for most of its length. Remote, with only a half dozen road crossings in 75 miles, and with towns usually 15 to 25 miles down the mountain, this part of the Parkway is also rugged, located high on a ledge and composed of many rocky cliff faces. Leaving Asheville and heading south, the Parkway climbs from the French Broad River to traverse three ranges--the Pisgah Ledge, the Great Balsams, and the Plott Balsams.

The last 10 miles run along ridges northwest of the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Reaching the Oconaluftee River, the motor road''s southern terminus, the Parkway meets the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The long trails in this section are more isolated than other Parkway trails and include the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) and Shut-in Trail. The Parkway also provides access to Pisgah National Forest and Shining Rock Wilderness Area trails. Shut-in Trail, in Vanderbilt''s day, extended from the Biltmore House in Asheville to Buck Springs Hunting Lodge near Mount Pisgah. Because this national recreation trail, first built in the 1890s, was not preserved, volunteers rebuilt original sections and created new sections, bringing Shut-in Trail back to life. The trail, now part of the MST, runs for 16.3 miles, crisscrossing the Parkway several times, from Bent Creek (milepost 393.

6) to Buck Springs Gap Overlook (milepost 407.6). The elevation rises from 2,025 feet at the French Broad River to nearly 5,000 feet at Mount Pisgah. The trail is named for the limited, or shut-in, views along the footpath caused by the dense thickets of rhododendrons. 393.5 French Broad River This river was called the French Broad to distinguish it from the Broad River. The "French" reflects that the area into which the river drained was French- and Native American-held at the time. The Cherokee had several names for this river, including Tah-kee-os-tee, or "racing waters," as well as Poe-li-co, Agiqua, and Zillicoah.

You can access the Mountains-to-Sea Trail here. 393.6 NC 191 Nine miles to Asheville; 18 miles to Hendersonville. There is a three-sided wayside exhibit here about the Blue Ridge Parkway. Access to the North Carolina Arboretum is on the exit ramp to NC 191. The North Carolina Arboretum The arboretum is a member of the National Center for Plant Conservation, a network of 36 public gardens in the United States that participate in conserving rare or endangered plant species. Along with a visitor education center and greenhouse, and 65 acres of formal and naturalized gardens, including a Bonsai Exhibition Garden, the grounds provide varied opportunities for hiking, biking, walking, and running. Open daily, the arboretum also has a gift shop and restaurant.

For additional information, call (828) 665-2492 or visit www.ncarboretum.org. 393.8 View French Broad The French Broad originates near Rosman, North Carolina, where the north, west, middle, and east forks of the river join. The river flows north and west for 187 miles through North Carolina and into Tennessee to Douglas Lake. Fur traders named the river using the second word to depict its vast width and the first word to distinguish it from another waterway in English territory. 396.

4 View Walnut Cove Here, you will find a grove of walnut trees and a good view of the French Broad River Valley. 397.1 Grassy Knob Tunnel This tunnel is among the Parkway''s longest at 770 feet.