Visitor Amenities

Doughton Park is a beloved spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it is difficult to enjoy the picnic area here in its current run-down condition. The picnic tables and walkways date back to the 1940s and ’50s and are in severe disrepair. We will fund a rehabilitation of the area to replace tables and address crumbling stonework, flagstone walks, and fire pits.

FUNDED! There's a new bridge on Grassy Gap Trail. In the past, the crossing over Basin Creek was often difficult, with only a long, precarious log spanning the waterway for hikers. Thanks to generous donations to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation by members of the Piedmont Hiking and Outing Club, a 30-foot bridge now makes the trek safer and more accessible for everyone.

FUNDED! Those who hike the section of the Mountains to Sea Trail near Blowing Rock have likely encountered the dangerous and seasonally impassible crossing at Boone Fork Creek. To remedy the problem, the Friends of the North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail secured a grant of $200,000 to build a pedestrian bridge. The Foundation will provide a match of $50,000 for construction and engineering costs to make this trail linked to the Blue Ridge Parkway a safe and enjoyable hike. Construction will begin on this project in early 2016.