Each autumn, as if on a pilgrimage, people visit the Appalachian Mountains to witness the splendor that only Mother Nature can provide. The fall vistas of the Blue Ridge Parkway never disappoint, though they are sometimes unpredictable. Beauty can be found everywhere, regardless of the weather.
The Blue Ridge Parkway spans 469 miles, winding from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains near Tennessee. The iconic Linn Cove viaduct, an engineering marvel that winds around the flank of Grandfather Mountain State Park, is one of the most heavily visited spots.
Accessible by car, bike, motorcycle or foot, the parkway offers anyone a chance to gaze at a changing landscape that won't last long. As the hunter's moon rises in October, tourists hurry to take in the sights before winter closes in and sends most people back inside until spring.
![Freshly fallen leaves glide along Boone Fork Creek which flows along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
Freshly fallen leaves glide along Boone Fork Creek which flows along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![Fog lies in the valleys as the sun comes up along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
Fog lies in the valleys as the sun comes up along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![Fog settles on Price Lake as Grandfather Mountain glows in morning light while the sun rises along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
Fog settles on Price Lake as Grandfather Mountain glows in morning light while the sun rises along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![Morning fog settles on Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, as autumn colors are reflected in the lake. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
Morning fog settles on Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, as autumn colors are reflected in the lake. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![A fallen leaf settles in the Linville River along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville Falls, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, as autumn closes in on the North Carolina highlands. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
A fallen leaf settles in the Linville River along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville Falls, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, as autumn closes in on the North Carolina highlands. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![People take in the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from atop Grandfather Mountain near Linville, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, as autumn arrives in the highlands. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
People take in the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from atop Grandfather Mountain near Linville, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, as autumn arrives in the highlands. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![A tourist looks out over the Blue Ridge Mountains near Boone, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, as autumn begins to blanket the highlands. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
A tourist looks out over the Blue Ridge Mountains near Boone, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, as autumn begins to blanket the highlands. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![Trees begin to show their autumn colors as tourists walk along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
Trees begin to show their autumn colors as tourists walk along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
![A couple takes photos as the sun rises at Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, as autumn closes in. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)]()
A couple takes photos as the sun rises at Price Lake along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Blowing Rock, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021, as autumn closes in. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
