35 miles along America's favourite scenic drive, from the Appalachian craft traditions of the Folk Art Center to the highest peak east of the Mississippi. Depression-era workers carved tunnels with pickaxes, rhododendrons bloom purple in June, and the summit spruce-fir forest is a remnant of the Ice Age.

Stops on This Tour (6)

1. 1
   Folk Art Center (Milepost 382) Start. Home of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, founded 1930. Appalachian craft traditions (woodworking, weaving, pottery) displayed and sold.
2. 2
   Craggy Gardens Tunnel The parkway was built by hand during the Depression. Workers earned $30/month. This tunnel was carved through solid rock with pickaxes.
3. 3
   Craggy Gardens Overlook In June, the rhododendron bloom turns this ridge purple. The balds (treeless mountaintops) are a botanical mystery — nobody knows exactly why trees don't grow here.
4. 4
   Glassmine Falls Overlook (MP 361) 800-foot waterfall visible across the valley. Called "Glassmine" because mica deposits on the cliffs glitter like glass in sunlight.
5. 5
   Mt Mitchell State Park Entrance Turnoff from parkway. Mt Mitchell is 6,684 feet — the highest point east of the Mississippi. Named for Elisha Mitchell, who died falling off it while trying to prove its height in 1857.
6. 6
   Mt Mitchell Summit The observation tower. On clear days, visibility is 85+ miles. The spruce-fir forest here is a remnant of the Ice Age — these trees are more common in Canada.

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