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Craggy Gardens

Photo: Kadoka1 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Mountains

Craggy Gardens

Asheville, NC · Western North CarolinaFreeFree; no fee to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway

About

Craggy Gardens, at milepost 364 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, is thick with Catawba rhododendron that usually blooms pink and purple in June. Sunrise and sunset draw people up, and you'll want a layer after dark. From the upper level of the Craggy Dome Parking Overlook, the Craggy Pinnacle Trail is about a 20-minute walk through rhododendron tunnels to a 360-degree view; stay inside the rock wall at the top, which protects rare plants.

Highlights

Catawba rhododendron bloom in JuneCraggy Pinnacle, 20 minutes to a 360-degree viewBlue Ridge Parkway milepost 364Popular at sunrise and sunset

Getting there

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