The National Park Service opened just over 55 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway this week after Helene caused damage to the roadway when it moved through western North Carolina a month ago.

What You Need To Know

  • The opened sections are Milepost 411.8 through 421 and Milepost 423.2 through 469

  • Officials asks visitors to use extreme caution on reopened trails

  • The Devil's Courthouse is closed for permanent reconstruction

The reopened sections of the parkway are:

  • Milepost 411.8 through 421, from U.S. 276 to Black Balsam Knob in Asheville
  • Milepost 423.2 through 469, from N.C. 215 to U.S. 441 in Cherokee, N.C., near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance

All trails and trail crossings within the above mileposts are also open. Officials ask people to use extreme caution when traveling on them, according to a news release from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A landslide caused by Helene between milepost 421 and 423.2 has caused the continued closure of the roadway, including Devil’s Courthouse, officials said. Most of the parkway is still closed while crews work to remove fallen trees and debris and block off sections of the road that require significant repair.

Devil’s Courthouse is expected to be closed to develop and apply plans for permanent reconstruction.

“The Parkway is an important travel corridor for our surrounding communities and a treasured recreation destination. Opening these additional miles of the parkway in North Carolina is an important step forward, but much work remains. We ask that visitors stay out of the Devil’s Courthouse area and all other closed sections, even on foot, for their own safety. Any public use behind closed gates, including hiking and biking, puts workers and visitors at risk,” Tracy Swartout, the Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent, said.

The parkway and surrounding trails’ conditions are expected to continue changing over the next months. Officials ask visitors to be prepared for the changes and to let others know of their trip before it happens for safety reasons.

Those who use the opened trails are asked to be cautious and aware of damage such as fallen or leaning trees, washouts, and hazards caused by landslides, the release said.

More information about updates and conditions on the parkway can be found at www.nps.gov/blri and the parkway’s social media pages.