Blue Ridge Parkway Sees Over 14 Million Visits In 2020

Despite impacts from road closures and the coronavirus pandemic, more than 14 million people visited the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2020.  

The pandemic may have had some impact on park visitation, as 2020's numbers represent an overall 6% decrease from recreational visits in 2019. 

But according to a news release, the Parkway still took the top spot in National Park Service visitation as one of only three sites that received more than 10 million visits.

And there was a slight increase in visits from September through December of 2020, compared to the previous year.

The parkway remains open year-round, weather permitting, although the traditional visitor season begins in the spring and continues through the fall.

The nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park experienced its second-busiest year on record in 2020, with over 12 million visits.

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