Tag Archives: tunnels

TUNNELS OF THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY: FRYING PAN & DEVIL’S COURTHOUSE TUNNELS

Posted on by Posted in A Little Different, Mountains .

FRYING PAN TUNNEL ON THE BRP IN NC

Cold Mountain
NC
Source: commons

Moving up to Milepost 410.1, you will find Frying Pan Tunnel. This one comes in at 577′ in length, and a low of 13’8″ and a high of 19’9″ in heights.
What’s in the neighborhood, you ask?
At Milepost 408.6, you have Mount PIsgah.
At 409.3, you can view Funnel Top.
Milepost 410 has the Graveyard Fields waterfalls
At 411, you can enjoy the Cradle of Forestry overlook.
And at 411.9, you will be able to see Cold Mountain, made famous by the book and movie by the same name.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a commons photo of this tunnel, so I have attached some photos of surrounding areas. I did find a video, but the particular one I located did not seem appropriate for the page.

Graveyard Fields waterfall
NC
Source: commons

Mount Pisgah
NC
Source: commons

 

DEVIL’S COURTHOUSE TUNNEL ON THE BRP IN NC

Devil’s Courthouse Tunnel
Blue Ridge Parkway
NC
source: commons

Our travels tonight take us to Milepost 422.1, and the Devil’s Courthouse Tunnel.
Coming in for length at 665′, this one ranges from 14’2″ to 19′ in heights
So let’s see what is in this area…starting with Milepost 418.8, you have the well known Graveyard Fields
At 419.4, John Rock
At Milepost 421.7, you can enjoy the Fetterbush overlook
And at 422.4, you will be able to see the Devil’s Courthouse, itself.

Graveyard Fields
Blue Ridge Parkway
NC
source: commons

Devil’s Courthouse overlook
Blue Ridge Parkway
NC
source: commons

Tunnels of the NC BRP: Little Switzerland and Wildacres

Posted on by Posted in Mountains, Of Special Interest .

Little Switzerland Tunnel
Blue Ridge Parkway
North Carolina
source: commons

LITTLE SWITZERLAND TUNNEL ON THE BRP OF NC

Our first tunnel on this post is the Little Switzerland tunnel. This particular one is 630 feet long, and located near Milepost 333.1. The height varies from 13’7″ to 19’1″
Location is near Spruce Pine in Mitchell County.
Did you know the Parkway almost didn’t come to Little Switzerland at all? You can learn more about it here:

In this area, you will find the following:
331: NC 226 Crossover. 6 mi. north to Spruce Pine, 14 mi. south to Marion.
331: Museum of North Carolina Minerals, which is home to over 300 different gems and minerals.  Junction of Parkway & NC 226.  County Chamber of Commerce Office. Restrooms. Open daily year around.
331: Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail  “Stretching 330 miles through four states (Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina) the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail traces the route used by patriot militia during the pivotal Kings Mountain campaign of 1780. Follow the campaign by utilizing a Commemorative Motor Route which uses existing state highways marked with the distinctive trail logo, or 87 miles of walkable pathways.”   Route crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway at Gillespie Gap, near the Mineral Museum. Administered by the National Park Service.
334: NC 226A Crossover to Little Switzerland
info from the following sources:

Blue Ridge Parkway
Virtual Blue Ridge

 

WILDACRES TUNNEL ON THE BRP OF NC

Wildacres is 330′ long, and height ranges from 13’1″ to 19’10”
What will you find nearby?
At milepost 334, NC 226 A will access Little Switzerland
Milepost 339.5 offers not only Crabtree Falls, but also hiking, camping, and a picnic area on 250 acres.
Milepost 340.3 also will access both Crabtree Falls and the campground..
This link has a beautiful photo of the tunnel on it

Three Knobs Overlook and Wildacres Tunnel 11-22-2015

Tunnels of the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC: Rough Ridge and Twin Tunnels

Posted on by Posted in Mountains, Of Special Interest .

ROUGH RIDGE TUNNEL ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY IN NORTH CAROLINA

Rough Ridge Tunnel
Early photo
Milepost 349 on the BRP

Rough Ridge Tunnel
Milepost 349 on the BRP
source: commons

The Rough Ridge Tunnel can be found at milepost 349. It’s a fairly short tunnel at 150′, with heights reaching from 13’9 to 21’6″
There is nothing directly near this milepost, but just a few short moments away you have the Buck Creek Gap and NC 80 Crossover, where you are only 16 miles to the north for Burnsville, and 16 miles to the south for Marion
Up a little further is milepost 355.4: lots to see and do here: Mount Mitchell State Park, with an observation tower, tent camping, picnic areas, a Natural History Museum, and a restaurant that is open from May to October.
I personally have visited this restaurant, and the food is good, and you can also pick up a few small gift type items here.
Attached are two photos..although the older one was not dated, I wanted to show the differences between then and now. The Rough Ridge Tunnel was excavated in 1936.

TWIN TUNNELS ON THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY IN NORTH CAROLINA

These particular tunnels are referred to as the Twin Tunnels, as they are located so close to each other.   One is south, and one is north:
Twin Tunnel North is located at milepost 344.5, and is a 300′ stretch..with a heights ranging from 16′ to 21′
Twin Tunnel South is located at milepost 344.7, is a whopping 401′, and has heights ranging from 14’7″ to 19’7″
The above video gives you an idea of just how close these two are.