Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (Milepost 364)

About Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (Milepost 364)

The small, historic visitor center and America's National Parks store is nestled in the gap between the rocky, Craggy Mountains. At over 5,000 feet elevation, harsh weather often invades these exposed ridges, resulting in the gnarled forests of beech, birch, and buckeye. These summits have been home to some of the most spectacular rhododendron displays along the Parkway corridor.

How to Get There

Craggy Gardens is located 20 miles north of our Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (MP 384) and 18 miles north of the Folk Art Center (MP 382), with the drive taking about a half hour. If you take Ox Creek Rd (MP 375) up from Weaverville it takes about 15 minutes on the Parkway.Craggy Gardens is about a half hour drive south of Mount Mitchell, the tallest mountain in eastern North America. Mount Mitchell's access road (NC-128) turns off the Parkway at MP 355.

Plan Your Visit to Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (Milepost 364)

Heading to Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (Milepost 364)? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)