2025 Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smokies Lead Nation Despite Historic Shutdown
By Marge | Published 2026-03-21T15:55:01.550Z
News
Location: Asheville, NC, Virginia, Western North Carolina, central Appalachia
Blue Ridge Parkway tops NPS visits in 2025 with 16.5M! Asheville's backyard boosts WNC economy despite challenges. Plan your trip!
Blue Ridge Parkway & Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- Western North Carolina and East Tennessee’s natural landmarks proved their resilience in 2025, according to new data released by the National Park Service (NPS). The Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park once again emerged as the most-visited destinations in the country, even as the agency navigated a historic 43-day partial government shutdown and significant post-Helene recovery efforts.Across its 406 reportin
Keywords: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville, tourism, National Park Service, WNC, economic impact, North Carolina, park visitation