Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Deposit

The Blue Ridge Parkway is arguably America’s best cycling route. It is closed to all commercial traffic and has a speed limit of 45 miles an hour, keeping big vehicles off the road and cars going relatively slow. The 469-mile scenic route takes you and your bike between Rockfish Gap, VA and Cherokee, NC. The route is the longest planned road in the US, with construction starting in 1935 and ending in 1987. The park was built with the intent to allow visitors to be “gorged on scenery,” with “one panorama following right on another.” The rhythm of the road for cyclists is the ever changing landscape and variety of visual experiences.

Concurrent with these views lies a formidable perspective. This is perhaps Threshold Academy’s most difficult tour. The route consists of four different terrains: the Ridge (miles 0-106), the Plateau (106-217), the Highlands (217-340) and the Pisgah (340-469), with the Ridge and Plateau located in Virginia and the Highlands and Pisgah located in North Carolina. Not counting getting on and off the parkway itself, guests will vertically climb 48,722 feet, riding 3 to 6 hours each day. Our detailed itinerary is thoughtfully planned, as there are very limited facilities for food and lodging along the parkway. Our reservations are made months in advance to accommodate everyone, and we must go everyday. That means “toughness” will play a role as the day progresses and your body fatigues.

We start each morning with breakfast, and we distribute daily route information and points of interest. We use the parkway’s mile markers to let you know where we will stop to regroup as well as take in refreshments. We point out the lunch stop for you and confirm expected arrival times and any weather that may be in the forecast. We point out the day’s climbs, especially the categorized ones, and we share with you our experience from previous rides. You need not get permission to stop and take in some views, grab a picture and chat with your peers. On a bike , the Blue Ridge Parkway is this crown jewel of our park system and has no equal.