Little Parkway
Little Parkway is a State Scenic Byway in North Carolina. Within North Carolina it covers roughly 19 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Little Parkway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Little Parkway follows the historic Yonahlossee Trail for 18.5 miles along Grandfather Mountain, linking Linville and Blowing Rock in the North Carolina High Country. Built in 1889 by laborers and mules as a private toll road, the Yonahlossee Trail was the primary route connecting the resort town of Linville to rail service at Blowing Rock decades before the Blue Ridge Parkway was finally completed through the area in 1987, which is how this older road earned its nickname as the 'little parkway.' Today the route follows US 221 through Avery, Caldwell, and Watauga counties, passing Linville Falls and Caverns, the back entrance to the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, and long stretches with Grandfather Mountain rising just off the shoulder. Picnic areas and trailheads line the drive, and the views of the surrounding Blue Ridge peaks rival those of the newer parkway it once stood in for. It's a fitting detour for travelers who want Blue Ridge Parkway scenery without the seasonal closures the parkway itself is prone to.
- Linville to Blowing Rock
- 18.5 miles on US 221
- historic Yonahlossee Trail (built 1889)
- Grandfather Mountain
- Linville Falls and Caverns
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
Plan a drive on Little Parkway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Little Parkway
2 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Little Parkway.
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