Blue Ridge Parkway - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 1054

oftenfoundalongtheRichlandBalsamnaturetrail,amongthemveeries,winterwrens,and
dark-eyed juncos. Ravens tumble and soar overhead, voicing their hoarse, croaking call.
ThedeadFraserfirsinthisforest,whichstandoutlikeghostlysentinels,werekilledby
a tiny insect called the balsam woolly adelgid. Accidentally imported to the United States
fromEuropearound1908,theinsecthasdestroyedanenormousnumberoftheadultfirsin
places along the parkway. Scientists have been unable to develop a practical control meth-
od; the hope is that surviving trees will develop a natural resistance to the pest.
22. Waterrock Knob
Descending steadily as it nears its southern terminus, the parkway snakes past Waterrock
Knob,alandmarkvaluedsincepioneerdaysforitsmountainside spring.Sixmilesbeyond,
the drive enters the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Cherokees have lived in these highlands
for untold generations, and their heritage is evident in the names of dozens of local
places,includingnearbyLakeJunaluska,theTuckaseigeeRiver,andtheNantahalaNation-
al Forest.
23. Heintooga Ridge Spur Road
Turning north off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 458, this spur road takes visitors to
famed Mile-High Overlook, which, true to its name, is perched at an elevation of 5,280
feet.CommandingthehorizonarethetallpeaksoftheGreatSmokyMountains—mostnot-
ably Clingmans Dome, Mt. LeConte, and Mt. Guyot. The spur road continues to Balsam
Mountain Campground and Heintooga Overlook.
Backtracking to the main parkway, the drive winds ever downward along wooded
ridges,passingthroughfivemoretunnelsbeforecrossingtheOconalufteeRiverandreach-
ing its end point near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National
Park.Thevastwildernesspreserve,oneofAmerica'sloveliestshowcasesofnaturalbeauty,
serves as an apt climax to this long journey on the venerable—and memorable—Blue
Ridge Parkway.