Flora & Fauna

The abundance of flora and fauna found on the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of its greatest attractions for visitors. Visitors can come at any time of year and see something extraordinary, and residents can be swept through the seasons by appreciating the Parkway’s natural offerings.

Hundreds of uniquely beautiful wildflowers bloom throughout the spring and summer, vividly colorful leaves turn throughout the fall, and snow and ice cover and soften the landscape through the winter.

Deer sightings are common yet always breathtaking, black bears meander through the woods, and occasionally among the more common sightings will be rarer glimpses of the bog turtle or Heller’s blazing star. A visitor can see thousands of species if they know where and how to look.