<P> Major trees include oak, hickory, and tulip tree at lower elevations and buckeye and ash in the middle, turning into conifers such as fir and spruce at the highest elevations on the parkway . Trees near ridges, peaks, and passes (often called gaps or notches) are often distorted and even contorted by the wind, and persistent rime ice is deposited by passing clouds in the winter . </P> <P> The Blue Ridge Parkway tunnels were constructed through the rock--one in Virginia and twenty - five in North Carolina . Sections of the parkway near the tunnels are often closed in winter . (Due to dripping groundwater from above, freezing temperatures, and the lack of sunlight, ice often accumulates inside these areas even when the surrounding areas are above freezing .) The highest point on the parkway (south of Waynesville, near Mount Pisgah in North Carolina) is 6,053 feet (1,845 m) above sea level on Richland Balsam at Milepost 431, and is often closed from November to April due to inclement weather such as snow, fog, and even freezing fog from low clouds . The parkway is carried across streams, railway ravines and cross roads by 168 bridges and six viaducts . </P> <P> The parkway runs from the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Virginia at Rockfish Gap to U.S. Route 441 at Oconaluftee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, North Carolina . There is no fee for using the parkway; however, commercial vehicles are prohibited without approval from the Park Service Headquarters, near Asheville, North Carolina . The roadway is not maintained in the winter, and sections which pass over especially high elevations and through tunnels are often impassable and therefore closed from late fall through early spring . Weather is extremely variable in the mountains, so conditions and closures often change rapidly . The speed limit is never higher than 45 mph (72 km / h) and lower in some sections . </P> <P> The parkway uses short side roads to connect to other highways, and there are no direct interchanges with Interstate Highways, making it possible to enjoy wildlife and other scenery without stopping for cross-traffic . Mileposts along the parkway start at zero at the northeast end in Virginia and count to 469 at the southern end in North Carolina . The mileposts can be found on the right - hand side of the road while traveling southbound on the parkway . Major towns and cities along the way include Waynesboro, Roanoke, and Galax in Virginia; and in North Carolina, Boone and Asheville, where it runs across the property of the Biltmore Estate . The Blue Ridge Music Center (also part of the park) is located in Galax, and Mount Mitchell (the highest point in eastern North America) is only accessible via a state highway (NC 128) from the parkway at milepost 355.4 . </P>

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