Doughton Park is a high, open stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway where the forest gives way to long grassy balds and the whole of the North Carolina Piedmont seems to lie below you. It is the biggest recreation area on the northern half of the Parkway, with an altitude of roughly 1,000 to 1,200 metres, and it is named for Robert Doughton, a congressman from the area known as Muley Bob, who helped push the Parkway through Congress in the 1930s. The Parkway itself, built between 1935 and 1987, is the longest linear park in the United States, a ribbon of road that follows the crest of the southern Appalachians for nearly 470 miles.
The park has a gentle, pastoral feel. Old pastures, stone walls and split-rail fences recall the mountain farms that once covered the area, and the Brinegar Cabin, a small log home at the park's edge, has been preserved to show how a family lived and worked here, with a weaving demonstration in summer. Walking trails lead out along the ridge to overlooks with broad views, and in late spring the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom. In autumn, the hillsides turn orange and red, and the park gets busier.
Riding the Parkway is a particular pleasure, and a particular discipline. The speed limit is 45 miles an hour, and rangers enforce it, with no commercial traffic, no signs or billboards, and no stoplights. The road curves gently with the contours of the ridge, and the surface is mostly smooth, with long views and plenty of overlooks. The main hazards are fog, which can come in thick on the ridges, slow-moving cars, deer, and wet leaves in autumn. Parts of the Parkway close in winter for ice and snow, and landslides or storms can close other sections, so check the National Park Service for the current status before you go.
A lodge and restaurant in the park are sometimes open in the season, serving hearty Southern cooking like fried chicken, country ham and blackberry cobbler, but hours are limited, and it is wise to bring snacks and water. Mornings are often cool and misty, with the sun burning through by noon.