BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, N.C. — Visitors said they love coming to the Blue Ridge Parkway to see views and beat the heat during the summer. However, they also said they had no idea about the closings on the parkway until they got here.
It was not what Janice McGhee wanted to see another closed visitors center along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Not only visitor centers but also several campgrounds and picnic area in North Carolina and Virginia will not open this year as part of the sequestration cuts.
"It is hard. If you need a stop or a stretch or a bathroom you can't find one. We drove 60 miles before we found one," McGhee said.
In North Carolina, the Jeffress Park, Doughton Park and Crabtree Falls Picnic areas will not open this summer. No one will be allowed to use the 92 campsites that sit a short hike from the Crabtree Falls.
The campground usually filled with families during the summer months is deserted and overgrown with weeds.
"It is kind of sad to see this because it is such a beautiful place to come and ride. You take a week off from work and see stuff that is closed," visitor Richard Keenan said.
Park rangers said they were forced to cut $784,000 from the budget. Not only are several campgrounds and visitor centers closed but also summer staffing has been reduced.
Park rangers said there are 40 fewer positions along the Blue Ridge Parkway this year than compared with last year.
Closings on Blue Ridge Parkway affects visitors
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