Before and after views of a vista clearing project at Greenstone Overlook, just south of Humpback Rocks.
NPS photo
The designers of the Blue Ridge Parkway gave careful consideration to scenic vistas when they laid out the route for the road in the 1930s. They mindfully located hundreds of overlooks to provide the best views possible and to create the impression that the park's boundaries stretched to the horizon.
In the eight decades since the parkway was built however, trees surrounding overlooks have grown, obstructing the views. Maintaining and restoring vistas throughout the park is an on-going challenge.
When determining what vegetation to remove to reopen overgrown vistas, managers must keep in mind parkway designers' original intent for the road, while also considering natural resource protection in this biologically diverse park. In the early days of the parkway, as it was being planned, designers created meticulously hand-drawn maps called Park Land Use Maps, or PLUMs. These highly detailed maps indicate sightlines from vistas, as well as significant features of the view. Using the original PLUM drawings as guidelines, arborists carefully select which trees to prune or remove to open the view.
In recent years, neighboring communities and parkway partner organizations have provided funding for vista restoration. Several counties, including Haywood and Watagua counties in North Carolina, donate funds through their Tourism Development Authorities. Donated funds are used to bring highly skilled arborists to the park to clear selected overlooks.
The views from the parkway before and after vista clearing at Milepost 43 (left) and Milepost 1 (right) in Virginia.
