Cross Country Ski The Viaduct (Boone Winter Adventures; Blue Ridge Parkway): In the winter, when snow blankets the mountains and valleys of the High Country, there are few places more beautiful to take in the view than the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain. What makes the area even more special is the chance to ski over the Linn Cove Viaduct, an engineering marvel heralded for the way it snakes around the steep slopes of Grandfather Mountain. The viaduct, which was completed in 1987 at a cost of $10 million, is a 1,243-foot-long bridge that marked the last section of the parkway to be completed. Locals enjoy skiing on the parkway because the flatter gradient offers skiers a chance to get into the kick-and-glide rhythm that embodies what the sport is all about: moving easily through deep terrain in beautiful snow.
Directions from Boone: Take Hwy 105 S for 16.9 miles to left on US 221. Head 3 miles to turn onto the Parkway (closed during winter months, but parking is available at intersection of U.S. 221 & the Blue Ridge Parkway). Head south 0.1 mile to a left turn into the Beacon Heights Overlook at milepost 305.2 which makes a great starting point to head North toward the Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Click Here For Google Directions)
