Blue Ridge Parkway Association Launches Mobile Travel App

Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway now have a new mobile tool to help them plan a trip. The app is called “Blue Ridge Parkway – Travel Planner.”

It includes GPS mapping capabilities for hundreds of points of interest along the Parkway, historical information, lodging and camping options, major hiking trail descriptions, and visitor services on the Parkway. Notably, dozens of adjacent communities are included in this app – giving visitors a full picture of the importance of this historic byway to surrounding regions.

Parkway Superintendent Phil Francis encouraged developing this technology to address some of the feedback received as part of the Parkway’s 75th anniversary in 2010. Visitors desire real time information for navigating through the region. Adjacent communities want to make sure Parkway visitors know what’s available in their communities. New mobile technologies provide the perfect solution for meeting these needs. Francis states “As an official partner organization of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Parkway Association is uniquely qualified to bring the navigation of the Parkway and surrounding region to a mobile platform. We’re excited to explore all the possibilities this new technology provides.”

There is no charge to download the “Blue Ridge Parkway – Travel Planner” and it’s available on both Android™ and iPhone® platforms. Download links are available at www.blueridgeparkway.org/mobileapp.