Mount Pisgah Picnic Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway

The Mount Pisgah Picnic Area is typically open from mid-may until the end of the October. The exact dates of operation change each year, so before heading out on a picnic, be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

To reach the picnic tables at the Mount Pisgah Picnic Area you must hike from one of two large parking lots for about 150 yards up a steep hill through the woods on either an earthen trail (at the north parking lot) or a paved path located next to a vehicle road (south parking lot). No tables or other facilities can be seen from the parking lot. This makes Mount Pisgah the least convenient picnicking spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The vehicle gate is for National Park Service vehicles. It is never open.

Road and paved path to the Mount Pisgah Picnic Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Both the hiking trail and the paved path spill out onto a large field where roughly two dozen tables are located along the perimeter, some in the shade of the nearby trees, some out in the open sunshine. Grills are available, but not one per table. The field is hilly, so you can’t start up a soccer game, but there’s plenty of room to throw a Frisbee or football. There is a modern restroom facility available. All tables are taken on a first come, first served basis.

Picnic tables at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Mount Pisgah Picnic Area are located around the perimeter of a large field

While there are no tables specifically designated for disabled visitors, there are two situated on cement pads near to where the paved path first emerges from the woods. The problem, as mentioned, is that it’s a pretty steep climb from the parking lot, paved path or no paved path. Anyone in a wheelchair would have to be either a Paralympian or have somebody push him or her to the top. Those using a walker need to avoid this facility.

Handicap table at Mount Pisgah Picnic Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway

If you walk the length of the field, probably another 200 yards, you will find roughly a dozen more tables and grills located in the woods. The ground is free of brush, so it’s not like being in a jungle, but you will be out of the sun.

Wooded area of the Mount Pisgah Picnic Area on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Next Stop South | Next Stop North | Mount Pisgah Recreation Area | Picnic Areas

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