[Updated June 17, 2022] When we drove up the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina for the first time, we didn’t have much time to plan our trip because a plumbing issue forced us to vacate our home for 4 days.
Starting at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Milepost 469.1), we gradually made our way north on the world-renowned scenic route, stopping at every single overlook along the way.
By the time we reached our turn-around point at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park in Blowing Rock (Milepost 294.1), we were blown away by the number of majestic mountains, wondrous waterfalls, and jaw-dropping vistas we’d seen.
We knew we’d need a lot more time to explore popular spots such as Craggy Gardens, Graveyard Fields, Mt. Mitchell, and Rough Ridge.
We added hiking trails such as Crabtree Falls and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and tiny towns like Little Switzerland and Spruce Pine to our list of things to do on future visits.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of that first Blue Ridge Parkway road trip was how few hotels, B&Bs, and cabin rental options there were along the 469-mile route.
And also how beautiful the roads were that led from the BRP down to the Blue Ridge mountain towns that feed into it.
After driving the Parkway for the sixth time earlier this year, we’ve assembled a list of our favorite NC and VA lodging options, including numerous pet-friendly places.
Read on for our guide to the best Blue Ridge Parkway hotels, cabin rentals, and B&Bs in North Carolina and Virginia, including options in mountain towns spanning almost the entire length of the route.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Treehouse Rentals in the North Carolina Mountains
Best Blue Ridge Parkway Hotels & Cabin Rentals Guide
- Black Walnut Inn (Asheville NC)
- Chetola Resort (Blowing Rock NC)
- Cumberland Falls B&B (Asheville NC)
- Engadine Inn & Cabins (Candler NC)
- Mena’s Place (Banner Elk NC))
- Papa Bear Log Cabin (Linville Falls NC)
- The Perry House Bed & Breakfast (Banner Elk NC)
- Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast (Asheville NC)
- Reems Creek Ranch Cabins (Weaverville NC)
- Sugar Mountain Condo (Sugar Mountain NC)
- Mountain Springs Cabins (Asheville NC)
- Meadowbrook Inn (Blowing Rock NC)
- Peaks of Otter Lodge (Bedford VA)
- Steeles Tavern Manor (Steeles Tavern VA)
- Wintergreen Resort (Nellysford VA)
1. Black Walnut Inn (Asheville NC)
288 Montford Avenue, Asheville NC • 828-254-3878 • OFFICAL SITE
Check Rates: Black Walnut Inn via Booking.com
Located 6 miles from the Parkway in downtown Asheville‘s Montford Historic District (which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the Black Walnut Bed and Breakfast Inn was built in 1899.
Like many of the best Asheville B&Bs, it was designed by Richard Sharp-Smith, who was also the supervising architect for the world-renowned Biltmore House.
So it includes intriguing details such as half-timbering, a pebbledash (a.k.a. roughcast) exterior, and the original diamond-paned windows.
Former owners Lori and Peter White began restoring the home to its former glory after they bought it in 2004, adding AC, Wifi, private en-suite bathrooms, and creating two additional rooms from the old Carriage House.
Now owned by Alicia Wilson, the Black Walnut Inn B&B offers eight guest rooms (most of which include fireplaces), including the pet-friendly rooms in the restored Carriage House.
Their guests are also treated to excellent breakfasts in the antique-filled dining room, as well as afternoon tea served with tasty homemade treats.
READ MORE: The Top 10 Treehouse Rentals near Asheville NC
2. Chetola Resort (Blowing Rock NC)
185 Chetola Lake Drive, Blowing Rock NC • 800-243-8652 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Chetola Resort Lodge or Chetola Resort Condos
Located less than 2 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Chetola Resort, Lodge & Spa‘s history dates back to 1846, long before the famous road was built.
After the Civil War, the original owner turned his home into a boarding house, which became known as a summer resort called Silverlake. In 1926, the estate was purchased by J. Luther Snyder (“Coca-Cola King of the Carolinas”), a popular civic leader whose heirs owned the property until 1972.
Chetola Resort’s development as a major Blue Ridge Mountain attraction began in the 1980s. New construction included an elegant lodge; one-, two, and three-bedroom condos; and meeting facilities for up to 150 people.
In 2004, the historic Manor Estate House became the luxurious 8-room Bob Timberlake Inn, and Chetola became an Orvis-endorsed Fly Fishing Lodge. The Spa at Chetola Resort opened in 2009, with a heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, and fitness rooms adjacent to it.
Recent upgrades to one of our favorite Blue Ridge Parkway hotels include the culinary offerings of Timberlake’s Restaurant, the 67-acre Chetola Sporting Reserve, and the renovation of the Chetola Lodge’s first floor in 2019.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Things to Do in Blowing Rock NC
3. Cumberland Falls Bed & Breakfast Inn (Asheville NC)
254 Cumberland Avenue, Asheville NC • 828-253-4085 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Cumberland Falls Bed & Breakfast Inn via Booking.com
Another Montford area B&B, Cumberland Falls is located around 6 miles from the BRP and just a 15-minute walk from some of the best Downtown Asheville restaurants.
Tucked back from the street, with a lushly landscaped garden surrounded by trees, it feels like a shady oasis in the heart of a bustling Blue Ridge Mountain town.
Each of the B&B’s 6 guest rooms has its own unique decor style, from the stately antiques of the Victorian Parlor and the earth tone hues of the Garden Vista to the alcoves and skylights of the top-floor Daydream Room.
Their 3-course breakfast was one of the best we’ve had in Asheville, and it’s worth taking time to explore the 3/4-acre garden, which features native wildflowers, a fire pit, and two koi ponds with small waterfalls between them.
For a special treat, check out The Spa Under the Falls, Cumberland Falls’ on-site spa. They offer a variety of different massage styles and foot bath services starting at $125 per person.
READ MORE: The 30 Best Things to Do in Asheville NC
4. Engadine Inn & Cabins (Candler NC)
2630 Smokey Park Highway, Candler NC • 828-633-1110 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Engadine Inn & Cabin prices on Booking.com
Located 18 miles north of the BRP and west of Asheville, Engadine Inn & Cabins offers some of the few pet-friendly Blue Ridge Parkway cabins we were able to find available for our late October road trip to see NC’s Fall colors.
Built by Captain John Keais Hoyt in 1885 and named after the Engadine Valley in Switzerland, this Queen Anne-style Victorian house remained a private home until 1994, when it was restored, decorated, and turned into an Inn.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, the Engadine Inn offers 5 bed-and-breakfast rooms, including one suite. All rooms include luxury linens, television, central heat and AC, fireplace, free WiFi, and a two-course breakfast served in the dining room.
They also offer six gorgeously appointed log cabins, which range in size from two to six people. All of the Engadine cabins include full eat-in kitchens, television, heat and AC, a seasonally operated fireplace, and free WiFi.
We especially loved their communal outdoor space, which included intimate lighting at night, a fire pit, and stunning scenic views of two Western North Carolina mountains.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Waynesville NC
5. Mena’s Place (Banner Elk NC)
627 Main Street East, Banner Elk NC • 828-387-1209 • OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Located about 10 miles from the Parkway and Grandfather Mountain State Park, and walking distance from the heart of Banner Elk, Mena’s Place makes an excellent base for exploring the best the NC High Country has to offer.
Built on Main St in 1939, the historic 2-bedroom home has been lovingly restored while also preserving charming original features such as the hardwood floors, doors, knobs, wainscoting, and master bathtub.
We loved the comfy beds, cozy living room (which centers around a gas log fireplace), updated kitchen, and especially the expansive back deck, which overlooks a cow pasture strewn with wildflowers.
Drinking coffee while greeting the cows each morning was our favorite thing about Mena’s Place, but we also enjoyed how accessible it was to the area’s myriad outdoor attractions (including Otter Falls and Elk River Falls).
It’s also close to some of the best places for skiing in North Carolina, including Beech Mountain, Blowing Rock, Sugar Mountain, and Seven Devils.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Banner Elk NC
6. Papa Bear Log Cabin (Linville Falls NC)
8420 Highway 183 East, Newland NC • 828-765-9701 • OFFICIAL SITE
As we explore the entire Blue Ridge region for this site, we’re also searching for a place to call home in the not-too-distant feature.
Located just under two miles from the BRP, the Papa Bear Log Cabin was the closest thing we’ve found to our dream mountain home. Tucked away in a quiet stretch of forest, it felt like having a little nature sanctuary all to ourselves.
Another of the rare pet-friendly Blue Ridge Parkway cabins we’ve visited, the 2-bedroom, 2-bath cabin balanced rustic mountain lodge decor with all the amenities you need (full kitchen, heat/AC, gas log fireplace, TV, etc).
Our favorite feature was the MASSIVE back patio. It offered a perfect place to enjoy our meals al fresco while watching the endless array of North Carolina birds, butterflies, and other wildlife that flitted through the forest.
We also loved the proximity to the area’s attractions, with Duggers Creek Falls, Linville Falls, Linville Caverns, and the Linville Gorge Wilderness, all within a few miles!
READ MORE: The 15 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Waterfalls in North Carolina
7. The Perry House Bed & Breakfast (Banner Elk NC)
53 Klonteska Dr, Banner Elk NC • 828-898-3535 • OFFICIAL SITE
Located in the heart of Banner Elk about 10 miles from the Parkway, the Perry House B&B is situated on a hill that affords incredible views of Sugar Mountain and Grandfather Mountain.
The Banner Elk bed and breakfast was built in 1901, then restored in the style of a charming country inn (complete with custom-designed furniture by Carl and Jim Stanton of Linville NC) in the late 1990s.
The Perry House offers five rooms, each of which features a Queen-sized bed, en suite bathroom, flat screen TV, and WiFi. We stayed in the Betsy Room (one of four rooms upstairs), which offers a slightly larger bathroom and an excellent overview of downtown Banner Elk.
This was one of the coziest Blue Ridge Parkway lodging options we’ve ever stayed in, with innkeepers Mike and Robin Dunn making everyone feel at home. The living room is stocked with coffee, hot cocoa, and snacks; their fridge (which guests are allowed to use) has sodas; and the front porch rocking chairs urge you to sit a spell.
The couple also owns Dunn’s Deli, where breakfast is served up for mid-week guests (weekend guests are served breakfast in the B&B’s dining room).
It’s one of the best restaurants in Banner Elk, and made for a hearty meal before we hit the local hiking trails.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Blue Ridge Parkway Hikes for NC Day Trips
8. Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast (Asheville NC)
249 Cumberland Ave, Asheville NC • 828-281-4275 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Pinecrest Bed & Breakfast on Booking.com
The third Asheville bed and breakfast on our list, the Pinecrest B&B in Montford is another home designed by Biltmore architect Richard Sharp Smith.
Built in 1905, the symmetrical two-story house has polygonal towers framing a central entrance bay. It features many of the Smith’s signatures, which included shingles, pebble dash, rubble masonry, and stucco.
Pinecrest offers 5 rooms, three of which are suites. All rooms include WiFi, flat screen HDTV, private bath, Turkish towels, spa-style robes, quality toiletries, AC/Heat, a mini fridge, and a HEPA Air Purifier.
Guests are served a delicious gourmet breakfast every morning, as well as a homemade afternoon dessert. There’s a Keurig and cold beverages on the sun porch, as well as a tranquil 1-acre garden with myriad seating options.
The B&B is also close to most of the downtown Asheville attractions, including the Grove Arcade, River Arts District, and popular Asheville breweries such as Green Man, Hi-Wire, and Wicked Weed.
READ MORE: The 15 Best VRBO Cabins in Asheville NC
9. Miner’s Cabin on Reems Creek (Weaverville NC)
1129 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville NC • 619-894-6045
Check Rates: Miner’s Cabin on Reems Creek via AirBnB
Located less than 5 miles from the scenic highway, this pet-friendly cabin in Weaverville NC ultimately proved to be one of our favorite places to stay on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The 6-acre property’s location is amazing. The rustic cabin is literally right on Reems Creek, with a picturesque pasture visible from the back deck and the owners’ duck pond steps away from the front deck.
The outside dates back to the 1940s, but the 468-sq-foot interior has been completely remodeled. It includes a Queen bed, kitchenette, cozy living room area, heat/AC, and a posh bathroom with luxury toiletries.
The property (which rents for $115/night on AirBnB) is especially great for animal lovers.
The owners’ dogs and pot-bellied pig are particularly friendly; the cow pasture with mountains behind it make for stunning sunset photos; and the fog rolling off the duck pond made mornings look magical.
It’s also just a few miles from downtown Weaverville, which boasts loads of lovely shops, art galleries, and restaurants as well as two gorgeous town parks.
READ MORE: The 20 Best Western NC Small Towns To Visit (and Live In!)
10. Dog-Friendly Sugar Mountain Condo (Sugar Mountain NC)
Skyleaf C-17, Sugar Mountain NC
Check Rates: Dog Friendly Sugar Mountain Condo via VRBO
After a long day of exploring some of our favorite Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks in NC, we made our way down the side of a mountain, through a forest whose autumn leaves glowed like colorful gems against the evening sky.
The drive to the resort village of Sugar Mountain was just as picturesque as the Parkway had been, with Grandfather Mountain looming large as we made our way down NC-105.
The back deck of this dog-friendly, 1BR/1BA condo offered exceptional views of the sunset and Grandfather’s iconic peak. The place also offered a fully-equipped kitchen, king-sized bed, sleeper sofa, and Wifi.
The nearby Sugar Mountain Resort boasts an outdoor skating rink, snow tubing, mountain bike tours, and a full golf course.
Grandfather Mountain State Park and the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge are just 10 miles away, and Boone NC is less than 15 miles away.
READ MORE: The Best Places For Snow Skiing in North Carolina
11. Mountain Springs Cabins (Asheville NC)
27 Emma’s Cove Rd, Asheville NC • 828-665-1004 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Mountain Springs Cabins via Booking.com
Located off Pisgah Hwy about 8 miles from the BRP and 10 miles from the Mt Pisgah Trailhead, Mountain Springs Cabins offers cute tiny homes, yurts, and fully equipped cabins on their 50-acre property.
Though the address may say “Asheville,” it feels far removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown Asheville, with a creek behind the rustic cabins that’s perfect for river tubing, fishing, or just wading on a hot summer’s day.
Their pet-friendly cabins can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 9 people, with cozy porches, full kitchens, gas log fireplaces, books and games, and numerous other amenities.
Our favorite activity was simply having our morning coffee on the back porch, whose exceptional views of the creek and surrounding forest made it feel like a romantic getaway for nature lovers.
We also loved the easy access it provided to the BRP, the Hominy Valley Singing Grounds, and Pisgah View State Park (the newest of the NC State Parks).
READ MORE: The 20 Best North Carolina Music Festivals in 2022
12. Meadowbrook Inn (Blowing Rock NC)
711 Main Street, Blowing Rock NC • 828-295-4300 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Meadowbrook Inn via Booking.com
Located 2 miles from the BRP, and just one mile from Moses Cone Park’s Bass Lake (one of our favorite lakes in North Carolina), the Meadowbrook Inn is an upscale boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Blowing Rock.
This exceptional location is within easy walking distance of great restaurants (Hellbender, The Best Cellar, Storie Street Grille), Broyhill Park, and loads of great shopping, museums, and other popular Blowing Rock attractions.
The hotel features 62 spacious rooms that mix traditional furniture and modern amenities.
Our large King Suite also had a huge living room, whirlpool tub, wet bar, flat screen TVs, and direct access to an outdoor patio with gorgeous views of the pond.
Other amenities of this charming Blowing Rock hotel include an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, complimentary hot breakfast, and free WiFi.
READ MORE: The Best Restaurants in Blowing Rock NC for Foodies
13. Peaks of Otter Lodge (Bedford VA)
85554 Blue Ridge Parkway, Bedford VA • 866-387-9905 • OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Located at Milepost 85.6, about 11 miles north of Bedford VA, the Peaks of Otter Lodge is one of just a few hotels and lodges that are situated right off the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The others include the Switzerland Inn in Little Switzerland, and the Pisgah Inn in Pisgah National Forest.
Opened in 1964 on the picturesque shores of Abbott Lake, the historic lodge has 63 rooms, most of which offer breathtaking views of Sharp Top Mountain.
The rooms are charming but basic, with coffeemakers and flatscreen TVs, but no cell/Wifi service. Our favorite part was the private balcony, which proved the perfect place to watch the sun setting over the mountains.
The lodge has a really nice restaurant, full bar, and walking trails around the beautiful lake. It’s also close to several great BRP hiking trails and waterfalls, as well Johnson’s Orchards and the Peaks of Otter Winery.
READ MORE: The 15 Best NC Wineries to Visit
14. Steeles Tavern Manor (Steeles Tavern VA)
8400 N Lee Hwy, Steeles Tavern VA • 540-377-9494 • OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Check Rates: Steels Tavern Manor via Booking.com
Located about 17 miles north of Lexington VA and less than 6 miles west of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Steeles Tavern Manor is the perfect place for anyone who wants that “getting away from it all” feeling.
Ranked as the best Bed & Breakfast in Virginia on TripAdvisor, the 106-year-old manor house boasts 50 pastoral acres that includes a spring-fed pond, small creek, in-ground pool, and beautiful views.
Owners Dana and Trey Tumminello serve up the best breakfast we had in Rockbridge County, with ingredients sourced directly from Shenandoah Valley farms and markets.
Their Shenandoah Valley cabin rentals provide an intimate experience. We stayed in the pet-friendly Pond View Cabin, watching cows grazing in the pasture behind the pond while soaking in a hot tub and sipping morning coffee.
We spent one night in the cabin and one in the B&B, and would highly recommend both.
READ MORE: The 15 Best Things to Do in Lexington VA & Natural Bridge VA
15. Wintergreen Resort (Nellysford VA)
39 Mountain Inn Loop, Nellysford VA • 434-325-2200 • OFFICIAL SITE
Check Rates: Wintergreen Resort via Booking.com
Located about 18 miles south of Waynesboro VA, less than 4 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Wintergreen Resort is the largest ski resort in Virginia.
The accommodations range from the Mountain Inn and condominium rentals to private homes and exclusive properties, with amenities such as a luxury spa, fitness center, indoor pool, and tennis courts.
They have 26 slopes and cross-country trails ranging from beginner to expert levels, with a high-tech snowmaking system and the largest snow tubing course in the state of Virginia.
There are tons of things to do at Wintergreen Resort, including concerts and theatrical performances, hiking trails, the kid-friendly Discovery Ridge Adventure Center, and several great restaurants.
It’s also a great base for exploring the northernmost section of the BRP, with nearby attractions including Humpback Rocks, Crabtree Falls, and Sherando Lake (one of our favorite lakes in Virginia). –by Bret Love; all photos by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett unless otherwise noted
