BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY, NC (May 17, 2017)…The camping experience at Julian Price Park Campground is going to get even better this year with the addition of a new shower facility funded by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Thanks to support from donors, the new amenity will open later this summer at the popular campground at milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The building will house six shower stalls for campers at the popular 197-site campground. The addition will be a great complement to Julian Price Park Memorial Park, which offers hiking, fishing, an amphitheater, canoe rentals, and more. Mount Pisgah Campground, milepost 408, is the only other campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway to feature showers.
“We are so honored to play a role in improving the largest and one of the most popular campgrounds on the Parkway,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. “Creating amenities that enhance the overall experience of visitors is one of the cornerstones of our mission.”
Atriax Group of Hickory, N.C., is handling design and construction in collaboration with the National Park Service.
Julian Price Memorial Park and neighboring Moses H. Cone Memorial Park comprise the largest developed area set aside for public recreation on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Reservations for the campground can be made at www.recreation.gov.
About the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the primary nonprofit fundraising partner, 501(c)(3), of the Blue Ridge Parkway, helping ensure cultural and historical preservation, natural resource protection, educational outreach, and visitor enjoyment now and for future generations. The Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Since its inception in 1997, the nonprofit has worked with donors to invest more than $12 million in critical projects along the scenic road. For more information, visit www.brpfoundation.org.
About the Blue Ridge Parkway
The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park to the north with Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south. The route travels the crests, ridges, and valleys of five major mountain ranges, encompassing several geographic and vegetative zones ranging from 600 to more than 6,000 feet above sea level. It provides visitors with many varied vistas of scenic Appalachian landscapes ranging from forested ridgetops and mountain slopes to rural farm lands and urban areas. The parkway offers a “ride-a-while, stop-a-while” experience that includes scenic pullouts, recreation areas, historic sites, and visitor contact stations. It is known nationally and internationally for its designed landscape as a scenic motorway.