Milepost 431, on Richard Balsam Mountain, is the highest point of the parkway. Kristina Plaas photo. National Park Service Logo. The parkway passes through six mountain chains in the Appalachians. From Virginia, the first 355 miles follow the Blue Ridge Mountains. Near Asheville, North Carolina, the parkway winds through the Black Mountains, the Craggies, the Pigsahs, and the Balsams. The parkway ends at the Great Smokies in North Carolina. Mountains - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)