Nominal fee charged. Open year-round, weather permitting. Permits are required May through October for weekends and holidays. The number of permits issued is limited, so it's best to call ahead. Stays are limited to three days and two nights, and groups are not permitted to exceed 10 people.
Admission is free.
Call the U.S. Forest Service at 652-2144. At Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 331 features more than 300 varieties of minerals. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Admission is free. At milepost 355 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is the highest peak east of the Mississippi.