If you get off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 217 at its junction with N.C. Highway 18 and drive about 15 minutes west to Sparta, you'll find the Alleghany Inn, a nice, reasonably priced family stopover. This 64-room pleasantly furnished modern motel is open year round. One efficiency is also available. A conference center is a recent addition to the inn.
Smoking is permitted.
Here, rangers provide interpretive talks around an outdoor fireplace in the patio area. The accommodations are comfortable, with lots of amenities like private baths and large closets in each room. Just across the road is the Bluffs Lodge Coffee Shop. Some people consider rocking chairs a way of getting fit. Others want something a little more heart pumping.