Doughton Park, Thunder Ridge Wilderness

Doughton Park is the largest recreation area the National Park Service manages on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is located between mile markers 238.5 - 244.7 on the border between Wilkes and Alleghany Counties in North Carolina. Doughton Park consists of highland meadows with numerous scenic overlooks, miles of walking and hiking trails, areas for camping and cookouts, and it is one of the few areas on the Parkway that has a restaurant along with an adjacent visitors center maintained by the National Park Service. Elevations in Doughton Park usually range from 3,500 to 4,000 feet. The park is named after North Carolina politician Robert L. Doughton, who lived in nearby Laurel Springs, North Carolina and who as a US Congressman played a key role in the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1930s. ()