Driving Through Time: The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway is a virtual trip through the history of this beautiful 469-mile “elongated park.” Conceived during the depths of the Great Depression as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and completed in 1987, the Parkway continues to evolve through its ever-changing relationships with surrounding communities, landowners, and the public. The park winds its way through 17 North Carolina and 12 Virginia counties, numerous communities, and countless different southern Appalachian landscapes. Its economic, social, and psychic impact on the region has been profound.