During the partial shutdown of the federal government, nobody could drive on Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park because it was closed. That did not stop the people who travel every October to see the fall colors. They used the Blue Ridge Parkway (pictured) as a substitute. The National Park Service estimates 1.66 million people traveled along the Blue Ridge Parkway. That figure is 2% higher than the totals for October 2012. Many of those drivers appear to have just taken day trips, because there were big declines at lodges and campgrounds.
Blue Ridge Parkway Had More Usage In October