Full Rooms and a Full Parking Lot: How the Pisgah Inn Came Back After Helene

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  October 4, 2026

The hotel filled up on the first night. That was April 1 of this year at the Pisgah Inn, which opened along the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1966. Owner Bruce O'Connell put it plainly: the parkway was completely open, and the business came back with a vengeance. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-rebounds-visitors-return-blue-ridge-parkway-hurricane-tropical-storm-helene-damage-recovery-reopening-tourism-asheville-business; https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-reopens-seasonal-2026-oct-31-april-business-weather-blue-ridge-parkway-tourism-visitors-restaurant-reservations-community)

The road to get here was a long one.

Ten Days of Silence on the Mountain

When Helene hit in September 2024, the inn was evacuated before the storm. What came next was isolation. O'Connell says his first thought was "Where's the Park Service?" because he could not reach anybody there. No ranger, no superintendent, nobody, for at least 10 days. He says he understands that. But they were on their own up there. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-rebounds-visitors-return-blue-ridge-parkway-hurricane-tropical-storm-helene-damage-recovery-reopening-tourism-asheville-business)

The storm also took the inn's busiest month. When the storm hit, the inn had to close and missed its busiest month, which was October. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-sees-surge-visitors-blue-ridge-parkway-reopens-year-long-closure-hurricane-helene-asheville-jeep-tours-us-forest-service-hotel-gates-open-water-spigot-storm-reems-creek-fire-department-leaf-changin-season)

A Slow 2025 and a Spigot That Finally Opened

The parkway did not come back all at once. The National Park Service worked through an initial round of recovery projects addressing multiple landslides on the parkway in North Carolina, restoring road access through a phased system. On August 22, 2025, it announced an opening it called another important step in that work, and it expected the remaining repair project on the southern section, for a slide near milepost 421, to be complete that summer as well. The park noted that remoteness, challenging terrain, and reduced construction seasons due to ice and winter weather at higher elevations all make the work complex. (Source: https://www.nps.gov/blri/learn/news/completion-of-road-project-at-milepost-401-5-provides-access-to-a-38-mile-corridor-on-the-blue-ridge-parkway-between-asheville-and-mount-pisgah.htm)

As sections of the parkway that had been closed for almost a year after Helene reopened in time for leaf-peeping season, O'Connell described it as turning on a water spigot. From the moment the gates opened, the traffic increased. The hotel was full. The parking lot was full all day. Even so, he hoped to make up for lost ground but did not expect that to happen that year. Good years, bad years, he said. The bills would get paid, the employees would get their bonuses, and he would be okay. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-sees-surge-visitors-blue-ridge-parkway-reopens-year-long-closure-hurricane-helene-asheville-jeep-tours-us-forest-service-hotel-gates-open-water-spigot-storm-reems-creek-fire-department-leaf-changin-season)

The 2025 season was a bit slow overall, with portions of the parkway still closed, and O'Connell said Asheville's loss of tourism traffic impacted traffic on the parkway and, in turn, the inn. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-rebounds-visitors-return-blue-ridge-parkway-hurricane-tropical-storm-helene-damage-recovery-reopening-tourism-asheville-business)

The 2026 Season Is a Different Story

This year started well. The inn opened on April 1, and O'Connell said the weather was perfect for the time of year. The hotel filled up its first night, and the owners said that bodes well for the future of the inn and the region. At opening, rooms were available and the restaurant was open for reservations. The inn is open seasonally from April 1 through October 31. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-reopens-seasonal-2026-oct-31-april-business-weather-blue-ridge-parkway-tourism-visitors-restaurant-reservations-community)

O'Connell thinks there was some pent-up demand. The inn employs about 65 people and sees thousands of visitors every season. He says people from all over the country and world tell him the same thing, that it is the most beautiful place they have ever seen. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-rebounds-visitors-return-blue-ridge-parkway-hurricane-tropical-storm-helene-damage-recovery-reopening-tourism-asheville-business)

What Visitors Are Saying

Marc Biscador, visiting from the Netherlands with his wife, called it paradise. He talked about the nature, the peace, and the silence. "It's a beautiful country," he said. (Source: https://wlos.com/news/local/pisgah-inn-rebounds-visitors-return-blue-ridge-parkway-hurricane-tropical-storm-helene-damage-recovery-reopening-tourism-asheville-business)

If you are planning a drive, the Park Service asks visitors to plan carefully, consult its website for planning tools, and respect remaining closures. Trail assessments were still underway as of August 2025, and hikers may encounter hazards on trails such as landslides, tree debris, and washed-out sections or bridges. As of Oct. 4, 2026, the Park Service lists the Parkway as open from Highway 74 near Asheville south past the inn to U.S. 441, with the remaining Helene closures farther north between Linville Falls and Mount Mitchell State Park. The park's website provides current road status, regional maps, and recovery information at go.nps.gov/Helene. (Source: https://www.nps.gov/blri/learn/news/completion-of-road-project-at-milepost-401-5-provides-access-to-a-38-mile-corridor-on-the-blue-ridge-parkway-between-asheville-and-mount-pisgah.htm)

 

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Pisgah Inn open?

The Pisgah Inn operates seasonally from April 1 through October 31, so the 2026 season runs through the end of this month. It opened on schedule on April 1, 2026, and its restaurant was open for reservations.

Is the Blue Ridge Parkway open near the Pisgah Inn after Helene?

Yes. As of Oct. 4, 2026, the Park Service's road status table lists every segment from Highway 74 near Asheville south past the Pisgah Inn to U.S. 441 as open. The remaining Helene closures are farther north, between Linville Falls and Mount Mitchell State Park. The park's website, go.nps.gov/Helene, provides current road status, regional maps, and other information about the park's recovery.

How did Hurricane Helene affect the Pisgah Inn?

The inn was evacuated before the storm hit in September 2024, and O'Connell says there was no contact with anybody from the Park Service for at least 10 days. The inn had to close and missed its busiest month, October. The 2025 season was a bit slow as portions of the parkway remained closed, and O'Connell said Asheville's loss of tourism traffic impacted traffic on the parkway and the inn.