Parking
Small roadside pull-off at Puckett Cabin on the Blue Ridge Parkway at MP 189.9 near Groundhog Mountain; roughly half a dozen spaces.
Overview
About Puckett Cabin Trail
This is a very short, mostly level walk from the Puckett Cabin pull-off on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the historic cabin grounds at Milepost 189.9 near Groundhog Mountain. The National Park Service preserves the cabin as a tribute to Orlean (Orelena) Hawks Puckett, an Appalachian midwife who assisted at more than 1,000 births. Expect a quiet grassy setting, split-rail fencing, and a small interpretive stop rather than a conventional trail hike.
Why go
- Interpretive signs bring Orlean Puckett’s story to life on site
- Easy, flat add-on stop near Groundhog Mountain overlooks
Heads up
- Extremely short—more a roadside historic stop than a hike
- Very limited parking that can fill during busy Parkway hours
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation2,861–2,864 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Puckett Cabin Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourRecorded for this area
Groundhog Mountain Overlook and its Historic TowerListen
“The area coming up is Groundhog Mountain Overlook, which offers more than just a roadside view. The main feature is an old wooden observation tower from the 1940s that you can climb for a much better perspective.”
Plays on the road 1.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Whistle-Pigs of Groundhog Mountain: The Parkway’s True Hibernators
- Orchard Gap’s Apple Belt
- Bobcats of the Blue Ridge: Ghosts of the Fencerows
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
Hiking Puckett Cabin Trail
Length and DifficultyPlan on about 0.
Plan on about 0.05 miles total and roughly 10 minutes, including time to read the wayside and walk around the exterior. The stored line represents the short physical corridor once; the length is the visitor's out-and-back distance. The route is flat and easy, with a maintained access surface across the cabin grounds.
What You’ll SeeInterpretive material tells Orlean Puckett’s story, and the cabin and surrounding grounds make…
Interpretive material tells Orlean Puckett’s story, and the cabin and surrounding grounds make a brief, photogenic Parkway stop. The standing cabin was moved to the property; the larger Puckett home stood elsewhere on the historic garden plot. The cabin is not open for tours, but visitors can view the exterior and walk around the site.
Tips and LogisticsParking is limited to a small Parkway pull-off—roughly a half-dozen passenger vehicles—so plan…
Parking is limited to a small Parkway pull-off—roughly a half-dozen passenger vehicles—so plan for quick turnover during busy Parkway hours. The site is listed with auto parking and scenic/photo amenities, and visitor information describes it as wheelchair accessible. Check current Blue Ridge Parkway conditions before traveling, especially in winter.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
