The Blue Ridge Mountains get their name from their blue color when seen from a distance. The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountain chain, one of the oldest mountain chains in the world.

With their old-growth forests and unique botanical species, the Blue Ridge Mountains are often the  subject of environmental and preservationist studies. Nearly 100 different species of trees can be found  along the Blue Ridge Parkway, about as many as are found in all of Europe. The Parkway stretches 469 miles from Virginia to North Carolina, and is called "America's favorite drive."