45338 Blue Ridge Parkway
Laurel Springs, NC 28644
Thank you for dining with us!
We are currently closed for the season.
Check back here for updates about our 2024 opening date and a new menu.
You can still visit beautiful Doughton Park to enjoy the hiking trails, mountain overlooks, wildflowers, campground, and historical sites, such as Brinegar Cabin.
Learn more
Parkway Detour
Hi, folks! The National Park Service is performing significant road work on the Parkway on a 75-mile section of the Parkway from milepost 229.6, just north of Doughton Park, to milepost 305.1, near Grandfather Mountain.
The $98 million project is a three-year repaving and rehabilitation project along the mainline motor road, that will also address drainage structures, curbs, walks, shoulders, guardrails, overlooks, and signage. The project will be phased with a staggered series of closures.
Remembering Ellen
We are so saddened to share the news that Ellen Woodruff Smith passed away on February 12. Ellen was adored by guests during her many years as a server at The Bluffs Coffee Shop at Doughton Park. Folks walked in the door asking for her before they even placed their order. She worked at the restaurant from the day it opened on May 31, 1949, to the day it closed on November 1, 2010. Many employees stayed at the Bluffs for decades, including Ellen’s dear friend and cousin, Kathryn Joines, who worked at the restaurant for 59 years. The people are truly at the heart of the Bluffs’ story.
So many who dined at the coffee shop hold on to wonderful memories of Ellen, including Julie Hettiger, who grew up visiting The Bluffs with her family and supported the restoration of the restaurant. She recalls Ellen running to bring a high chair to the table when she arrived as a child with her little yellow teddy bear Boo Boo. This lines up perfectly with Ellen’s confession that she “spoiled every youngin’ I could.”
Even after the restaurant closed, Ellen and her husband Paul received Christmas cards from friends and customers who frequented Bluffs Coffee Shop. We are thankful that Ellen and her husband Paul, who was a fixture at the restaurant, were able to see the completed restoration in recent years. Paul passed away on May 5, 2021.
We would love to hear your memories and see your photos of Ellen. To send us your Bluffs story and images, email bluffsmemories@brpfoundation.org.
A Rich History
The coffee shop at Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway welcomed generations of locals and travelers during its original 61 years of operation. Thanks to the support of those devoted patrons and many others, The Bluffs has reopened to welcome diners once again for great home-style cooking.
There is more to Bluffs than just the good food!
Located on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, The Bluffs experience continues on from the restaurant to the beautiful recreation area that surrounds it. Enjoy your food alongside mountain scenery just a short hike or a moment's drive away.
Come visit us!
45338 Blue Ridge Parkway, Laurel Springs, NC 28644
Our hours
The Bluffs is closed for the 2023 season.