CNN
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A good portion of the popular and winding Blue Ridge Parkway has now reopened for safe driving and scenic fall views after Hurricane Helene.

The parkway reopened Friday from mile marker 0 to mile marker 198 in Virginia, the National Park Service said in a news release. The entire parkway was closed due to damage caused by Helene, which at last count on Friday had claimed 238 lives and caused massive damage across the southeast.

The reopening includes 199 miles of the scenic byway from Shenandoah National Park south to Virginia Route 685 – Skyview Drive/Turkey Ridge Road, near the town of Fancy Gap, according to Thursday’s news release.

The NPS aims to reopen the remainder of the Virginia parkway within two weeks, the release said. The entire North Carolina highway, which was hit harder by Helene, remains closed.

“Thanks to the hard work of Blue Ridge Parkway crews, we are able to open nearly 200 miles of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway, a vital and scenic route that embodies both the natural beauty and cultural heritage of our region,” Tracy Swartout , superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, said in the news release.

“While we celebrate this achievement, we also recognize that there remains important and, in some areas, long-term work in North Carolina,” Swartout said.

Planning to go? Here’s what you can expect along the route, according to the NPS release:

If you plan to park your car and take a hike, the NPS warns that the trail assessment is not yet complete, so be careful and watch your legs, too. You may also find fewer shifts than normal because many employees in North Carolina are helping, the release said.