Any visit to Blowing Rock is incomplete without taking in some of the amazing overlooks. Between the Blue Ridge Parkway and some of the other surrounding attractions it can be hard to know where to visit. That’s why we’ve put together a list of must see overlooks where you can capture the best sunrise, sunset, and most iconic locations.
Blowing Rock, North Carolina is home to some of the most beautiful overlooks in the entire Blue Ridge Mountains. You can find tons of amazing mountain views, picturesque lakes, and a few world famous spots.
Most, but not all, of the best overlooks are on the Blue Ridge Parkway so we have split this list between the spots on the parkway and off.
Not only that we have listed the best places for sunset, sunrise, and where to get the best pictures.
When to visit the Blowing Rock area
Blowing Rock is always beautiful so there is no wrong time, but some seasons are a little better than others.
The two times of the year when Blowing Rock, and indeed the entire Blue Ridge Mountains, are most beautiful are during the spring bloom and when fall colors peak.
Both times take a bit of timing to get right.
Spring around Blowing Rock
The spring bloom comes a bit later at higher elevations than it does throughout the rest of the region. Spring usually sets in around mid to late April through much of the communities surrounding the mountains.
If you are on the high mountains around Blowing Rock, however, flowers don’t bloom until late May it typically lasts through the first 10 days of June.
Fall gets most of the attention but spring is also an amazing time to visit. The cold weather is finally falling away and new bright leaves and flowers are everywhere.
Fall around Blowing Rock
Fall around Blowing Rock is amazing, and crowded. If you can visit during midweek you will experience less crowding.
Fall colors peak around Blowing Rock in mid October. Leaf color changes can begin in mid to late September, usually peak in mid October, and by early November its over.
When we plan our leaf ogling visits we use a prediction map by smokymountains.com.
Over the past few years the peak has been as early as October 10th and the latest has been the 24th.
That’s two weeks where the colors will be peaking.
Even if you visit outside of the peak time it will be beautiful as long as it isn’t too late. It’s important to keep in mind there are a lot of factors that go into leaf color change.
If you can’t visit during peak it would be better to visit a little earlier rather than a little later.
5 Best Overlooks near Blowing Rock on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts through the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Blowing Rock is perhaps the most beautiful section of the entire region.
In fact, some of the most famous photos taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway are taken within just a few miles of Blowing Rock.
We have listed the overlooks in order of milepost. We thought about ranking them like we did for our list of the best hikes near Blowing Rock, but they are all amazing for different reasons.
Grandview Overlook (milepost 281.4)
Grandview Overlook is a great spot for taking in wide mountain views. The mountains are churned through this section of the mountains.
One of our favorite things about Grandview is that fog frequently gets trapped in the valleys.
The best time to visit Grandview Overlook is at sunrise. It is magical if you are lucky enough to catch a sunset while the mountains are shrouded with fog.
Raven Rocks Overlook (milepost 289.5) Best for Sunset
Raven Rocks Overlook is a beautiful rock cliff where you can get a great view. By walking out on the rocks you get an amazing view of the mountains.
Raven Rocks is also an awesome spot for watching sunset. You need to plan to arrive early for sunset. Sunset is very popular at Raven Rocks and there are only a few parking spots.
Thunder Hill Overlook (milepost 290.4) Best for Sunrise
Thunder Hill Overlook is our favorite overlook in this section of the parkway.
The amazing view is of mountains stretches to the horizon. It is also a wonderful spot to catch sunrise.
The early morning light casts long shadows causing the mountains to fade into each other.
Not only that, you can enjoy a beautiful sunset from Thunder Hill. Instead of viewing the sunset from the edge of the parking area, you cross the parkway and can gaze out over a picturesque farm.
Raven Rocks and Thunder Hill are a little less than a mile from each other so you can enjoy sunset from both overlooks. Make sure you go to Raven Rocks first so you can grab one of the few parking spaces.
Moses H Cone Memorial Park (milepost 294)
Visiting Moses H Cone Memorial Park should be included in your plans for Blowing Rock. There are miles of trails that wind through the park.
Luckily you don’t have to go far to find an amazing view. One of the best views at Moses H Cone is from the porch of Flat Top Manor. You can enjoy looking out over the mountains and lakes from the beautiful historic home and even catch one of the tours.
This is also one of the spots where you can do the Junior Ranger Program for the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Yonahlossee Overlook (milepost 303.9) Best spot for Photography
Yonahlossee Overlook is the best spot to see the Linn Cove Viaduct. You have undoubtably seen amazing pictures of the elegantly curving bridge.
There is also a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains. The view of the mountains is remarkably similar to the view from Rough Ridge, albeit at a lower elevation.
If you are planning on snapping a photo of the viaduct you may want to check out our post on Yonahlossee Overlook that covers where how to get the best photo of the viaduct – it’s not where you think.
When you visit the area one of the best places to stay is at the Julian Price Campground situated around Price Lake. If you get one of the few campsites on the lake you can spend a few days waking up beside one of the most beautiful spots on the parkway.
2 Other Amazing Overlooks near Blowing Rock
The Blue Ridge Parkway is the premier place to find awesome overlooks in the Blue Ridge Mountains but not the only place. These other two spots are more than just a quick stop, you’ll want to budge an hour or more for each.
The Blowing Rock
The view from The Blowing Rock over John’s Gorge River is beautiful. The rocky overlook is at 4000 feet and towers over the gorge.
Even more amazing, wind from below blows upward, causing it to be the only place on earth where snow falls up.
You can take in the view from the popular overlook or walk some of the short paths to some of the other awesome overlooks.
There is a fee to reach the overlook and walk the trails. You can expect to spend about an hour enjoying the view and walking the paths.
Grandfather Mountain State Park
Grandfather Mountain is a fabulous. Some of the most amazing hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains are within the boundary of the park. But you don’t have to walk miles to see gorgeous views.
There are several overlooks along the Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road. The best of those, Half Moon Overlook, is right at the beginning.
You can see Grandfather Mountain standing tall over the surrounding mountains.
The best spot, though, is the view from the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The bridge is a mile above sea level, not a mile above the ground below it.
Like The Blowing Rock, there is a fee to drive up the road to Grandfather Mountain or to walk across the bridge. You should consider taking a hike or two while you are there.
If you just want to drive the road, walk the bridge, and stop by the store it will take a little more than an hour.
Visiting Grandfather Mountain and The Blowing Rock are some of the most popular things to do near Blowing Rock. Expect enormous crowds on nice days around peak fall colors. Even during the week these places will be crowded so come as early as you can.
Stopping by some of these overlooks, especially at sunrise and sunset, should be part of you planning for your next visit to Blowing Rock.
While you are daydreaming about spending a few days in Blowing Rock you may want to check out the best hikes near Blowing Rock. Some of the views from the hikes will blow your mind.
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