Yonahlossee Overlook: How to get the best photo of the Linn Cove Viaduct

Yonahlossee Overlook is at milepost 303.9 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It’s the overlook almost everyone has seen but very few have heard of. Those in the know flock to this overlook to snap amazing photos of the Linn Cove Viaduct. But where are they taking those photos from?

When you visit the Yonahlossee Overlook it doesn’t take long to realize that the view from the overlook doesn’t match the images you have seen online. The view is still great, but from the parking area you are at eye level with the viaduct.

How to get the best picture of the Linn Cove Viaduct

There is a narrow path that leaves from the parking lot and heads toward the Linn Cove Viaduct. It takes three to five minutes to walk the full length of the path and it ends near the underside of the viaduct.

To reach the best view of the viaduct you’ll need to walk down this path and cross over the Blue Ridge Parkway to climb to the top of a boulder.

This isn’t a difficult climb and doesn’t require any special gear or experience but you may want to avoid it if when wet.

Not everyone knows about this spot but it is far from a secret. During peak leaf change crowds gather around the boulder as people take turns taking photos of the viaduct from atop the boulder.

If you visit and decide you want to take pictures from the top of the boulder take care crossing the parkway. There are curves on either side of the overlook so drivers won’t have long to see pedestrians.

The other awesome things at Yonahlossee Overlook

There is more than the view from the boulder to look forward to. The mountains surrounding the Linn Cove Viaduct are stunning. These are the same mountains you view from Rough Ridge.

The short trail that leads away from the parking lot has a narrow spur that ends at a rocky overlook. This is a great spot to view the distant mountains.

If you take the trail from the parking area to its end you can see the Linn Cove Viaduct up close. This isn’t the best up close view of the viaduct but it is low effort.

Other things you need to know

This is an awesome overlook to visit but before you make your trip check for closures. Yonahlossee Overlook is in milepost section 298.5 – 305.1.

There is frequent heavy fog in this area and the viaduct is a bridge so it freezes faster than the road.

The Tanawha Trail passes right by the Yonahlossee Overlook. In our opinion the Tanawha Trail one of the best hikes on the entire Blue Ridge Parkway.

The full trail length is 13.5 miles so you may not want to hike all of it, but you can hike from the Linn Cove Visitor Center to the area around the Yonahlossee Overlook. The round trip of this short section is only 0.8 miles.

The main reason to hike from the Linn Cove Visitor Center is to walk the rough terrain under the bridge. You can also begin your Rough Ridge hike from the visitor center.

There is more information about the construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct on the NPS website if this is interesting to you.

The overlook is awesome but it isn’t the only awesome thing in this area.

Here are the other overlooks and hikes you may want to visit.