Start of the Linn Cove Viaduct Overlook Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Length: .3 mile round trip
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

The Linn Cove Viaduct Overlook Trail is a paved section of the Tanawha Trail that runs from the far left side of the Linn Cove Visitor Center parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway to an observation area underneath the Viaduct, thus it’s an “underlook” and not an overlook as the name implies. This is an easy walk that allows people to see how the Viaduct is supported. Most people are disappointed because they expect to be above the Viaduct, perhaps even getting the photo they saw on the postcards in the gift shop. This is not the case…but you can get that photo if you know the secret and are willing and able to hike farther on a very rocky and often muddy trail.

The Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct Overlook Trail follows along under the viaduct

View of the underside of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Linn Cove Viaduct from the observation area at the end of the Linn Cove Viaduct Overlook Trail

How to get the Souvenir Store Photo of the Linn Cove Viaduct

Linn Cove Viaduct, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Length: 1-mile round trip from Visitor Center parking lot
Time: 45 minutes, including time to take photos
Difficulty: moderate

The location of the overlook for taking the Linn Cove Viaduct photo you see on Blue Ridge Parkway souvenirs is not publicized. You won’t find it mentioned in any Parkway literature, and the park Rangers aren’t out promoting it. It was just by luck that I got tipped off. I was at the Linn Cove Visitor Center asking about the view at the Yonahlossee Overlook. The lady I was talking with saw that I had a fancy camera and was wearing hiking boots, so she said that if I didn’t mind hiking on a rocky and muddy trail that she would tell me where to go to get the “souvenir store” photo. Of course I wanted to know.

First of all, before setting off on this hike I highly recommend that you be wearing a pair of waterproof hiking boots, and if possible, carrying a set of hiking poles. While this trail is not difficult cardiovascular-wise, it is extremely rocky and filled with mud puddles. If you want an easier way to get a photo of the Viaduct, albeit an inferior one, drive down to the Yonahlossee Overlook and get one from there. If you want that Souvenir Store photo, standing underneath the Viaduct at the end of the Linn Cove Viaduct Overlook Trail is where you need to start.

From the observation area you will see a set of stone stairs to the left. Taking these stairs will set you off hiking north on the Tanawha Trail. This was the only section of the Tanawha Trail that I hiked, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable section. If the rest of the trail is like this, I wouldn’t mind hiking the entire 13.5 miles, provided I could get a ride at the end. This section is fairly flat, which is great, plus you have to scramble up rocks and squeeze through tight passageways. Here are a few photos of what to expect.

Stone stairs and a tight squeeze start off the hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Tanawha Trail

Tree roots grow around a boulder to reach the earth, Blue Ridge Parkway’s Tanawha Trail

Rocky and narrow passage on the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Tanawha Trail

When you start down the Tanawha Trail, be on the lookout for a directional sign. This marks the spur trail to the Souvenir Store Photo overlook of the Linn Cove Viaduct. The sign will be on your left and the spur trail on your right. However, the sign is angled parallel to the Tanawha Trail and set back a little ways into a rhododendron thicket, making it hard to spot. I actually walked right past it and continued nearly a mile down the trail even though the lady at the Visitor Center told me the hike to the turnoff was about a half mile. I figured she was mistaken, so I kept on hiking until finally giving up. However, on the way back I did see the sign…and kicked myself for walking right past it the first time.

Directional sign a half mile down the Tanawha Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway

So that you don’t pass by the sign as I did, here’s what to look for. The sign is located just a few minutes beyond a footbridge that you will cross, and I’m talking about an actual bridge, not the wooden gang-plank you will come to that helps you down a rocky area. Once over the bridge you will first come to a spur trail that looks like you would have to jump down some rocks to get to—that’s not it, so keep walking. Just be looking to your left for the sign. The trail is directly opposite to your right. It is a very steep climb downhill to the overlook, but the descent is only about 50 feet or so.

Spur trail to the Line Cove Viaduct overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway is just minutes from this footbridge

The overlook is a bunch of large boulders. No need to climb to the top of the highest one, as you can get the photo from the lower rock. Just scoot your way as far as you can towards the Blue Ridge Parkway and you’ll have your Souvenir Store photo. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of to get the best shot. First off, if possible, you’ll want to do this in the fall when the leaves are in full color (most likely mid- to late October). A photo of the Viaduct during any season will be impressive, but the photo on the postcards was taken during the fall, and for a good reason.

Second, make sure the sun is shining so the colors pop. A dreary day will lead to a dreary photo. For the best results, do this on a day when there are lots of white, fluffy clouds in the sky.

Third, sunny day or not, if you show up at the wrong time, the sun won’t be illuminating the Linn Cove Viaduct and you’ll end up with a drab photo. I don’t know when is the best time to visit, but I can tell you that it is not late afternoon. I stopped by at 4:30 PM and the sun was already behind the mountain, putting the Viaduct in the shade. The Viaduct photos on this page were taken at 1:30 PM, so I know that’s a decent time, but I can’t say if earlier would be even better.

And finally, if taking the photo in the fall, do this during the week. Don’t bother attempting this shot on a busy fall weekend because you’ll have to sit there all day long waiting for a time when no cars are passing by (it may still be tough during the week).

Of course, all of these tips are based on the fact that you live close by and can visit the Blue Ridge Parkway at any given time. If you are a tourist, just hope for the best. In my case, a grey cloud hung over the scene and wouldn’t leave, there were no fluffy clouds in the sky, and the leaves weren’t in full color. The only thing I had going for me was that there wasn’t a lot of traffic. But regardless, the photo is still impressive, as any photo from this view will be.

Linn Cove Viaduct

Back to the Top