Devils Backbone View overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

View: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ / 5
Trails: None
Picnic Tables: None

One of the best scenic views from an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway is here at Devils Backbone View. There are mountains close enough to the overlook to hit a golf ball to, mountains that fade to grey in the far distance, and a valley (Blackwater Valley) that is full of farms and country estates. The overlook faces east, so for the best photographs, visit this stop in the late afternoon or evening.

Panoramic view from the Devils Background View stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway (click to enlarge)

The only problem on the day I visited was the smog, which was so bad that it just about ruined my photographs. In fact, smog ruined my entire 10-day trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway in October 2020. Even after rain washed the smog away, it was back by the end of the day. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the neighboring Great Smoky Mountains National Park are two of the most polluted National Parks in the United States. During the summer, pollution has caused an 80 percent loss of visibility on the Parkway since 1950 (and a 40 percent loss in the winter).

Mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway disappear in the smog

Next Stop South | Next Stop North | Scenic Overlooks

Back to the Top