Blue Ridge Parkway | FORK RIDGE OVERLOOK (MP 449)

Fork Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Fork Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

View: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ / 5
Trails: Mountains to Sea Trail
Picnic Tables: None

The Fork Ridge Overlook offers a similar view to that of the Scott Creek Overlook one stop to the north on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but it is much more interesting here because you are looking into a valley instead of at mountains that run flush to the viewing area. This gives the scene a sense of depth. Layer after layer of these tree-carpeted giants form a dense grouping that provides clear details of the closest mountains while those in the very back are nothing but light grey outlines. There are two large trees that need to be cut down to make the view first class.

Panoramic view from the Fork Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Panoramic view from the Fork Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (click to enlarge)

If you walk out to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you will find a trailhead for the Mountains to Sea Trail, a 1,150-mile trail that stretches from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the North Carolina Outer Banks. It is not part of the National Park system, so I did not hike or review it, but you can get information on the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail website.


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Last updated on November 15, 2023
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