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Trails: Waterrock Knob Trail
Picnic Tables: 5
Waterrock Knob Overlook is located on a spur road that turns off from the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Post 451.2. It is the second highest point on the Parkway, and from here you can get a commanding view of the mountains and valleys of the Plott Balsam and Great Balsam Mountain Ranges. The parking lot is circular, so you actually have views facing east and west, making this one of the few overlooks where you can see both the sun rise and sun set.
For those who began their journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Cherokee, North Carolina, not only is Waterrock Knob the first stop where you will get exceptional views, but it is also the first stop with visitor services. Located here is the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center, two restroom facilities with chemical toilets (fancy outhouses), and the trailhead for the Waterrock Knob Trail, the southernmost trail on the Parkway. This is a 1-mile round-trip trail to the top of Waterrock Knob, an elevation of 6,400 feet. The view from the top is spectacular.
There are also five picnic tables located strategically around the parking area. Visitors have front row seats to the view of the surrounding scenery while they eat.
On the road to Waterrock Knob is another overlook, Browning Knob View, but there is no reason to stop here since the real deal is just a few hundred yards farther up the road. The “knob” that gives the overlook its name is mainly obscured by brush and trees, but since it’s not particularly interesting to begin with, the loss is no big deal.
For a more pleasing view from Browning Knob View, turn around and look opposite of the knob. You can see the Blue Ridge Parkway winding through the mountains, a view only available at a handful of overlooks.
The knob was named for R. Getty Browning, one of many men who helped win the political battle to get the Blue Ridge Parkway routed through North Carolina instead of Tennessee. The route proposed by both states was the same from Virginia to Grand Father Mountain in North Carolina, but politicians from Tennessee wanted the Parkway to divert at that point into Tennessee and end at Gatlinburg. Browning worked out a route that ran entirely through North Carolina (after leaving Virginia) and drew up a map that was submitted to the Department of the Interior. Browning’s route ran along the mountain tops, while the Tennessee route would have run through the valleys. It was eventually decided that a road through the higher elevations was more desirable, a political and economical victory for North Carolina. A memorial plaque dedicated to Browning is located at the foot of the knob.
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Last updated on October 11, 2024