Rough Ridge Overlook

Rough Ridge Overlook sits at Milepost 302.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Linville, NC, at 4,293 feet elevation. A small parking area off the Parkway gives access to a short (1.2-mile round-trip) section of the 13-mile Tanawha Trail. A 1/3-mile hike up reaches a boardwalk across the rocky bald ridge with panoramic views of Grandfather Mountain and the S-curved Linn Cove Viaduct below. On clear days the NC Piedmont towns of Hickory and Lenoir are visible, with Charlotte's skyline faintly on the horizon. The overlook is considered one of the Parkway's premier autumn stops and is a reliable mid-ride stretch break for motorcyclists riding the Blue Ridge Parkway southbound.