Last summer, I had the opportunity to drive up to the Blue Ridge Parkway with some dear relatives. The day was clear, which helped quite a bit… driving out a couple of days later, the haze had rolled in. But that day, the sun shone without too much haze for which the Blue Ridge is known. The first is just pulloffs along the side of the road. But I found this area to have the best views. The clouds were also gorgeous. There was some graffiti on the stone walls, which was a shame.
A trail leads up the hill a short distance to the first viewpoint. There is also a second viewpoint. From here, the trail continues down to the main road so I hear. You can see the main road from the second viewpoint.
As I said above, I felt that the views were better from the pullouts down below, but the viewpoints are still nice, and the ambiance is much better than along the road. There were also some late-blooming rhododendrons in the woods near the viewpoints.
They were quite pretty. Trail Notes: The area is open all year from what I can tell. Summer has classic clouds and green on the hills but can be hazy.
Autumn colors are spectacular. In the winter, the trees are bare of leaves which makes the view less impressive. Spring often has fresh greenery, with blooming rhododendrons in the early summer.
