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Best Scenic Overlooks in the Smokies

18 curated picks · updated

The best scenic overlooks in the Smokies include Chimney Tops Overlook, Balsam Mountain Overlook and the Forney Ridge parking area at Kuwohi inside the park, plus Devil's Courthouse and Bunches Bald on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Kuwohi Road is open April 1 to November 29 in 2026, and Carlos Campbell Overlook is temporarily closed.

Not every pullout on the Newfound Gap Road earns equal attention. This list covers 18 overlooks selected for view quality and practical usefulness across four distinct road systems: the park's main arteries (Newfound Gap Road and Kuwohi Road, formerly Clingmans Dome Road), the Cades Cove Loop Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway near the park's southern boundary, and the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee. Entries are arranged alphabetically.

The jump from "overlook" to "worthwhile stop" usually comes down to one of two things: clear-sky geometry (how much ridge is visible, how far the layers stack back toward the horizon) or historical and ecological context that earns a slower look. Chimney Tops Overlook, around MP 6.7 on the Tennessee side, is the best roadside angle on the Chimney Tops peaks and captures the forest's ongoing recovery from the 2016 wildfires, which makes for a striking view. Forney Ridge Parking Area is at roughly 6,300 feet and functions as both a high-elevation viewpoint and the trailhead for the Kuwohi observation tower, the highest accessible point in the park.

A few logistics worth knowing before you go:

  • Parking tag: Required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Current cost is $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year; America the Beautiful and other federal passes are not accepted. Overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Devil's Courthouse (MP 422.4) and Bunches Bald (MP 440.9), fall under a separate system and do not require this tag.
  • Forney Ridge road closure: Kuwohi Road (formerly Clingmans Dome Road) is open April 1 to November 29 in 2026 and closes sooner whenever snow or ice arrives. Check the park's road status page before including this stop in a late-fall, winter or early-spring itinerary.
  • Carlos Campbell Overlook: This Newfound Gap Road pullout is temporarily closed for pavement and sidewalk repairs, so expect a locked gate (see the closures page).
  • Cades Cove: The loop road is closed to motor vehicles all day on Wednesdays from early May to late September (May 6 to September 30 in 2026) for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Crowd timing: Gatlinburg-side pullouts and the Cades Cove area fill by mid-morning on weekends. Arriving before 9 a.m. solves most of it; midweek visits in April–May or late October are better still.

More to plan with: the scenic drives guide, the Newfound Gap guide, the fall color timing guide, photography spots and the events calendar.

  1. 1

    Bunches Bald Overlook (MP 459.5)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · West view

    Bunches Bald Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 459.5 looks west across the Raven Fork country to the Smokies, and it is a calm sunset stop a few miles from the Heintooga turnoff.
  2. 2

    Devil's Courthouse Overlook (MP 422.4)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · South and west (summit has 360-degree views) view

    Devil's Courthouse at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 422.4 is a bare rock tower with a steep, short trail to a 5,720-foot summit and a 360-degree view that reaches into South Carolina and Georgia.
  3. 3

    Graveyard Fields Overlook (MP 418.8)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · South and east over the open valley view

    Graveyard Fields at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 418.8 is a high, open valley of blueberry thickets and a waterfall trail; the parking lot fills by mid-morning on fall weekends.
  4. 4

    Heintooga Ridge Road Junction (Parkway MP 458.2)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · West and south from the Parkway shoulder view

    At Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 458.2 a sign points to Heintooga Ridge Road and the park's high spruce-fir country; this junction is a place to check the road status before you commit.
  5. 5

    Lickstone Overlook (MP 458.9)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · West toward the Smokies view

    Lickstone Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 458.9 faces west over the Raven Fork country to the Smokies, a quiet pull-off a mile past the Heintooga turnoff.
  6. 6

    Blue Ridge Parkway Pullouts (Mileposts 411 to 469)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · Varies; both sides of the ridge view

    Between Pisgah and Oconaluftee the Blue Ridge Parkway is dotted with small pull-offs and named overlooks, a 58-mile stretch where the road stays above 5,000 feet and every bend offers a view.
  7. 7

    Richland Balsam Overlook (MP 431.4)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · South and west across the Balsam range view

    Richland Balsam Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 431.4 is the highest point on the entire Parkway, at about 6,053 feet, with a spruce-fir forest and a short loop trail.
  8. 8

    Rough Butt Bald Overlook (MP 425.4)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · Toward Rough Butt Bald and the Pisgah ridges view

    Rough Butt Bald Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 425.4 is a small gravel pull-off with a view toward the forested bald that gives it its name, a short stop between Devil's Courthouse and Richland Balsam.
  9. 9

    Soco Gap Overlook (MP 455.5)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · South and west from the gap view

    Soco Gap, where the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses US-19 between Maggie Valley and Cherokee, is a historic mountain pass with an overlook at milepost 455.5 and easy access to the Heintooga spur.
  10. 10

    Wagon Road Gap Overlook (MP 411.8)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · South and west toward Pisgah National Forest view

    Wagon Road Gap at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 411.8 is an old mountain crossing beside the US-276 junction, with a forested overlook toward Cold Mountain and the Pisgah ridges.
  11. 11

    Waterrock Knob (MP 451.2)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · All directions from the summit; the lot looks east and south view

    Waterrock Knob at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 451.2 has a seasonal visitor center and a short, steep trail to a 6,292-foot summit with a 360-degree view of the Smokies and the Plott Balsams.
  12. 12

    Wesner Bald Overlook (MP 448.1)

    Blue Ridge Parkway · Toward Wesner Bald and the Plott Balsam range view

    Wesner Bald Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 448.1 looks toward the grassy bald of the same name and the Plott Balsam range, a quiet stop between Balsam Gap and Waterrock Knob.
  13. 13

    Cable Mill Historic Area

    Cades Cove Loop Road · South and west across the cove view

    Cable Mill Historic Area is the loop's midway stop in Cades Cove, with a water-powered gristmill, a barn, a blacksmith shop and the visitor center; open daily through November 29.
  14. 14

    Carter Shields Cabin Pullout

    Cades Cove Loop Road · North across the open fields view

    Carter Shields Cabin is the last historic stop on the Cades Cove Loop, a small log cabin by the road with deer in the field behind it and a short walk from the car.
  15. 15

    John Oliver Cabin Pullout

    Cades Cove Loop Road · North across the meadow view

    The John Oliver Cabin is the first historic stop on the Cades Cove Loop, a short walk from the road to a log house built by the cove's first permanent settler family.
  16. 16

    Cades Cove Methodist Church Pullout

    Cades Cove Loop Road · West across the church yard view

    The Cades Cove Methodist Church, a small white frame church built in 1902, stands beside the loop road with a quiet cemetery, one of three historic churches you can walk up to.
  17. 17

    Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church Pullout

    Cades Cove Loop Road · West across the churchyard view

    The Missionary Baptist Church in Cades Cove, a white frame building from 1915 with a cemetery beside it, is a short stop on the loop's far side near the Rich Mountain Road turnoff.
  18. 18

    Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church Pullout

    Cades Cove Loop Road · North across the churchyard view

    The Cades Cove Primitive Baptist Church, organized in 1827, stands in a clearing on the loop with a graveyard of the cove's first families, and its 1887 building is a plain frame church.

Good to know

Best Scenic Overlooks in the Smokies: FAQ

Do you need a parking pass to stop at these overlooks?
Inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a parking tag is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes. Rates are $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year, and America the Beautiful and other federal passes are not accepted. Overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway, including Devil's Courthouse (MP 422.4) and Bunches Bald (MP 440.9), are not subject to this requirement, and the Blue Ridge Parkway has no entry fee.
Which of these overlooks are best for fall foliage?
High-elevation stops peak earliest. Forney Ridge Parking Area, Balsam Mountain Overlook, and the Blue Ridge Parkway picks typically see peak color in mid-October. Cades Cove and the Gatlinburg-side valley overlooks usually run one to two weeks behind that. Chimney Tops Overlook is worth a separate mention in fall: the recovering burn scar from the 2016 wildfires sits alongside unburned hardwood color, which produces an unusual contrast worth seeing.
Is the road to Forney Ridge Parking Area open in winter?
Not year-round. Kuwohi Road, which leads to Forney Ridge Parking Area, is open April 1 to November 29 in 2026 and closes sooner for snow, ice or other hazards. In other years the dates shift with weather, so check the park's current road status page before planning this stop in the off-season.
How do you avoid the worst traffic on the Cades Cove Loop Road?
The 11-mile one-way loop backs up significantly on weekend mornings and during peak fall. Arriving before 9 a.m. handles most of it. Midweek visits in April through early May or the second half of November avoid the worst congestion entirely. The loop is also closed to motor vehicles all day on Wednesdays from early May to late September for cyclists and pedestrians, so plan around that if you're visiting midweek.
Are these overlooks accessible for visitors with limited mobility?
Most are drive-to pullouts with paved parking and short, level paths to the viewpoint. The main exception is Forney Ridge Parking Area: reaching the Kuwohi observation tower takes a roughly half-mile paved trail with significant elevation gain, which is not wheelchair-accessible. Devil's Courthouse on the Blue Ridge Parkway involves a short but strenuous unpaved trail to its summit views. The Cades Cove Loop Road itself is fully driveable; stops like Cable Mill Historic Area and the Carter Shields Cabin pullout are flat and accessible on foot from the road.

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