About Blue Ridge Parkway Pullouts (Mileposts 411 to 469)
This stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, from the Pisgah Ridge to the Oconaluftee end at US-441, is the highest and most dramatic part of the whole road. It covers Devil's Courthouse, Graveyard Fields, Richland Balsam, Waterrock Knob and the Heintooga spur, and between those anchors sit dozens of smaller pull-offs.
What the small pull-offs offer
The unsigned ones are paved turnouts where a few cars can park. Some face open slopes, others look through a screen of trees, and the best are the ones where a bald or a gap opens ahead. Their value is in what the named overlooks can't give you: quiet and room to stand without a crowd.
Status on October 22, 2026
The Parkway's road-status page listed every section from milepost 400 to milepost 469 as open on the morning of October 22, 2026. That includes the Heintooga spur road at milepost 458.2. Hurricane Helene repairs continue elsewhere on the Parkway, and ice and snow can close high sections at short notice from November through March. Always check the Parkway closures page before you set out, and call 828-298-0398 for the info line.
Named stops worth planning around
- Devil's Courthouse (milepost 422.4): short, steep walk to a rock summit.
- Graveyard Fields (milepost 418.8): open valley and waterfall trails.
- Richland Balsam (milepost 431.4): the Parkway's high point.
- Waterrock Knob (milepost 451.2): a seasonal visitor center and a short summit trail.
- Soco Gap (milepost 455.5): the US-19 crossing.
Using the pull-offs
- Pace: plan about two to three hours from Pisgah to Cherokee with stops.
- Fuel and food: none on the Parkway; fill up in Waynesville, Maggie Valley or Cherokee.
- Cell service: limited.
- Weather: temperatures on the high ridges are 10 to 15 degrees colder than the valleys.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway site for current alerts.