Things to do / Travel Guide
In the southern Appalachian Mountains region you've got the beautiful state of West Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Skyline Drive, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, vast forests and waterfalls in Tennessee and North Carolina, and all of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are scenic views on every bend of the road on the parkways, and these are no paltry views, either. You can see vast valleys spreading out before you, colorful meadows, and craggy mountaintops, such as you've never seen them before. Here are some of the best the southern Appalachian Mountains has to offer.
Scenic Views in West Virginia
There are some nice waterfall views in Blackwater Falls State Park, just south of where U.S. Highway 219 enters the state from the north. Blackwater Falls itself is pretty spectacular, falling 60 feet from a calm riverbed into a deafening gorge below. The water is dark-colored on account of the tannins coming from the needles of hemlocks and red spruces. There is a footpath leading up to the foot of the falls.
Another place to go to get a feel for the beauty West Virginia has to offer is Dolly Sods Scenic Area. From the tops of the barren tundra plateau you can see sights up to 50 miles away, of far-off mountains along the Allegheny Front.
Scenic Views in Western Virginia and Eastern Kentucky
The best and most-accessible views in western Virginia will be along Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Valley. The beauty of the drive, as well as of the Blue Ridge Parkway, is that for each of the overlooks, be they five miles apart or .5 miles apart, there's a place for you to pull off the road and get out to look around.
In the northern area of Skyline Drive, perhaps the best views can be had at Range View Overlook. To the south as far as the eye can see, the Blue Ridge Mountains rise up, while behind you the valley extends northward.
Farther south on Skyline Drive, Big Run Overlook plays the closeness of the trees against the distance of the mountains and valleys. Far off you see Rocky Mountain, Rockytop, Brown Mountain, and some others; these Blue Ridge beauties rise up from the lush Big Run Valley.
Now on to the Blue Ridge Parkway, you're in for views of the surrounding mountains and valleys, but also of unequalled idyllic country scenes. At the House Mountain Overlook, you're view stretches north, beyond the Great Appalachian Valley, and into the far-off Alleghenies. The overlook is just south of the Parkway's intersection with U.S. Highway 60, south of Buena Vista (appropriately enough meaning “great view” in Spanish).
Just north of the Parkway's intersection with U.S. Highway 58, you'll come across what is reputed to be the most photographed scene on the entire windy road. This is Mabry Mill. For the full effect, stand opposite the mill and stone bridge, across the pond - and enjoy. Best to enjoy this in the early morning before the people come. The workshop and mills were built in the early years of the 20th century by a retired coal miner named Ed Mabry. If you go in the summer or fall, you'll find the mill in operation just like it would have been nearly a century ago.
Off Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, another viewing wonder can be found on Skyland Road. This is in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Take Skyland Road (otherwise called Pinnacle Road) from the visitor center located on the Kentucky side of the park, to the end. Pinnacle Overlook gives you a vast panorama of lush valleys, Middlesboro Crater, plus Cumberland Mountain and Pine Mountain. It's a real doozy of a view.
Scenic Views in North Carolina and Tennessee
Down in North Carolina the Blue Ridge Parkway winds on, until it reaches its terminus at the gates of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The best views are seen from higher elevation in North Carolina, so the distances are even farther.
The Yadkin Valley Overlook is really special. In this location there's no gap between the mountains close by and those far away - it's just endless green mountains, far as the eye can see. Yadkin Valley was once the home of Daniel Boone, and the overlook is at around 3,500 feet.
Deep in the Nantahala National Forest, elevation rises to over 6,000 feet. The Cowee Mountain Overlook affords a classic ridge after ridge view, similar to that at the Yadkin Valley Overlook. At this one, however, the mountains rise up like dominoes, all at the same or similar heights. The Richland Balsam Overlook, half-a-mile beyond the Cowee Mountain Overlook, is in fact the highest point on the Parkway.
Within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most appreciated views is from the summit of Clingmans Dome, the tallest mountain in the park, the highest point in Tennessee, and the second-highest point east of the Mississippi. You can actually drive to the summit by taking U.S. Highway 441 into the park from either direction and veering off onto Clingmans Dome Road, to the west. It winds and switchbacks, following the state border, finally terminating at the summit itself, after about 10 miles. So long as air quality is good, you can see up to 100 miles away. There's a tower, so you can see farther; the point is perfect for sunrises and sunsets.
Scenic North Carolina Waterfalls
Western North Carolina is known for its waterfalls almost as much as its mountains. The tallest, and for many the most majestic in western North Carolina, is Whitewater Falls. It drops 411 feet, and depending on your physical shape and daring, you can get quite close. Otherwise, there are good views from farther away.
On U.S. Highway 64 just northwest of the town of Highlands, the Cullasaja River drops a few notches for a spectacular 250-foot waterfall. This one you'll have to appreciate from the road, as any half-real trail to take you there would be much too dangerous. It zigs, it zags, with lots of small drops and some larger ones; but it's all whitewater.
Another great waterfall in North Carolina, one of the best-known for the area, is Linville Falls. A bunch of small falls culminate with an impressive 45-foot drop, where the Linville River makes its way into Linville Gorge. It's northeast of Asheville, on U.S. Highway 221.
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