Blue Ridge Parkway
Going to be at Fairy Stone SP, VA. Tour Mt. Airy, NC cause it's there and head to Roan Mountain SP TN and want to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit, so we can say we did it. Is there anything sp...
Forum Discussion
Gulfcoast wrote:
ATTENTION PLEASE:
Looking for an overlook on the Smoky Mountain end of the parkway that is wide open to the sky... for telescope stargazing (at night).
Ideas?
Thanks for your help.
You did not define how far up the BRP you were willing to go. The closer you stay to Cherokee, the more light pollution and traffic you will have to deal with. Cherokee no longer closes down at night.
The Waterrock Knob (milepost 451) parking/picnic area has views to the east & west. From there to Devil's Courthouse (milepost 384) any pull off with 'overlook' in its name will will be the open sky pull off. We have used Beartrap Gap, Bear Pen Gap, or Rough Butt Bald for night sky viewing. Those have about as dark a sky as is available anywhere along the Parkway anymore.
