Browning Knob Overlook

Browning Knob Overlook is on the entry road to the Waterrock Knob Visitor Center at milepost 451.2. The area is often closed in winter due to ice and snow. Check out our Road Status and Closures webpage before you travel to this location. The overlook is at an elevation of 5770 feet looking towards Browning Knob which is 6260 feet of elevation. The knob and the overlook were named in honor of R. Getty Browning. Browning was the Federal Parkway Engineer and the Senior Locating and Claim Engineer for the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was his work that guided the initial exploration and design of the parkway. Also at this location is a plaque commemorating Mr. Browning and Browning Knob. It reads as follows: BROWNING KNOB Named in honor of R. Getty Browning, 1884-1966, Location and Claims Engineer and Parkway Consultant For North Carolina State Highway Commission, 1925-1964. His forceful presentation of the high quality scenery Found in North Carolina secured the location through  Western North Carolina and the Cherokee Indian Lands to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With consideration and courtesy for those involved, He worked untiringly to secure the rights-of-way For this spectacular mountain Parkway. During The construction of the Parkway he ably represented North Carolina in its dealings with the National Park Service. “His love of the mountains was surpassed only by his love of people.”