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Coal Heritage Trail - VAAll lookouts
Lookout · Coal Heritage Trail - VA

Clinchfield Overlook

OpenStreetMap
Looking north-west from Clinchfield Overlook. Terrain at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Clinchfield Overlook sits at 1,804 feet along the Coal Heritage Trail in Virginia, facing 300 degrees, roughly northwest. The land drops 908 feet within 600 meters of the overlook, giving the terrain a steep, immediate fall-off from the roadside. Ripley Knob is visible to the northwest at a distance of 10.9 miles, reaching an elevation of 1,806 feet. The facing direction points toward the sunset, angled 30 degrees off square to it, which affects how light falls across the view depending on season and time of day. Pikeville lies 17.8 miles to the northwest, Richlands is 30.8 miles east-southeast, and Big Stone Gap is 38.7 miles to the southwest. This overlook falls between Pinnacle Rock, the previous stop on the byway, and Purchase Ridge Overlook, the next one along the route.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
1,804 ft
View
Northwest · 300°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
908 ft drop
In view
1 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
A view of Russell Fork in Breaks Interstate Park.
Magnolia677 · CC BY 4.0 · source
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 62.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 62.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 42.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
I used my phone more than my camera on this trip, because of the threat of rain. This was the view from our balcony... I had almost the same view from my bed. We left the door open to the balcony, and the river below put us to sleep. It was gorgeous... and such a deal! :-) EXCEPT, the only restauran
Eli Christman from Richmond, VA, USA · CC BY 2.0 · source
View of the Atlantic Ocean taken during ISS Expedition 9.
Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Ripley Knob1,806 ftnorthwest · 10.9 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:3419:4119:07
June solstice06:1020:5420:15
September equinox07:1819:2818:53
December solstice07:4017:1616:35

Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Pikeville17.8 mi northwest
  • Richlands30.8 mi east-southeast
  • Big Stone Gap38.7 mi southwest
← Before it: Pinnacle RockAfter it: Purchase Ridge Overlook →
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Common questions

How high is Clinchfield Overlook?

Clinchfield Overlook sits at about 1,804 feet (550 m).

What can you see from Clinchfield Overlook?

From Clinchfield Overlook: Ripley Knob (NW, 11 mi).

Is Clinchfield Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Clinchfield Overlook toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Clinchfield Overlook?

Pikeville, 18 miles NW of Clinchfield Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Clinchfield Overlook?

Purchase Ridge Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Clinchfield Overlook.

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Community · From people who stood here

Locals make it Verified.

Clinchfield Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

Confirmed by locals

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Field notes

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