Mill Mountain Overlook
Mill Mountain Overlook sits at 1,685 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing 300 degrees with the land dropping 771 feet within 600 meters of the site. The view opens toward Roanoke, 1.4 miles to the north-northwest, and takes in a series of parks and landmarks below: Rivers Edge North Park and Rivers Edge Park at 0.7 miles west-northwest, an open field at the same distance to the west-southwest, and Argonne Circle at 1.0 mile northwest. Further out are Harkrader Park, Elmwood Park, Highland Park, and Smith Park, ranging from 1.1 to 1.3 miles in the northwest quadrant, along with Henrietta Lacks Plaza at 1.4 miles and the Roanoke Warehouse Historic District at 1.6 miles, both north-northwest. Cave Spring lies 4.3 miles to the west-southwest, and Blacksburg is 26.4 miles west. The overlook faces toward sunset, about 30 degrees off square with that direction. Sunset falls at 19:32 near the March equinox, 20:44 at the June solstice, 19:18 near the September equinox, and 17:06 at the December solstice. The Fox Hunters Paradise Overlook precedes this stop on the parkway, and the Mill Mountain Star Overlook follows it.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Rivers Edge North Park925 ftwest-northwest · 0.7 mi
- Rivers Edge Park933 ftwest-northwest · 0.7 mi
- Open Field974 ftwest-southwest · 0.7 mi
- Argonne Circle1,006 ftnorthwest · 1.0 mi
- Harkrader Park1,000 ftwest-northwest · 1.1 mi
- Elmwood Park958 ftnorth-northwest · 1.2 mi
- Highland Park1,007 ftnorthwest · 1.3 mi
- Smith Park948 ftwest-northwest · 1.3 mi
- Henrietta Lacks Plaza945 ftnorth-northwest · 1.4 mi
- Roanoke Warehouse Historic District937 ftnorth-northwest · 1.6 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:24 | 19:32 | 18:57 |
| June solstice | 06:00 | 20:44 | 20:05 |
| September equinox | 07:08 | 19:18 | 18:44 |
| December solstice | 07:31 | 17:06 | 16:26 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Roanoke1.4 mi north-northwest
- Cave Spring4.3 mi west-southwest
- Blacksburg26.4 mi west
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How high is Mill Mountain Overlook?
Mill Mountain Overlook sits at about 1,685 feet (513 m).
What can you see from Mill Mountain Overlook?
From Mill Mountain Overlook: Rivers Edge North Park (WNW, 0.7 mi); Rivers Edge Park (WNW, 0.7 mi); Open Field (WSW, 0.7 mi); Argonne Circle (NW, 1.0 mi).
Is Mill Mountain Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Mill Mountain 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 Mill Mountain Overlook?
Roanoke, 1.4 miles NNW of Mill Mountain Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Mill Mountain Overlook?
Mill Mountain Star Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Mill Mountain Overlook.
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Day trips start here
- Roanoke · 1 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Mill Mountain 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.
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