Mills Gap Overlook
Mills Gap Overlook sits at 2,420 feet along the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing 330 degrees with terrain dropping 796 feet within 600 meters of the pull-off. The view extends north across a series of peaks, including Purgatory Mountain at 5.7 miles, Back Creek Mountain at 7.2 miles, The Knob at 8.2 miles, Mays Mountain at 11.1 miles, Orebank Mountain at 11.5 miles, Gully Mountain at 11.7 miles, and Garden Mountain and Stamping Ground Mountain beyond 12 miles. To the north-northwest, Rich Hill appears at 7.9 miles, while Pine Hills lies west-northwest at 10.4 miles. The Fincastle Historic District is visible to the west at 10.7 miles. Roanoke is 20.2 miles to the southwest, Cave Spring 24.8 miles southwest, and Lynchburg 30.0 miles to the east. Sunrise and sunset times vary by season, ranging from a 05:59 sunrise at the June solstice to a 07:30 sunrise at the December solstice, with sunsets between 17:05 and 20:44 across the year. Headforemost Mountain Overlook precedes this stop on the byway, and Sharp Top Overlook follows it.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Purgatory Mountain2,949 ftnorth · 5.7 mi
- Back Creek Mountain2,783 ftnorth · 7.2 mi
- Rich Hill1,692 ftnorth-northwest · 7.9 mi
- The Knob2,660 ftnorth · 8.2 mi
- Pine Hills1,323 ftwest-northwest · 10.4 mi
- Fincastle Historic District1,256 ftwest · 10.7 mi
- Mays Mountain3,213 ftnorth · 11.1 mi
- Orebank Mountain3,439 ftnorth · 11.5 mi
- Gully Mountain3,480 ftnorth · 11.7 mi
- Garden Mountain3,081 ftnorth · 12.0 mi
- Stamping Ground Mountain2,771 ftnorth · 12.5 mi
Light
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:23 | 19:31 | 18:56 |
| June solstice | 05:59 | 20:44 | 20:05 |
| September equinox | 07:07 | 19:17 | 18:43 |
| December solstice | 07:30 | 17:05 | 16:24 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Roanoke20.2 mi southwest
- Cave Spring24.8 mi southwest
- Lynchburg30.0 mi east
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How high is Mills Gap Overlook?
Mills Gap Overlook sits at about 2,420 feet (738 m).
What can you see from Mills Gap Overlook?
From Mills Gap Overlook: Purgatory Mountain (N, 5.7 mi); Back Creek Mountain (N, 7.2 mi); Rich Hill (NNW, 7.9 mi); The Knob (N, 8.2 mi).
What is the nearest town to Mills Gap Overlook?
Roanoke, 20 miles SW of Mills Gap Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Mills Gap Overlook?
Sharp Top Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Mills Gap Overlook.
Drive to Mills Gap Overlook with Byway
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Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Roanoke · 20 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Mills Gap 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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