Norris Dam Overlook
Norris Dam Overlook sits at 1,176 feet along the Norris Freeway, facing 120 degrees with the land dropping 328 feet within 600 meters of the pull-off. Norris Dam Visitor Center is visible east-northeast at 0.4 miles, and the River Bluff Small Wild Area lies south-southeast at 0.6 miles. Farther out, Observation Point rises to the southeast at 1.7 miles and Reservoir Hill to the east-southeast at 2.0 miles, with Mitchell Knob and Brushy Knob visible at greater distances of 10.6 and 11.8 miles respectively. The overlook faces toward sunrise, roughly 30 degrees off square with that direction, meaning early daylight hours will show the sun closer to this line of sight than midday or evening. Oak Ridge is 17.7 miles to the south-southwest, Knoxville 20.6 miles south-southeast, and Maryville 33.0 miles south-southeast, all beyond the immediate overlook view but within the surrounding region.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Norris Dam Visitor Center1,090 fteast-northeast · 0.4 mi
- River Bluff Small Wild Area1,142 ftsouth-southeast · 0.6 mi
- Observation Point1,371 ftsoutheast · 1.7 mi
- Reservoir Hill1,352 fteast-southeast · 2.0 mi
- Mitchell Knob1,511 fteast-southeast · 10.6 mi
- Brushy Knob1,545 ftsoutheast · 11.8 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunrise — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:41 | 19:48 | 19:14 |
| June solstice | 06:20 | 20:58 | 20:20 |
| September equinox | 07:25 | 19:35 | 19:01 |
| December solstice | 07:45 | 17:26 | 16:46 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Oak Ridge17.7 mi south-southwest
- Knoxville20.6 mi south-southeast
- Maryville33.0 mi south-southeast
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How high is Norris Dam Overlook?
Norris Dam Overlook sits at about 1,176 feet (358 m).
What can you see from Norris Dam Overlook?
From Norris Dam Overlook: Norris Dam Visitor Center (ENE, 0.4 mi); River Bluff Small Wild Area (SSE, 0.6 mi); Observation Point (SE, 1.7 mi); Reservoir Hill (ESE, 2.0 mi).
Is Norris Dam Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise. The land falls away from Norris Dam Overlook toward the sunrise, so at sunset the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Norris Dam Overlook?
Oak Ridge, 18 miles SSW of Norris Dam Overlook.
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