Rough Butt Bald Overlook
Rough Butt Bald Overlook sits at 5,300 feet along the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing 240 degrees with terrain dropping 782 feet within 600 meters of the stop. The view takes in Gage Bald to the west at 1.8 miles (5,567 feet) and Charley Bald further west at 2.5 miles (5,502 feet). Three waterfalls appear to the southwest and west-southwest: Yellow Patch Falls at 1.3 miles, Upper Wolf Mountain Falls also at 1.3 miles, and Rocky Knob Falls at 3.1 miles. Balsam Falls lies south-southwest at 3.0 miles, at a lower elevation of 3,635 feet. The overlook faces toward sunset, angled 30 degrees off square with that direction, which affects how light falls across the ridgelines and falls at the end of the day. Asheville is 29.9 miles to the northeast, with Greenville and Mauldin further southeast at 43.9 and 51.0 miles. Spot Knob precedes this overlook on the route, and Wolf Mountain Overlook follows it.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Yellow Patch Falls4,113 ftsouthwest · 1.3 mi
- Upper Wolf Mountain Falls4,172 ftwest-southwest · 1.3 mi
- Gage Bald5,567 ftwest · 1.8 mi
- Charley Bald5,502 ftwest · 2.5 mi
- Balsam Falls3,635 ftsouth-southwest · 3.0 mi
- Rocky Knob Falls4,177 ftwest-southwest · 3.1 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:36 | 19:44 | 19:10 |
| June solstice | 06:18 | 20:51 | 20:13 |
| September equinox | 07:20 | 19:30 | 18:57 |
| December solstice | 07:37 | 17:24 | 16:45 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Asheville29.9 mi northeast
- Greenville43.9 mi southeast
- Mauldin51.0 mi southeast
Take the scenic way to Rough Butt Bald Overlook.
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How high is Rough Butt Bald Overlook?
Rough Butt Bald Overlook sits at about 5,300 feet (1,615 m).
What can you see from Rough Butt Bald Overlook?
From Rough Butt Bald Overlook: Yellow Patch Falls (SW, 1.3 mi); Upper Wolf Mountain Falls (WSW, 1.3 mi); Gage Bald (W, 1.8 mi); Charley Bald (W, 2.5 mi).
Is Rough Butt Bald Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Rough Butt Bald 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 Rough Butt Bald Overlook?
Asheville, 30 miles NE of Rough Butt Bald Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Rough Butt Bald Overlook?
Wolf Mountain Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Rough Butt Bald Overlook.
Drive to Rough Butt Bald Overlook with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Blue Ridge Parkway, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Asheville · 29 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Rough Butt Bald 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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