Rough Ridge Lookout - Grandfather Mountain, NC.

Rough Ridge Lookout sits at 4,421 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain, NC, facing due west (270°). The land drops 751 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. Several named points are visible to the west: Wilson Creek Overlook at 0.6 mi, Yonahlossee Overlook at 0.7 mi, and the Linn Cove Viaduct at 0.8 mi. Farther out, Grandmother View sits at 1.0 mi, MacRae Peak at 1.3 mi (5,795 ft), and the Patio View of MacRae Peak at 1.6 mi. Because the overlook faces directly toward the sunset point, the view aligns with the setting sun. Sunset times shift across the year, from 20:48 at the June solstice to 17:17 at the December solstice, with sunrise ranging from 06:11 in June to 07:35 in December. The lookout is roughly 34.4 miles west-northwest of Johnson City, 35.8 miles southeast of Hickory, and 40.6 miles north-northwest of Bristol. Along the Parkway, it follows Wilson Creek Overlook and precedes Boulder Field Overlook.