Stack Rock Parking Area
Stack Rock Parking Area sits at 4,282 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, with the land dropping 481 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view faces 120°, a direction angled toward sunrise. From the parking area, Pilot Knob is visible to the east-northeast at 2.2 miles, rising to 4,822 feet, and Marks Mountain lies south-southeast at 3.5 miles, at 2,896 feet. Because the facing points toward sunrise, morning light comes in close to straight-on; sunrise times range from 06:11 at the June solstice to 07:35 at the December solstice. The overlook is roughly 33.5 miles west-northwest of Johnson City, 36.3 miles southeast of Hickory, and 40.4 miles north-northwest of Bristol. Along the Parkway, it follows the Patio View of MacRae Peak and precedes the Grandmother View.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Pilot Knob4,822 fteast-northeast · 2.2 mi
- Marks Mountain2,896 ftsouth-southeast · 3.5 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunrise — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:32 | 19:39 | 19:05 |
| June solstice | 06:11 | 20:48 | 20:10 |
| September equinox | 07:16 | 19:26 | 18:52 |
| December solstice | 07:35 | 17:17 | 16:37 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Johnson City33.5 mi west-northwest
- Hickory36.3 mi southeast
- Bristol40.4 mi north-northwest
Take the scenic way to Stack Rock Parking Area.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.
How high is Stack Rock Parking Area?
Stack Rock Parking Area sits at about 4,282 feet (1,305 m).
What can you see from Stack Rock Parking Area?
From Stack Rock Parking Area: Pilot Knob (ENE, 2.2 mi); Marks Mountain (SSE, 3.5 mi).
Is Stack Rock Parking Area better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise. The land falls away from Stack Rock Parking Area 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 Stack Rock Parking Area?
Johnson City, 34 miles WNW of Stack Rock Parking Area.
What is the next lookout after Stack Rock Parking Area?
Grandmother View is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Stack Rock Parking Area.
Drive to Stack Rock Parking Area 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
- Elizabethton · 29 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Stack Rock Parking Area — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
Confirmed by locals
No local confirmations yet. Stood here? Yours is the one that upgrades this lookout to Verified.
Ratings
No ratings yet. Stood at this lookout? Be the first to rate it.
No written reviews yet.
Field notes
No field notes yet. Know the gate hours or the best pull-in? Leave the note you wish you'd had.
Photos
No photos yet.
Sign in to confirm this lookout, rate it, add photos, and leave field notes.