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Lookout · Blue Ridge Parkway

Tanbark Ridge Overlook

VerifiedOpenStreetMap + National Park Service
Looking east from Tanbark Ridge Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Tanbark Ridge Overlook sits at 3,175 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing due east across terrain that drops 660 feet within 600 meters of the pull-off. Asheville lies 5.4 miles southwest, with Hendersonville 23.1 miles south and Greeneville 40.2 miles north-northwest. Bull Creek Valley Overlook is visible to the east at 1.6 miles, and several peaks appear in the eastern arc of the view, including Swan Mountain and Bartlett Mountain (east-southeast), Rock Knob (east), and Richland Knob and Richland Mountain to the northeast at 4,713 feet. Courthouse Knob rises north-northeast at 3.0 miles, and The Slabs and Lower Slab lie southeast at 3.4 miles, both around 2,319 feet. Because the overlook faces the sunrise, morning light comes in low and direct; sunrise ranges from about 06:15 at the June solstice to 07:37 at the December solstice. Haw Creek Valley is the previous stop along the byway, with Bull Creek Valley Overlook next.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
3,175 ft
View
East · 90°
Light
Best at sunrise
Relief
660 ft drop
In view
9 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
View from Tanbark Ridge Overlook
NPS Photo / Laura White · Public domain (NPS) · NPS
North Carolina Highway 694 is a connector route between downtown Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Mark Clifton · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Puccinia recondita
Evan M. Raskin · CC BY 4.0 · source
Puccinia recondita
Evan M. Raskin · CC BY 4.0 · source
Puccinia recondita
Evan M. Raskin · CC BY 4.0 · source
Puccinia recondita
Evan M. Raskin · CC BY 4.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Bull Creek Valley Overlook (MP 373.8)3,547 fteast · 1.6 mi
  • Swan Mountain3,363 fteast-southeast · 1.7 mi
  • Bartlett Mountain3,324 fteast-southeast · 2.5 mi
  • Richland Knob4,713 ftnortheast · 2.8 mi
  • Richland Mountain4,713 ftnortheast · 2.8 mi
  • Courthouse Knob4,358 ftnorth-northeast · 3.0 mi
  • Rock Knob3,932 fteast · 3.2 mi
  • The Slabs2,319 ftsoutheast · 3.4 mi
  • Lower Slab2,319 ftsoutheast · 3.4 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunrise — 0° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:3419:4219:08
June solstice06:1520:5020:12
September equinox07:1919:2818:55
December solstice07:3717:2116:42

Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Asheville5.4 mi southwest
  • Hendersonville23.1 mi south
  • Greeneville40.2 mi north-northwest
← Before it: Haw Creek ValleyAfter it: Bull Creek Valley Overlook →
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From the source · Verbatim

Tanbark Ridge Overlook · National Park Service

Enjoy an expansive view at this beautiful overlook located just north of Asheville. Sunrise can be spectacular as this overlook faces east. Tanbark Ridge Overlook is a favorite with stargazers as well. In the small valley below, which is mostly forested, there is a little community aligned with Bull Creek Road. In the distance the mountains are High Swan, High Knob, and Lane Pinnacle. Behind the overlook, Tanbark Ridge ascends another 700 feet. Swan Mountain is behind Tanbark Ridge.  The name tanbark comes from a leather tannery that is said to have been located on this ridge. Tanneries by their nature were foul smelling and usually located away from towns. A tannery situated on this ridge had the advantage of nearby resources—tannins from the bark of oak and hemlock trees and mountain breezes to blow away the smell of tannic acid and putrid animal hides. Check the conditions of the area before you visit.

Read it at National Park Service →
Common questions

How high is Tanbark Ridge Overlook?

Tanbark Ridge Overlook sits at about 3,175 feet (968 m).

What can you see from Tanbark Ridge Overlook?

From Tanbark Ridge Overlook: Bull Creek Valley Overlook (MP 373.8) (E, 1.6 mi); Swan Mountain (ESE, 1.7 mi); Bartlett Mountain (ESE, 2.5 mi); Richland Knob (NE, 2.8 mi).

Is Tanbark Ridge Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise. The land falls away from Tanbark Ridge 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 Tanbark Ridge Overlook?

Asheville, 5.4 miles SW of Tanbark Ridge Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Tanbark Ridge Overlook?

Bull Creek Valley Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Tanbark Ridge Overlook.

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Tanbark Ridge 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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