Three Knob Overlook
Three Knob Overlook sits at 3,880 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing 300 degrees with terrain dropping 582 feet within 600 meters of the pull-off. Crabtree Falls is visible to the west at 0.7 miles, with Camp Celo Falls and Whiteoak Creek Falls further west at 4.3 and 4.7 miles. Stones Knob rises to the west-southwest at 2.6 miles, reaching 3,963 feet, while Buzzard Rock and Sage Rock stand to the north-northwest at roughly 3.8 to 3.9 miles. Snake Knob appears west at 4.6 miles. The overlook faces toward the sunset, roughly 30 degrees off square, so evening light crosses the view directly; sunset falls at 19:41 near the March equinox, 20:49 at the June solstice, 19:27 near the September equinox, and 17:19 at the December solstice. Asheville lies 27.9 miles to the west-southwest, Johnson City 36.4 miles north-northwest, and Shelby 49.7 miles southeast. View Black Mountain Overlook precedes this stop on the byway, and Deerlick Gap Overlook follows.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Crabtree Falls3,480 ftwest · 0.7 mi
- Stones Knob3,963 ftwest-southwest · 2.6 mi
- Buzzard Rock3,751 ftnorth-northwest · 3.8 mi
- Sage Rock3,700 ftnorth-northwest · 3.9 mi
- Camp Celo Falls3,103 ftwest · 4.3 mi
- Snake Knob3,755 ftwest · 4.6 mi
- Whiteoak Creek Falls3,233 ftwest · 4.7 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:33 | 19:41 | 19:07 |
| June solstice | 06:13 | 20:49 | 20:11 |
| September equinox | 07:17 | 19:27 | 18:53 |
| December solstice | 07:36 | 17:19 | 16:40 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Asheville27.9 mi west-southwest
- Johnson City36.4 mi north-northwest
- Shelby49.7 mi southeast
Take the scenic way to Three Knob Overlook.
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How high is Three Knob Overlook?
Three Knob Overlook sits at about 3,880 feet (1,183 m).
What can you see from Three Knob Overlook?
From Three Knob Overlook: Crabtree Falls (W, 0.7 mi); Stones Knob (WSW, 2.6 mi); Buzzard Rock (NNW, 3.8 mi); Sage Rock (NNW, 3.9 mi).
Is Three Knob Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunset. The land falls away from Three Knob 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 Three Knob Overlook?
Asheville, 28 miles WSW of Three Knob Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Three Knob Overlook?
Deerlick Gap Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Three Knob Overlook.
Drive to Three Knob Overlook with Byway
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Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Asheville · 29 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Three Knob 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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