Pisgah District

The Pisgah District is the southernmost district of the parkway, running from the Museum of North Carolina Minerals at mile post 331 to Great Smoky Mountains National Park at mile post 469.

Mile Post 339.5: Crabtree Falls - A park area with a campground and a 2.5-mile trail to beautiful Crabtree Falls. See my Crabtree Falls page for more information.

Mile Post 345.3: Singecat Ridge Overlook - View of Onion Knob and Mackey Mountain.

Mile Post: 347.9: Hewat Overlook - Great views of the Black Mountains to the west.

Mile Post 348.8: Curtis Valley Overlook - Curtis Valley Overlook is a newer overlook, having been constructed during the repairs after a 2006 landslide.

Mile Post 349.2: Laurel Knob Overlook - View of Curtis Creek area, the first parcel of land purchased under the Weeks Act that established the National Forests. See my Curtis Creek page for more information on this area.

Mile Post 350.5: Green Knob Overlook - Overlook into the Catawba River Valley. This is also the upper trailhead for Snooks Nose Trail (#211) that leads steeply down into the Curtis Creek area of Pisgah National Forest. See my Curtis Creek page for more information on this strenuous trail.

Mile Post 355.3: Ridge Junction Overlook - Overlook of Black Mountains and South Toe River Valley from near the intersection with NC-128 to Mount Mitchell State Park. Potato Knob, one of the most southern Black mountains is visible from here.

Mile Post 361.2: View Glassmine Falls - Overlook with views of 800-foot Glassmine Falls, an ephemeral waterfall that flows down Horse Range Ridge into the Asheville Watershed.

Mile Post 372.1: View Lane Pinnacle - Lane Pinnacle is named for Charles Lane who established an iron mine on the pinnacle.

Mile Post 376.8: Tanbark Ridge Overlook

Mile Post 396.4: View Walnut Cove - Overlook into Walnut Cove, where an abundance of black walnut trees grow.

Mile Post 399.7: Bad Fork Valley Overlook

Milepost 402.6: View Stony Bald - Overlook with views of Stony Bald and Mount Pisgah and provides access to the Shut-In Trail/Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Mile Post 404.5: Mills River Valley Overlook - Overlook of the Mills River Valley, named for William Mills, an early settler from the late 1700s.

Milepost 410.3: View Pink Beds - Overlook of Pink Beds in Pisgah National Forest.

Mile Post: 411.0: The Cradle of Forestry Overlook - Overlooks the Cradle of Forestry, where the first school of forestry operated from 1898 to 1913.

Mile Post 413.2: Pounding Mill Overlook - View above Pounding Mill Branch and Looking Glass Rock. Pounding Mill Branch is named for the hammer type mills used to grind corn that were common on the creek.

Mile Post 417.0: Looking Glass Rock - An overlook with fantastic views of Looking Glass Rock, a giant granite pluton. When water collects on the rock face, particularly in the winter when ice forms, the rock resembles a giant mirror or "looking glass".

Mile Post 418.3: East Fork Overlook - An overlook with views of East Fork, the headwaters of the Pigeon River.

Mile Post 418.8: Graveyard Fields Overlook - Overlook with views of Graveyard Fields, a high elevation open area caused by a devastating fire. The trailhead for Graveyard Fields Loop Trail is here. This is one of the best areas to view early fall foliage at high elevations.

Mile Post: 422.4: View Devil's Courthouse - An overlook with views of the Devil's Courthouse, a rocky summit with views of the surrounding mountains. There is a foot trail that leads to the summit.

Mile Post 445.2: View Mt Lyn Lowry - View of Mount Lyn Lowry and Woodfin Cascades. The waterfall is only able to be seen in the winter and early spring when the leaves are off the trees.

Mile Post 454.4: Thunder Struck Ridge - Thunder Struck Ridge lies 100 feet below the overlook.

Mile Post 455.1: Fed Cove Overlook - View of Fed Cove, named for a man who lived here during the Civil War.

Milepost 457.9: Plott Balsam Overlook - A view of the Plott Balsam range that includes several peaks over 6000 feet.

Mile Post 459.5: Bunches Bald Overlook - Overlook right past the 290-foot Bunches Bald Tunnel.

Mile Post 460.8: Jenkins Ridge Overlook - Named for an early settler in the area.

Mile Post 461.9: Big Witch Overlook - Named for a Cherokee medicine man.

Mile Post 463.9: View Thomas Divide

Mile Post 467.4: View Ballhoot Scar - Loggers would yell "Ballhoot!" when the felled trees came down the mountain, leaving the scars in the earth.

Mile Post 467.9: View Raven Fork - Raven Fork is a major tributary of Oconaluftee River that originates in the Smokies.