Today I drove from Asheville, North Carolina to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Once again, this was almost all within National Parks land as the final 80 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway ends at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The drive was very pleasant with varying scenery that was all the more interesting as the elevations are higher at these locations.

In addition to the driving I made a couple of moderately strenuous climbs to viewpoints. One was near to the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway at a point called Waterrock Knob. The other was part of a side-trip to Clingman’s Dome where you can walk to the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains. Photos of both are flagged with blue markers on the map with the other photo being another pleasant Blue Ridge overlook. The “finally” in the title is explained in the video if you click on the white marker.

The map/video page is here.

As with most distant scenic views today’s shots are somewhat hazy but, in person, do not disappoint. There are hundreds of overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway and, although not all are as magnificent as this, you can get an idea of what can be seen from the road. The next two photos are at Waterrock Knob.
This is the observation tower at Clingman’s Dome in Great Smoky Mountains NP,and the hazy view from the top.