Asheville Sunset Spots On the Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 469 mile stretch of road running through the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, and it takes most people 15 hours, or longer, to drive the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway. In 2019, the Blue Ridge Parkway hosted 14.9 million visitors which is more than Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon COMBINED!
On our visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway, we stayed in Asheville, NC. Read about our full itinerary in Asheville and our Socially Distanced Road trip through the Carolina’s. Because Asheville is nestled into the Appalachian Mountains, the weather is extremely variable from place to place and we had to change our plans on the fly as clouds and fog can quickly roll in to sunset spots.
We loved driving the parkway and enjoyed pulling off at the many overlooks near Asheville to see layers upon layers of mountains. On our trip, we were on a mission to find the best place to watch the sunset near Asheville on the Blue Ridge Parkway with maximum views and mountain layers. Read below to see our favorite sunset locations near Asheville.
The Best Spots for Sunset near Asheville
We searched high and low for all of the places on the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Asheville, that offered the best views and mountain layers for sunset. We Here is a map showing our favorite locations:
Cowee Mountain Overlook
Cowee Mountain Overlook was our absolute favorite spot for sunset on the Blue Ridge Parkway! In fact, we loved it so much that we came to this overlook three nights during our week-long stay in Asheville. About an hour drive Southwest of Asheville, Cowee Mountain Overlook, is an easy pullover on the Blue Ridge Parkway facing West and has mountain layers as far as your eyes can see.
The parking lot at Cowee Mountain Overlook is large with plenty of parking. However, on the weekend our evening was not quite as secluded as our weeknight sunsets. Because the overlook is so easily accessible, we brought small chairs, to-go dinner, and our favorite local brews to enjoy as we watched the sunset.
On clear nights, we also highly recommend staying after sunset for the stars. The Cowee Mountain Overlook has minimal light pollution and we were able to experience the Milky Way rising over us on a beautiful evening. Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Night Photography for tips on photographing the Milky Way.
Craggy Pinnacle Summit
Craggy Pinnacle Summit is a scenic 30 minute drive on Blue Ridge Parkway, Northeast of Asheville, with several beautiful overlooks along the way. The Craggy Pinnacle parking lot is just a few hundred feet past the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center and there is plenty of room for parking.
This summit requires a short and easy ~1.4 mile round trip hike. If you stay for sunset, make sure to bring a headlamp to help make the way down easier at night. Once you reach the summit, you will be rewarded with 360-degree views! At 5,892 ft, the Craggy Pinnacle Summit is much higher than the surrounding area.
Because Craggy Pinnacle Summit offers 360-degree views, it is also a great place to catch a beautiful sunrise. We love catching sunrises, as there are usually less people that will wake up early letting us embrace the quiet nature as the world wakes up.
Mount Mitchell
Standing tall at 6,684 ft, Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains. For those that want to see 360-degree views, but aren’t up for hiking, Mount Mitchell is for you. Mount Mitchell is an hour Northeast of Asheville, along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can drive all the way to the top of Mount Mitchell and there is a short concrete walking path that takes you to the summit.
Being the tallest mountain in the Appalachian Mountains carries some weight. The views are completely unobstructed and you can see for miles! Although we loved the unobstructed views, the man-made lookout tower at the peak of Mount Mitchell made us feel slightly removed from nature compared to Craggy Pinnacle Summit.
The weather can change quickly in the mountains, and when we arrived at Mount Mitchell we were completely engulfed by the fog. Luckily, the fog parted for a few minutes as the sun was setting to give us a chance to see the surrounding areas far below.
Black Balsam Knob
Black Balsam Knob is a treeless panoramic summit that is easily accessible via the Art Loeb Trail. Because the trail is only 1.4 miles round-trip, it can get crowded on the weekends with the limited parallel parking on the side of the road.
This summit is notorious for fog and clouds, and unfortunately, we had very limited visibility on our “sunset” hike to the top. It still didn’t disappoint, as there’s something mysterious about hiking through fog, and we brought a cooler with dinner and cold local beers up the short Art Loeb Trail.
If you are lucky enough to catch Black Balsam Knob on a clear evening, the summit has some of the best 360-degree views near Asheville due to the 6,000 ft elevation and the fact that there are no trees to obstruct the views.
Sunset Locations Near Asheville
Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway are absolutely spectacular! Downtown Asheville has an incredible culinary scene with craft coffee and beer, but as you venture out into the mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway there are many beautiful views, hikes, and waterfalls. If you are searching for colorful sunsets with layers and layers of mountains, Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway should be at the top of your list. Read more about our Roadtrip through the Carolina’s.