Graveyard Fields Overlook

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina · 5,120 ft

Bare <20% Typical peak was 18 days ago

Typical peak

Oct 10 – Oct 18

moderate confidence in typical timing.

Best light

Best at sunset

Classic view faces NW (305°)

The overlook drops into a treeless bowl of blueberry and briar with the Yellowstone Prong cutting through the middle and Graveyard Ridge closing the background. The ground cover turns deep red about two weeks before the maples in the valleys below, so the foreground carries the frame.

Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated Nov 1, 2026.

Crowds

extreme

Expect heavy peak-weekend traffic; consider a weekday or arrive before dawn.

Coordinates

35.3202, -82.8472

Open in Maps

Getting there

Park in the paved Graveyard Fields Overlook lot at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 418.8; the rim view is at the lot edge and stone steps drop 0.4 mile to the Second Falls platform.

What turns here

red maple
mountain ash
highbush blueberry
yellow birch

Color progression

Typical peak Oct 14

typical peak Nov 1, 2026

Graveyard Fields Overlook is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.

This season so far

Reported peak

None yet

Seen peak color here? Add a report.

First frost

Oct 18

1 night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.

Last 14 days

58°F / 38°F

Average daily high and low.

Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.

Plan the light

Graveyard Fields Overlook on October 14, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.

Solar event times for Graveyard Fields Overlook on October 14, 2026
Event	Time
First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	7:11 AM
Sunrise Rises E · 99°	7:36 AM
Morning golden hour ends 34 min of low, warm light	8:11 AM
Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light	1:17 PM
Evening golden hour starts 34 min before sunset	6:24 PM
Sunset Sets W · 260°	6:58 PM
Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon	7:23 PM

Times in America/New York · day length 11h 21m · computed from NOAA solar equations.

Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.

Which way to point the camera

Sunrise: front-lit

Sun behind you. Flat, even light — accurate color, little drama. Good for wide valley scenes, weak for single trees.

Sunset: backlit

Sun behind the canopy — leaves glow translucent. The shot most people are after. Expect flare; a hood or a hand helps.

Classic composition faces NW (305°).

Shooting conditions

Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.

Recent reports

What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.

Nearby locations

Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.