Look Rock Tower, Foothills Parkway
Foothills Parkway, Tennessee · 2,651 ft
A concrete observation tower on a low outlier ridge with the full Smokies crest lined up to the east and the Tennessee Valley opening west. At 2,650 feet it holds color after the high country is bare, and the elevation gap makes the crest read as a separate band.
Typical peak
Oct 18 – Oct 26
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Works at both ends of the day
Crowds
low
Rarely busy. You will likely have the spot to yourself at dawn.
Getting there
Park at the Look Rock lot on Foothills Parkway West between US 129 and US 321 and walk the paved half-mile path to the tower.
What turns here
- sourwood
- red maple
- hickory
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 22Typical color progression for Look Rock Tower, Foothills Parkway. No change from Sep 14 to Oct 1. First color from Oct 1 to Oct 10. Approaching peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Peak from Oct 18 to Oct 26. Past peak from Oct 26 to Nov 5. Bare from Nov 5 to Nov 19.
Color starts around Oct 1.
Light at peak
Look Rock Tower, Foothills Parkway on October 22, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:22 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 103° | 7:48 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 8:23 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:20 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 6:17 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 257° | 6:52 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:18 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 4m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
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.