Price Lake Overlook
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina · 3,385 ft
Typical peak
Oct 14 – Oct 22
moderate confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Classic view faces WSW (250°)
A shallow parkway lake with the Grandfather Mountain ridge standing behind it, and the water is flat enough at first light to hold the full reflection. Sugar maple and yellow birch ring the shoreline right down to the waterline, so the color doubles.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
moderate
Often busier by mid-morning; consider arriving at first light.
Getting there
Pull into the Price Lake Overlook at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 296.7, or park at the boat launch just south and walk the shoreline path.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- red maple
- yellow birch
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 18Typical color progression for Price Lake Overlook. No change from Sep 10 to Sep 27. First color from Sep 27 to Oct 6. Approaching peak from Oct 6 to Oct 14. Peak from Oct 14 to Oct 22. Past peak from Oct 22 to Nov 1. Bare from Nov 1 to Nov 15.
Price Lake Overlook is typically at past peak on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
61°F / 41°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
Price Lake Overlook on October 18, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:10 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 101° | 7:36 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 35 min of low, warm light | 8:11 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:12 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 35 min before sunset | 6:13 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 259° | 6:47 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:13 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 11m · 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 WSW (250°).
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.