Price Lake Overlook
Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina · 3,385 ft
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.
Typical peak
Oct 14 – Oct 22
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Classic view faces WSW (250°)
Crowds
moderate
Fills up mid-morning. Arriving for first light is usually enough.
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.
Color starts around Sep 27.
Light at peak
Price Lake Overlook on October 18, 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 | 7:10 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
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.
Based on the classic composition here facing 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.