See impressive views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the top of Waterrock Knob Trail. Start walking from the scenic National Park Visitor Center at Waterrock Knob, at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 451 in North Carolina, USA. Hike breathlessly 1.2 miles round trip with 400 feet gain to the summit of Waterrock Knob (elevation 6292 feet), the highest peak of the Plott Balsam Range, which is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a subset of the Appalachians. Local trees release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and create a characteristic blue haze on pristine days as seen in this photo; but more often a white or gray haze obscures distant views due to air pollution. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park (in Virginia) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, following ridge crestlines and the Appalachian Trail. This panorama was stitched from 14 overlapping photos.
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