Air Bellows Overlook

Air Bellows Overlook

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Parkway Milepost 236.9

Amenities

3 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Air Bellows Overlook is known as the Crest of the Blue Ridge, as it offers a panoramic view of the surrounding North Carolina and Virginia countryside. Notable mountains include Peach Bottom Mountain, Mount Rogers, Doughton Mountain, Bald Knob, and Round Top. 

In the farmland below Christmas trees are grown. North Carolina is ranked 2nd in the nation for Christmas tree production. An informational wayside on site explains, "For thousands of years Native Americans cultivated the fertile valleys of the Blue Ridge region including North Carolina. Employing techniques such as “slash and burn” to clear small areas of forested land and fertilize the soil, the Cherokee raised crops that included the “three sisters” – corn, beans, and squash.

Upon settling the region, European immigrants quickly adopted many Cherokee crops and techniques alongside the agricultural practices they brought with them. This blending of farming traditions resulted in a distinctive regional agricultural heritage. 

From this overlook, visitors are offered a long-range view of an area of mixed agriculture in the region. Like their ancestors before them, the people of this region continue to cultivate traditional fruits and vegetables, but they have also introduced new crops such as Christmas trees, ornamentals, mushrooms, herbs, and wine grapes.”

Check the conditions of the area before you visit.