Big Walker Lookout

This is a pretty amazing and only for the adventurers who can handle being on top of the world...literally! It is 100ft higher than the already 3405 elevation the mountain site is at. WOW! Just an open staircase leads you to the top. At about the 7th story the wind starts whipping by and at the 8th you can feel the sway ever so slightly. By the 9th I was terrified and I watched at that level while my 9 y/o went to the top with some teens that we meet there. What an amazing view from the 9th story. I hear it was even better at the top. I will take their word for it. My legs were shaking when I got to the bottom. A must see if you are driving near. People were very friendly and the store had some great souvenirs.

Be sure to visit on a clear day to enjoy the gorgeous views. It gets pretty windy near the top and the stairs are a little rickety so be sure you have a steady foot. The country store at the bottom is quaint and sells generic and not so generic souvenirs that definitely represent the Blue Ridge, plus there's fudge!

Oh my goodness. Little did I know the picture was from atop of a really tall tower. It's about five or six dollars to climb the tower. Out of the five of us, only three of us were brave enough to climb to the top. It's scary and I'm not afraid of heights. The country store there at the top and very cool. Tones of stuff to look at. There were two gentlemen on the porch playing the guitar and a violin. So cool. I will stop back with other people when we drive through. It's so worth the detour. It does not get any more authentic than this.

Gorgeous lookout. You have to pay to climb up to the top, but it is worth it. The gift shop is great too.

This was such a great stop on our road trip. The lookout is.. impressive. Both the hike up all the steps to get the top, and the view once you're there. It costs $8 / per person (pay in the general store first). Also pick up a quaint souvenir or some fudge while you're in there, it's a great little shop! Not really much in the way of food options for lunch, etc. though - but you could swing by a restaurant before you get there or pack your own, they have plenty of outdoor seating.