Look Rock Tower

Look Rock Tower is a concrete observation tower on Chilhowee Mountain, reached by a paved 0.8-mile out-and-back trail through forest from Foothills Parkway West. The deck looks across the Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee Valley, and Cumberland Plateau. It makes a good break in a parkway drive if you want a short walk with a view; the climb is noticeably uphill despite the pavement.

The trailhead is across the parkway from a pullout on the south side, between mile markers 14 and 15. The path rises about 0.4 mile each way, so expect a steady climb rather than a level stroll. A parking tag is required if your vehicle is parked longer than 15 minutes, and no reservation is required. Pets are not allowed on the tower trail.

There is no restroom at the tower pullout. The nearby Look Rock Picnic Area has picnic tables, grills, and seasonal restrooms, typically from late April through late October. There is no food service at the tower itself.

The circular deck and curved concrete ramp make this a more distinctive stop than a roadside pullout. From the platform, the view opens over layers of forested ridges toward the valley and plateau. For a photo, include the ramp or the round deck as foreground; a frame of the view alone can lose the sense of where you are standing.

Look Rock drew visitors before there was a parkway tower. Guests at Montvale Springs Hotel, which dated to 1832, made a roughly three-mile hike over primitive trails to the summit. The hotel burned in 1933. The Walland-to-Look Rock section of Foothills Parkway opened in 1965, and the observation tower and trail were completed in 1967 as part of mid-century efforts to spread park visitation along its quieter edges.