For other uses. see: Overlook (disambiguation)

A scenic overlook, or just an overlook, is a high place where people can gather to view scenery (often with binoculars), and to photograph it. Scenic overlooks are typically created alongside mountain roads, often as a simple turnouts where motorists can pull over onto pavement, gravel, or grass on the right-of-way. Many are larger, having parking areas, while some (typically on larger highways) are off the road completely.

Overlooks are frequently found in national parks, and in the U.S. along national parkways like the Blue Ridge Parkway, which has numerous individually-named overlooks for viewing the Blue Ridge Mountains and its valleys. Other overlooks are next to waterfalls, especially since mountain roads tend to follow streams.

Many overlooks are accessible only by trails and boardwalk-like walkways and stairs. This is typical in very ecologically-sensitive areas. These overlooks are often wooden deck structures, which minimize the impact on the land by reducing the need to disturb it for construction.

Texas tower, abide with, accept, allow, allow for, autopsy, be big, be blind to, be caught napping, be caught out, be content with, be easy with, be inattentive, be neglectful, be negligent, be unwary, beacon, bear, bear with, bedevil, belvedere, bestraddle, bestride, bewitch, blank, bleachers, blink at, boss, bridge, brook, canvass, chaperon, chasm, check, check out, check over, check up on, clear, command, condone, conning tower, connive at, countenance, cut, cut dead, default, demonize, diabolize, discount, dismiss, disregard, dominate, endure, examine, excuse, face, face upon, fail, forget, forgive, front on, gallery, gazebo, give an examination, give no heed, give the go-by, give upon, gloss over, go over, grandstand, grin and abide, have, hear nothing, hear of, hex, hoodoo, ignore, indulge, inspect, jinx, judge not, keep in order, lapse, lean over backwards, leave out, leave unavenged, let go, let go by, let it go, let pass, let ride, let slide, let slip, lighthouse, listen to reason, live with, look at, look down upon, look out upon, look over, look right through, look toward, lookout, loophole, lose sight of, lose track of, make allowances for, make light of, make little of, miss, monitor, neglect, nod, not attend, not care for, not get involved, not heed, not listen, not notice, not think, not write off, obey, observation post, observatory, observe, obsess, omit, outlook, outtop, overarch, overhaul, overpass, oversee, overshadow, oversight, overtop, pardon, pass by, pass over, pass under review, pass up, pay no attention, pay no mind, peanut gallery, peephole, peer at, permit, peruse, pharos, pocket the affront, pooh-pooh, pore over, possess, postmortem, preterition, put up with, quarterback, refuse to acknowledge, refuse to recognize, regard with indulgence, review, ride herd on, ringside, ringside seat, rise above, run over, scan, scrutinize, see both sides, see nothing, set an examination, shrug, shrug it off, sighthole, size, size up, skip, sleep, slight, stand for, stand over, stomach, study, submit to, suffer, superintend, supervise, surmount, survey, suspend judgment, take, take care of, take for granted, take stock of, take the measure, think little of, tolerate, top, top gallery, tower, tower above, tower over, view with indulgence, voodoo, watchtower, wink at, witch, write off, yield to