The railroad tracks at Yankee Horse Ridge Overlook (milepost 34.4 on Virginia's Blue Ridge Parkway) were once known as the Irish Creek Railway. Although the tracks seen above are a reproduction, the original railway was built around 1920 to transport timber.
Legend has it that the area got its "Yankee Horse Ridge" name when a Union soldier in the Civil War had to put down his injured horse.
Underneath this wooden trestle is a stream that leads to the nearby Wigwam Falls. This stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway typically isn't crowded and gives photographers great return on investment since there's multiple interesting subjects close to the parking lot.
