A long and narrow park along the crest and slopes of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park is home to dense forests, rocky summits, lots of wildlife and panoramic vistas of endlessly rolling mountains. There are scenic views in Shenandoah National Park literally all across the park.
Although there’s a significant area of wilderness to explore, Shenandoah is also one of the easiest national parks to visit. Located just a couple of hours from major East Coast cities like Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the park has only one road.
Known as Skyline Drive, it runs the park’s entire length and offers a plethora of spectacular Shenandoah National Park views. More than 70 overlooks and viewpoints line this most scenic of national park roads.
Considering the fact that Skyline Drive is 105 miles long, that means there’s a view every 1.5 mile on average.
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20 Spectacular Views in Shenandoah National Park, From Overlooks to Trails
Driving Skyline Drive is by far the most popular thing to do in Virginia’s only national park. It’s also the only way to get to the park’s visitor centers, historic sites and almost all of its trailheads. On the way, there are numerous amazing views to enjoy.
If you’re wondering what or where the best overlooks in Shenandoah National Park are, I’ve got the ultimate list for you below, from viewpoints on Skyline Drive to epic views from Shenandoah National Park’s mountaintops.
12 Scenic Shenandoah National Park Views From Skyline Drive Overlooks
First, I’ll show you a dozen of the absolute best overlooks on Skyline Drive. These convenient spots offer stunning Shenandoah National Park views immediately after you get out of your vehicle.
Tunnel Parking Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 32.5
The first east-facing overlook south of the Thornton Gap Entrance Station, the Tunnel Parking Overlook is named for the remarkable tunnel it lies next to.
The tunnel dates from 1932, while this spot has been a popular viewpoint ever since the tunnel made it accessible to visitors.
This is the first of three neighboring overlooks, located within half a mile from each other, that offer a superb vantage point to enjoy great views in Shenandoah National Park to the east.
Buck Hollow Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 32.8
A minute further down the road from the Tunnel Parking Overlook, the Buck Hollow Overlook is probably my favorite Skyline Drive overlook to watch the sunrise.
The views are similar to those at other overlooks in the area, but I like this specific location better because the view is just a tiny bit wider and more open. The vista takes in Skinner Ridge, Buck Ridge and Hazel Mountain, as well as the historic town of Sperryville far in the distance below.
Hazel Mountain Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 33.0
This is the third overlook within that half a mile. Again, the views are similar, yet slightly, marginally different. I encourage you to explore the area a bit and see which overlook you like best.
From this overlook, you can see Buck Ridge and Hazel Mountain, for which the overlook is named. It also features exposed granodiorite, a type of rock that forms many miles underneath the surface and is the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park.
Thorofare Mountain Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 40.5
Another excellent Skyline Drive overlook to enjoy the glorious mountain views of Shenandoah National park is the Thorofare Mountain Overlook.
This is the nearest sunrise overlook to Skyland Resort, so you might want to focus on this one if you’re staying at this historic lodge, which is at the highest point on Skyline Drive. The view includes Hazel Mountain, Thorofare Mountain, Robertson Mountain and, beyond, Old Rag.
Spitler Knoll Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 48.0
One of the longest overlooks on Skyline Drive, wrapping itself all around a bend in the road, Spitler Knoll Overlook has some of the widest panoramic views in Shenandoah National Park.
Facing west, it offers excellent views of the western slopes and the sprawling Shenandoah Valley below. If you’re here at dawn, and the weather’s cool, there might be beautiful patches of mist in between the lower ridges and over the Valley. This is easily one of the finest overlooks in Shenandoah National Park.
Hazeltop Ridge Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 54.5
The wide-open west-facing Hazeltop Ridge Overlook makes for a great place to stop while driving Skyline Drive in the late-afternoon.
This classic Shenandoah National Park view extends from the southwest to the northwest and includes many topographic features. From left to right, you can see Hanse Mountain, Powell Mountain, Grindstone Mountain, Smith Mountain, Devils Tanyard and Long Ridge.
The Point Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 55.5
A mile south of Hazeltop Ridge, you’ll find The Point Overlook. This is my number one favorite Skyline Drive overlook—I absolutely love this view.
As far as easily accessible views in Shenandoah National Park go, this one is unbeatable. I even included it in my list of the best viewpoints in the national parks.
The view from the overlook parking area is pretty nice, but you can also walk down a trail for a minute or two. Walk through the gap in the stone wall and you’ll have an even better vista from a rocky outcrop below.
Spend some time here, taking in this iconic Shenandoah National Park landscape, complete with rolling ridges and, on a clear day, glimpses of the Shenandoah Valley. The Point Overlook is glorious at sunset.
The Oaks Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 59.0
Facing west, The Oaks Overlook provides “a narrow window into the Shenandoah Valley below”, as the National Park Service says so eloquently.
Stop here on your Skyline Drive journey and contemplate how different the Shenandoah National Park wilderness is from the man-made landscape of the Shenandoah Valley.
This is why national parks exist, to preserve beautiful natural places from the ever-encroaching edge of civilization.
Brown Mountain Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 77.0
What’s so great about the Brown Mountain Overlook is that, in addition to boasting wonderful views, it’s also a trailhead.
This is the starting point of the Brown Mountain Trail, which leads down the mountainside and can be combined with other trails to make a long loop.
I recommend going for a short walk down the trail for more solitude, quietness and undisturbed vistas.
This overlook has panoramic views from south to north, featuring natural landmarks like Trayfoot Mountain, Rockytop, Big Run and Two Mile Ridge. Looking north toward the horizon, you can see fragments of the Shenandoah Valley, too.
Ivy Creek Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 78.0
Enjoy the picturesque ridges of Shenandoah National Park from the stunning Ivy Creek Overlook, which faces east.
In the distance, you can see Flattop and Brokenback Mountain, while Weaver Mountain descents from the left and Loft Mountain from the right, meeting at Ivy Creek.
This view, as the image clearly shows, is spectacular in the fall.
Rockytop Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 78.0
A mile south of the Brown Mountain Overlook, the Rockytop Overlook offers a stunning panorama of mountains and ridges, and a glimpse of the Shenandoah Valley beyond them.
If the conditions are right—as in, thin patches of cloud in the sky—I recommend spending an hour just sitting on the stone wall and enjoying the landscape, a wonderful way to spend an evening in Shenandoah National Park.
These Shenandoah National Park views face west-northwest and showcase the park’s more rugged South District. Peaks that are visible here include Lewis Mountain, Loft Mountain and, of course, Rockytop itself.
This is easily one of my favorite Skyline Drive overlooks for fall colors.
Sawmill Run Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 95.4
Although parts of this particular Shenandoah view are obscured by vegetation for most of the year, the vista is still pretty awesome from fall to spring.
Looking through and beyond the trees and bushes, you can see Shenandoah’s gorgeous mountains in the distance. Sawmill Run is the centerpiece of the view, while Sawmill Ridge slopes down from the right.
8 Scenic Shenandoah National Park Views on Hiking Trails
Below, you’ll find a handful of the greatest views in Shenandoah National Park on hiking trails.
Those are typically found at the summit of a mountain, for example Hawksbill, Bearfence or Turk Mountain, while some might also be clearings on a specific trail. See below for more information.
Stony Man Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 41.7
If you’re looking for a short but scenic hike in Shenandoah National Park that offers amazing views, it’s hard to beat Stony Man. The Stony Man Trail is super-short—it’s only 0.8 mile from the trailhead to the summit.
At 4,011 feet high, this is the second-highest mountain in the park, after Hawksbill Summit, located near Skyland, the highest point on Skyline Drive.
Named after a jumble of rocks that, when seen from a distance, somewhat resemble the face of a man, Stony Man provides some of the greatest views in Shenandoah National Park.
The panoramic view from the summit spans more than 180 degrees and includes the Blue Ridge Mountains on both sides and the huge Shenandoah Valley right beneath you.
At sunset, it’s simply sensational up there. It’s also one of the best hikes for fall scenery in Shenandoah National Park.
Millers Head Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 42.5
The Millers Head Trail starts at Skyland Resort, on the opposite side of the lodge from the Stony Man trailhead. It runs from the amphitheater up a hill to a superb viewpoint, which is the location of a former fire tower.
The panoramic view encompasses the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park, as well as the farmlands, towns and roads of the Shenandoah Valley way down below.
The Millers Head hike is 1.6 miles roundtrip.
Hawksbill Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 45.5
One of the most popular day hikes in Shenandoah National Park, Hawksbill Summit is the tallest mountain in the park.
There are three options here—the Lower Hawksbill Trail, the Upper Hawksbill Trail and the Hawksbill Loop Hike. I strongly recommend the 2.9-mile loop hike, just because that one doesn’t make you go back the same way you came.
Once you reach the Byrds Nest 2 Shelter, it’s a short stroll to the rocky summit and viewing platform. This is the highest point in the whole park, so, naturally, the panoramic views of Shenandoah National Park’s undulating ridges are superb.
Bearfence Mountain Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 56.4
There are a few mountain summits that I really like in the park, but Bearfence Mountain has to be my favorite.
The trailhead is a quick drive north of Lewis Mountain Cabins and the hike to the summit itself is no longer than 0.4 miles. The full loop is about 1.2 miles long. However, as short as this hike is, it is a rock scramble and can be kind of tricky in certain places.
This is why Bearfence is hardly ever crowded. Additionally, the peacefulness and solitude it offers makes it one of the best places to watch the sunrise or sunset in Shenandoah National Park.
You can see the sun rise above the mountains to the east, while, a few minutes later, it paints the valleys to the west in a golden glow. The panoramic view from the rocky summit is sensational.
Hightop Mountain Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 68.6
Hightop Mountain is one of Shenandoah’s less-known summit hikes. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it, though. To the contrary rather, just because it’s less popular, it offers some relaxing and reinvigorating woodland solitude.
This is the highest summit in the South District, located just south of the Swift Run Gap Entrance Station. It offers fine views of the Shenandoah Valley as well as a brief Appalachian Trail experience.
There are three places you can start this hike, all offering access to the AT—Swift Run Gap Entrance Station, Hightop Mountain Parking and Smith Roach Gap.
All three are good options, but I personally like the Smith Roach Gap approach best, simply because this allows you to make this a 3.8-mile semi-loop hike, as opposed to an out-and-back hike.
From the trailhead, follow the AT north until the sign that marks the Hightop Mountain summit.
The best Shenandoah National Park views, however, await about 50 yards further down the trail. Retrace your steps on the AT for a bit and, to make this a semi-loop, turn left when it intersects with the fire road. Continue down the fire road until you get back to your car.
Frazier Discovery Trail
Skyline Drive Mile 79.5
Easily accessible from the Loft Mountain Campground and Loft Mountain Wayside, the wonderful Frazier Discovery Trail is short and involves a moderate climb.
This pleasant 1.2-mile loop trail runs through a relatively new forest—farmland reclaimed after the park’s establishment—and gives you an insight in what a pioneer forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains looks like.
On the way, you can see pioneer species such as blackberry, coralberry, hawthorn, Virginia creeper and black locust.
The main highlight of this trail, however, is the beautiful view from a rocky outcrop about halfway through the hike.
This 180-degree panorama takes in Skyline Drive, visible as a clear ribbon cutting through the forest near the mountains’ crest, and the endlessly rolling mountains themselves.
Blackrock Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 84.4
One of the easiest hikes in the park, Blackrock Summit also offers some of the best views in Shenandoah National Park.
A 1-mile loop trail, it runs past a stunning viewpoint atop a talus slope, offering amazing views of Massanutten Mountain, the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.
You can explore this extraordinary boulder field, see the many layers and quartzite patterns in the rocks, and enjoy the awesome view. Moreover, this trail is also an interpretive, self-guide trail, which is great for kids.
Turk Mountain Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 94.1
In my opinion, Turk Mountain is one of the most underrated summit hikes in the park. Located in the South District, this is one of Shenandoah’s southernmost hiking trails.
On this moderate 2.2-mile hike, you’ll make your way straight to the summit of Turk Mountain. Initially traversing a beautiful forest, you will suddenly emerge from the trees onto a rugged and rocky summit.
The westward views from the top are fantastic, taking in the western ridges and hollows as they descent toward the Shenandoah Valley.
Map of the Best Views in Shenandoah National Park (Skyline Drive)
