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Enjoy a Quiet Shenandoah Sunrise at These Top Locations
Watching a sunrise in Shenandoah National Park is one of the five absolute highlights in this magnificent park in central Virginia. It’s incredibly easy to do, too.
Skyline Drive winds its way across the crest of the Blue Ridge, cutting across the park’s heart from north to south. Dozens upon dozens of scenic overlooks line this amazing mountain road—truly one of the most beautiful in the United States.
These overlooks are definitely the best places to watch the sunrise in Shenandoah National Park. I say that because few people want to get up even earlier to hike to a mountain summit in the dark. That said, there’s one specific mountain I just had to include in the overview below.
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Best Places to Watch the Sunrise in Shenandoah National Park
I absolutely recommend staying inside the park when visiting it. This’ll give you easy access to the best Skyline Drive overlooks for sunrise, allowing you to stay in bed a bit longer—which everyone can appreciate, I’m sure. I recommend staying at one of the park’s historic lodges or cabins.
Skyland and Big Meadows Lodge offer cozy accommodation in rooms, nightly entertainment, and food and drinks. Lewis Mountain Cabins, on the other hand, is a more basic place to stay, with its one-room wooden cabins with little porches, fire pits and picnic tables.
There are several campgrounds scattered along Skyline Drive as well.
All the best places to watch the sunrise in Shenandoah National Park below are located between the Thornton Gap and Swift Run Gap Entrance Stations. Conveniently, this section of Skyline Drive is also where you’ll find the three accommodations I mentioned above.
I would like to note that some of the following places involve some before-dawn hiking. I therefore recommend that you bring a flashlight. Another recommended piece of gear is a field watch, which is super-handy to quickly check the time.
Considering Shenandoah’s large black bear population, I suggest carrying bear spray, too, just in case. You can learn what to do when you encounter a black bear here.
Tunnel Parking Overlook (MP 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. This is the first of three neighboring overlooks that offer a superb vantage point to enjoy a memorable sunrise in Shenandoah National Park.
- Location: Milepost 32.5 on Skyline Drive
- Orientation: East
- Features: Direct views of the sunrise, mountain ranges and ridges, woods
Buck Hollow Overlook (MP 32.8)
A minute further down the road from the Tunnel Parking Overlook, the Buck Hollow Overlook is probably my favorite Skyline Drive overlook for sunrise.
The Shenandoah National Park views are similar to those at other overlooks in the area, but I like them better because they’re just that tiny bit wider and clearer.
- Location: Milepost 32.8 on Skyline Drive
- Orientation: East
- Features: Direct views of the sunrise, mountain ranges and ridges, woods
Hazel Mountain Overlook (MP 33.0)
This is the third overlook within one 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. You’ll have plenty of time to visit all of them and then decide on which one you prefer.
- Location: Milepost 33.0 on Skyline Drive
- Orientation: East
- Features: Direct views of the sunrise, mountain ranges and ridges, woods
Thorofare Mountain Overlook (MP 40.5)
Another excellent Skyline Drive overlook to watch the sunrise in 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—incidentally situated on the highest point on Skyline Drive.
- Location: Milepost 40.5 on Skyline Drive
- Orientation: East
- Features: Direct views of the sunrise, mountain ranges and ridges, woods
Spitler Knoll Overlook (MP 48.0)
One of the longest overlooks on Skyline Drive, wrapping itself all around a bend on the road, Spitler Knoll Overlook has some of the widest overlook views in the park.
This is the only of these Skyline Drive overlooks for sunrise that faces west. So, don’t head to this overlook if you actually want to see the sun pop above the Blue Ridge.
Instead, you’ll have the chance to see the early-morning sun light up the huge Shenandoah Valley below. If it’s a cool dawn, there might be some beautiful patches of mist in the valley and between the ridges below. In my opinion, this is one of the best overlooks on Skyline Drive in general, not only for sunrises.
- Location: Milepost 48.0 on Skyline Drive
- Orientation: West
- Features: Long panoramic overlook, amazing views of Shenandoah Valley flanked by rolling mountains
Bearfence Mountain Summit (MP 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 lies a quick drive north of Lewis Mountain Cabins and the hike to the summit itself is no longer than 0.4 miles (650 meters). This is, however, a rock scramble and can be kind of tricky sometimes.
This is why Bearfence is never crowded. Subsequently, this is also why it’s one of the best places to watch the sunrise in Shenandoah National Park. (The summit is also an awesome spot to enjoy a Shenandoah National Park sunset, by the way, and is especially stunning in the fall.)
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 360-degree panorama from the rocky summit is nearly perfect, really.
- Location: Milepost 56.4 on Skyline Drive, 0.4-mile (650-meter) hike and rock scramble to summit
- Orientation: All directions
- Features: Complete panoramic view from the rocky summit, direct view of sunrise and wide vista of Shenandoah Valley, rolling mountains, woods, occasional wildlife
Sleeping In/Near Shenandoah National Park
Big Meadows Lodge and Skyland Resort are both fantastic Skyline Drive lodging options if you’re looking for a more comfortable place to sleep than a campground, of which there are several in the park.
My favorite accommodation in Shenandoah National Park, however, is Lewis Mountain Cabins, a collection of basic cabins in the woods, near a bunch of amazing overlooks and trailheads. Check out Go Shenandoah if you’d like to stay at one of those great and well-located lodges.
For accommodation around Shenandoah National Park, there are some great towns you can stay at, such as Harrisonburg or Charlottesville.
More About Shenandoah National Park
If you’re interested in more Shenandoah National Park tips and recommendations, I suggest checking out these blog posts:
- 5 Best Waterfall Hikes in Shenandoah National Park
- Skyline Drive — One of America’s Finest Mountain Drives
- 5 Reasons to Visit Shenandoah National Park
- Stony Man Trail — Best Sunset Hike in Shenandoah National Park
- A Guide to Shenandoah Wildlife Viewing