Photograph Hazel Mountain Overlook
Luray, Virginia
Description
Added by Brandon Dewey
Are you looking for a great spot to watch the sunrise in Shenandoah National Park? Hazel Mountain Overlook is one of the best east facing vistas off of Skyline Drive.
Skyline Dive runs through the heart of Shenandoah National Park. Consisting of 72 overlooks over 105 miles, Skyline Drive offers great views of the surrounding Blue Ride Mountains and valleys. Hazel Mountain Overlook is located at mile marker 33 along Skyline Drive and is one of a handful of overlooks that looks due east. Located in the northern part of the Central District of Shenandoah one mile south of Mary’s Rock Tunnel, Hazel Mountain Overlook allows viewers to enjoy the beautiful sunrises while in Shenandoah National Park. The quickest way to reach this outlook is through the Thornton Gap entrance off of Route 211 and then drive south two miles along Skyline Drive until you reach Hazel Mountain Overlook, which will be on the left side.
Hazel Mountain Overlooks has some huge boulders that can be used as a foreground interest or can be climbed on top for a higher viewpoint. Even though this can be a popular overlook, there is enough space to spread out and capture the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. If you are feeling a little adventurous, there are two flat rocks just below the overlook that photographers could hike to in order to capture a different angle of the breathtaking landscape.
Hazel Mountain Overlook looks due east making it ideal to photograph from late summer to mid spring. Around the summer solstice, June 21, the sun rises in the north east and will be blocked by the ridge line that Skyline Drive follows. As the sun rises, it will travel south and quickly come into view while still low in the sky. If you are hoping to photograph the sun rising, then avoid Hazel Mountain Overlook from late May to July. If you are photographing Shenandoah National Park around the summer solstice, then I suggest driving north 0.2 miles along Skyline Dive to Buck Hollow Overlook which looks North East.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Get the appFeatures
Photograph Hazel Mountain Overlook Reviews
You can't go wrong with a sunrise at Shenandoah, and unlike a lot of the overlooks on Skyline Drive, Hazel Mountain actually has great foreground potential. There is an interesting pile of rocks right off the overlook that offers an anchor for sunrise photos. By mid-August, the sunrise is back in a good position in the sky for this overlook.
4.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Photograph Buck Hollow Overlook
Hike to Hazel Falls in Shenandoah National Park
Mary's Rock via Meadow Spring Parking Area
Mary's Rock via Appalachian Trail
Photograph Pinnacles Overlook
Photograph Jewell Hollow Overlook
Community
© 2024 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy