Fall is the peak tourist season in Shenandoah National Park, a time when thousands of leaf-peepers leisurely travel up and down Skyline Drive looking for the best fall foliage views.
And those fall landscapes along the 105 meandering miles of Skyline Drive are absolutely spectacular indeed. Shenandoah is unquestionably one of the best national parks for fall colors, mainly thanks to scenic Skyline Drive, its many trails, and countless overlooks.
Add into the mix excellent opportunities to see wildlife like deer, woodchucks and black bears, too, as well as a number of glorious waterfalls, and you’ve got a truly fantastic place to explore in the fall.
In this post, you’ll find the very best fall foliage views on Skyline Drive, along with some more information about driving Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in the fall.
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Contents
- Skyline Drive Fall Foliage FAQs
- 13 Epic Viewpoints to See Fall Foliage on Skyline Drive
- 1. Hazel Mountain Overlook
- 2. Stony Man Summit
- 3. Hazeltop Ridge Overlook
- 4. The Point Overlook
- 5. Bearfence Mountain Summit
- 6. The Oaks Overlook
- 7. Hightop Mountain Summit
- 8. Brown Mountain Overlook
- 9. Ivy Creek Overlook
- 10. Rockytop Overlook
- 11. Frazier Discovery Trail
- 12. Moormans River Overlook
- 13. Sawmill Run Overlook
- Map of the Best Views for Fall Colors on Skyline Drive
- More Scenic Views in the National Parks
Skyline Drive Fall Foliage FAQs
What Is the Best Time to See Fall Foliage on Skyline Drive?
From late-September to early-November, the trees on the slopes and in the hollows that characterize Shenandoah National Park exchange their verdant greens for a variety of yellows, oranges and reds.
The change is fairly gradual, starting at higher elevations and working its way down the mountains into the valleys as the season progresses.
This means that the peak fall foliage season on Skyline Drive is relatively long and lasts a couple of weeks.
That said, however, peak fall foliage on Skyline Drive is usually sometime in mid-October to late-October.
Check out the following links for more information about fall foliage on Skyline Drive and in Shenandoah National Park:
- Official Shenandoah National Park website
- Virginia Department of Forestry
- Smoky Mountains fall foliage prediction map (highly recommended!)
What Are Some Fun Fall Activities on Skyline Drive?
Besides simply enjoying the fall drive down Skyline Drive itself, there are several other things to do in the fall.
You can hike to one of Shenandoah’s many waterfalls, picnic at Big Meadows, enjoy a peaceful sunrise, stay at a historic national park lodge at either Skyland or Big Meadows, try to see a black bear,…
The combination of all these fall activities in Shenandoah only adds to your overall Skyline Drive experience.
Which Fall Colors Are Most Common on Skyline Drive?
While some other national parks are famous for their distinct, typical fall colors—yellow aspen in Grand Teton or orange maples in Acadia, for example—Shenandoah has a wide variety of fall foliage colors.
There are many different species of deciduous trees in Shenandoah National Park, creating a gorgeous mix of colors. You can see everything from pale yellow to vibrant orange and crimson red here.
“A walk or drive through the park at this time of year yields beautiful views of rich red-brown oaks (Quercus spp.), brilliant yellow birches and poplars, and the red and orange black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), sumac (Rhus spp.), maples, and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia).”
– National Park Service
Approximately 95% of Shenandoah National Park is forest, much of which consists of deciduous trees. There are dozens upon dozens of tree species, each with its own individual color. The non-exhaustive list of common trees in Shenandoah offers an insight into the fall colors you might see on Skyline Drive:
- Beech – yellow to orange
- Black gum – vibrant red
- Dogwood – deep red
- Hickory – yellow to golden brown
- Oaks – dark orange to amber and red
- Red maple – vibrant scarlet
- Sugar maple – brilliant orange
- Sumac – orange to red and sometimes purple
- Yellow poplar – gold
Where Can I Stay on Skyline Drive in the Fall?
Although there are plenty of accommodation and camping options on Skyline Drive, it’s important to know that you’ll need to make reservations well in advance.
Again, fall is the busiest season on Skyline Drive and in Shenandoah National Park. Especially on autumn weekends, lodges and campgrounds are usually fully booked.
Some campgrounds, however, do offer first-come first-served sites. More information about camping can be found here.
If you’d like something more substantial than a tent, there are two historic lodges on Skyline Drive. Skyland is located at the road’s highest point, while Big Meadows sits in the heart of the park and has several services and other facilities.
A more rustic accommodation option is offered by the charming Lewis Mountain Cabins.
All lodging options on Skyline Drive are open through at least early-November.
Can I See Any Animals in the Fall on Skyline Drive?
Yes, absolutely you can! In fact, the fall season is one of the best times of year to see Shenandoah National Park wildlife.
White-tailed deer are commonly seen along roadsides, clearings in the forest and, particularly, at Big Meadows. Raccoons, woodchucks, chipmunks, wild turkeys, blue jays and snakes are other animals that are regularly seen on Skyline Drive.
The stars of the wildlife shows, however, have to be the black bears.
At any given time, there are hundreds of black bears in Shenandoah National Park. And it’s not unusual to see one foraging in the verges along Skyline Drive, at Big Meadows or even on hiking trails.
Although they’re usually elusive, shy and avoid people, black bears can be dangerous. Read this blog post to learn what to do when encountering a black bear. Additionally, the park is also home to rattlesnakes. See how to act when you see a rattlesnake here.
Are Dogs Allowed on Skyline Drive?
Yes! Shenandoah National Park is one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the country.
Pets are allowed anywhere on Skyline Drive, including all overlooks, picnic areas, campgrounds and parking lots, provided they are on a physical leash that’s no longer than 6 feet.
Additionally, Shenandoah also allows pets on most of its trails, with some exceptions. You can find much more information about visiting Shenandoah National Park with your dog here.
On top of that, there’s also pet-friendly lodging available in the park, which is pretty rare in the National Parks System.
So yes, by all means bring your four-legged friend with you when exploring Skyline Drive in the fall. You’ll have a blast!
13 Epic Viewpoints to See Fall Foliage on Skyline Drive
Check out the greatest overlooks and viewpoints to enjoy fall foliage on Skyline Drive below!
Listed from north to south, they include several Skyline Drive overlooks that offer epic fall views and a few recommended trails with viewpoints.
1. Hazel Mountain Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 33.0
One of three east-facing overlooks within half a mile south of Mary’s Rock Tunnel, the Hazel Mountain Overlook offers amazing fall views of the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains and the Piedmont.
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.
The nearby Tunnel Parking and Buck Hollow overlooks have similar views and are worth stopping at as well.
2. Stony Man Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 41.7
If you’re looking for a short but scenic hike in on Skyline Drive that offers amazing fall foliage 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 short hikes for fall scenery in Shenandoah National Park.
3. 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 Skyline Drive fall foliage vista 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.
4. 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 in fall.
5. 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. In October, the panoramic view from the rocky summit is sensational.
6. 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.
7. Hightop Mountain Summit
Skyline Drive Mile 68.6
Hightop Mountain is arguably one of Shenandoah’s most underappreciated summit hikes.
That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it, though. To the contrary rather, just because it’s slightly 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Rockytop Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 78.0
Just south of the Brown Mountain and Ivy Creek overlooks, the Rockytop Overlook offers a stunning panorama of mountains and ridges, and a glimpse of the Shenandoah Valley beyond them.
This is easily one of my personal favorite spots to enjoy the fall foliage on Skyline Drive.
If it’s a mild autumn evening, 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.
The fall foliage views you enjoy here face west-northwest and showcase the park’s more rugged South District. Peaks that are visible include Lewis Mountain, Loft Mountain and, of course, Rockytop itself.
11. 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.
It’s truly breathtaking in the fall, when vibrant autumn colors light up the landscape and scenery all around you. This is without question one of my favorite day hikes in Shenandoah National Park.
12. Moormans River Overlook
Skyline Drive Mile 92.0
The Moormans River Overlook is one of the nicest overlooks for fall foliage on Skyline Drive’s southernmost section.
Looking east-southeast, you can clearly see the Charlottesville Reservoir, also known as the Sugar Hollow Reservoir, in the distance, flanked by the quintessential rolling slopes of the Blue Ridge.
Bathed in reds, oranges and yellows, the forest looks absolutely stunning here in the fall.
13. 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 great in the fall.
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.
Map of the Best Views for Fall Colors on Skyline Drive
