Big Meadows

Luray, VA

Shenandoah's largest open meadow at 3,500 feet elevation becomes a wildflower carpet in spring, a blackberry bramble in summer, and a sea of crimson in fall.

Photography Guide

Best Time: golden hour
Crowds: Moderate
Shot Types: landscapewildlifewildflower
Best Seasons: springsummerfall

Practical Tips

White-tailed deer are nearly always present at dusk. Spring trillium and hepatica bloom in the surrounding forest edges in April. Milky Way photography is exceptional here.

Gallery

Nearby Places

Parks & Nature

Luray, VA

Dark Hollow Falls

The shortest hike to a major Shenandoah waterfall leads down a hemlock-shaded hollow to a 70-foot stepped cascade over brown rhyolite - the park's most accessible falls.

anyspring · fall

Overlooks

Luray, VA

Hawksbill Summit

Shenandoah's highest peak at 4,051 feet offers a classic cliff-top perspective over the Shenandoah Valley - the stone wall summit platform frames the view perfectly.

golden hourfall · spring

Overlooks

Luray, VA

Stony Man Trail

The shortest trail to a Shenandoah summit climbs 0.8 miles through the park's largest remaining old-growth red spruce forest to exposed cliff-top western views.

golden hourfall · spring