Hawksbill Summit

Luray, VA

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.

Photography Guide

Best Time: golden hour
Crowds: Moderate
Shot Types: panoramiclandscapewide
Best Seasons: fallspring

Practical Tips

Two trail approaches, both under 2 miles. Peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs and are visible in spring. Fall foliage below the summit is extraordinary in October.

Gallery

Nearby Places

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

Parks & Nature

Luray, VA

Big Meadows

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.

golden hourspring · summer

Parks & Nature

Luray, VA

White Oak Canyon Falls

Six waterfalls cascade down Shenandoah's most dramatic hollows - the first two falls exceed 40 feet and are surrounded by ancient hemlocks and mossy boulders.

anyspring · fall