Virginia's Best Scenic Overlooks

Virginia's overlooks are defined by Skyline Drive's 75 view stops and the Blue Ridge Parkway's long ridgeline perspective — the finest long-distance scenic drive in the eastern US.

Stony Man Overlook (Shenandoah NP, Milepost 38.6)
The most accessible dramatic overlook in Shenandoah — a short walk to the exposed Stony Man cliffs (4,011 ft) with the broadest view in the park. The view west into the Shenandoah Valley, south along the Blue Ridge, and east across the Piedmont is 50+ miles on clear days.

Thorofare Mountain Overlook (Shenandoah NP)
Looking south along the Blue Ridge from a long open meadow on the ridge — the overlook gives a sense of the Blue Ridge's continuous sweep that shorter overlooks don't provide.

Appalachian Trail: McAfee Knob (Catawba, Roanoke area)
The most-photographed viewpoint on the AT — a rock ledge projecting above the Roanoke Valley from Catawba Mountain (3,197 ft). The ledge juts into space above the valley; the view northwest toward Shenandoah Valley and southeast toward Roanoke is the finest in the Ridge and Valley province.

Mabry Mill (Blue Ridge Pkwy, Milepost 176.1)
Not a summit overlook but the most photographed location on the Blue Ridge Parkway — a 1905 water-powered grist mill, sawmill, and blacksmith shop on a millpond. The mill's reflection in the pond at dawn, surrounded by Blue Ridge forest, is iconic. Weekend demonstrations of grist milling and blacksmithing run in summer.

Raven's Roost Overlook (Blue Ridge Pkwy, Milepost 10.7)
The finest view of the southern Shenandoah Valley from the Blue Ridge Parkway — an exposed rock outcropping above the valley with a sweeping west-facing view. Hang gliders launch from this overlook.