Afton Overlook
Afton Overlook sits at 1,879 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing 120 degrees with a land drop of 697 feet within 600 meters. The view spans a mix of nearby and distant peaks: Turks Mountain rises 2.6 miles to the east-southeast at 1,122 feet, while Ennis Mountain stands 4.8 miles south-southeast at 1,484 feet. Farther out, Yellow Mountain appears 6.7 miles east at 1,084 feet, and both Burnt Mountain and Sharp Top sit 7.3 miles east-southeast at 1,302 feet. A feature identified as Playground lies 8.3 miles east-northeast at 671 feet. Moses Mountain and Massies Mountain, at 2,015 and 2,144 feet respectively, are both visible 8.5 miles to the southeast. The overlook faces toward sunrise, oriented 30 degrees off square, with sunrise times ranging from 05:54 in June to 07:29 in December. Staunton is 14.4 miles northwest, Charlottesville is 20.7 miles east, and Harrisonburg is 29.1 miles north. This stop falls between Mill Mountain Star Overlook and Rockfish Valley Overlook along the byway.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Turks Mountain1,122 fteast-southeast · 2.6 mi
- Ennis Mountain1,484 ftsouth-southeast · 4.8 mi
- Yellow Mountain1,084 fteast · 6.7 mi
- Burnt Mountain1,302 fteast-southeast · 7.3 mi
- Sharp Top1,302 fteast-southeast · 7.3 mi
- Playground671 fteast-northeast · 8.3 mi
- Moses Mountain2,015 ftsoutheast · 8.5 mi
- Massies Mountain2,144 ftsoutheast · 8.5 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunrise — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:20 | 19:28 | 18:53 |
| June solstice | 05:54 | 20:42 | 20:03 |
| September equinox | 07:04 | 19:14 | 18:39 |
| December solstice | 07:29 | 17:00 | 16:19 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Staunton14.4 mi northwest
- Charlottesville20.7 mi east
- Harrisonburg29.1 mi north
Take the scenic way to Afton Overlook.
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How high is Afton Overlook?
Afton Overlook sits at about 1,879 feet (573 m).
What can you see from Afton Overlook?
From Afton Overlook: Turks Mountain (ESE, 2.6 mi); Ennis Mountain (SSE, 4.8 mi); Yellow Mountain (E, 6.7 mi); Burnt Mountain (ESE, 7.3 mi).
Is Afton Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise. The land falls away from Afton Overlook toward the sunrise, so at sunset the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Afton Overlook?
Staunton, 14 miles NW of Afton Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Afton Overlook?
Rockfish Valley Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Afton Overlook.
Drive to Afton Overlook with Byway
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Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Charlottesville · 21 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Afton Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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