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Brown Mountain Overlook

VerifiedOpenStreetMap + National Park Service
Looking north-west from Brown Mountain Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Brown Mountain Overlook sits at 2,844 ft on Skyline Drive, facing 315°, with terrain dropping 780 ft within 600 m of the pullout. Rocky Mountain rises closest to the west at 1.1 mi (2,852 ft), with Rockytop farther west at 3.0 mi (2,848 ft) and Lewis Peak at 4.0 mi (2,742 ft). To the north, Rocky Mount stands 2.7 mi away at 2,743 ft. More distant features include Rockingham springs to the north-northwest at 8.5 mi (1,330 ft), Massanutten Peak to the northwest at 9.2 mi (2,914 ft), and Fear Forest to the west-northwest at 9.5 mi (1,221 ft). The view faces toward the sunset side of the compass, roughly 45 degrees off square with due west. Harrisonburg lies 15.7 mi to the northwest, Charlottesville 20.7 mi south-southeast, and Staunton 24.6 mi west-southwest. Two Mile Run Overlook precedes this stop along the drive, with Ivy Creek Overlook next.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
2,844 ft
View
Northwest · 315°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
780 ft drop
In view
7 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
A field that slopes down with mountains rising above.
National Park Service · Public domain (NPS) · NPS
View south along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive just south of the Brown Mountain Overlook in Rockingham County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View southwest from the Brown Mountain Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Rockingham County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View west-southwest from the Brown Mountain Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Rockingham County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View west from the Brown Mountain Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Rockingham County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View west-northwest from the Brown Mountain Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Rockingham County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Rocky Mountain2,852 ftwest · 1.1 mi
  • Rocky Mount2,743 ftnorth · 2.7 mi
  • Rockytop2,848 ftwest · 3.0 mi
  • Lewis Peak2,742 ftwest · 4.0 mi
  • Rockingham springs1,330 ftnorth-northwest · 8.5 mi
  • Massanutten Peak2,914 ftnorthwest · 9.2 mi
  • Fear Forest1,221 ftwest-northwest · 9.5 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 45° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:1919:2718:52
June solstice05:5220:4220:03
September equinox07:0319:1318:39
December solstice07:2916:5816:17

Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Harrisonburg15.7 mi northwest
  • Charlottesville20.7 mi south-southeast
  • Staunton24.6 mi west-southwest
← Before it: Two Mile Run OverlookAfter it: Ivy Creek Overlook →
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From the source · Verbatim

Brown Mountain Overlook · National Park Service

Brown Mountain Overlook sits at an elevation of 2,844 ft (866 m). This overlook is long, with views from south to north. Looking south from the left you will see the points of Trayfoot Mountain and Rockytop in the distance, with Big Run in the valley below. Rocky Mountain is the closest mountain to the view and stretches in front of the overlook. Looking north you will see Two Mile Ridge from the left, with Rocky Mount to the right. The Shenandoah Valley is visible toward the horizon looking north.

Read it at National Park Service →
Common questions

How high is Brown Mountain Overlook?

Brown Mountain Overlook sits at about 2,844 feet (867 m).

What can you see from Brown Mountain Overlook?

From Brown Mountain Overlook: Rocky Mountain (W, 1.1 mi); Rocky Mount (N, 2.7 mi); Rockytop (W, 3.0 mi); Lewis Peak (W, 4.0 mi).

Is Brown Mountain Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Brown Mountain Overlook toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Brown Mountain Overlook?

Harrisonburg, 16 miles NW of Brown Mountain Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Brown Mountain Overlook?

Ivy Creek Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Brown Mountain Overlook.

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Brown Mountain 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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