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Lookout · Skyline Drive

Moormans River Overlook

VerifiedOpenStreetMap + National Park Service
Looking south-east from Moormans River Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Moormans River Overlook sits at 2,964 feet along Skyline Drive, facing 125 degrees with land dropping 678 feet within 600 meters of the pull-off. The view takes in five named peaks: Middle Mountain to the southeast at 2.3 miles, Pasture Fence Mountain to the east at 2.4 miles, Bucks Elbow Mountain to the south-southeast at 3.7 miles, Pigeon Top Mountain to the east at 7.4 miles, and Bray Hill to the east-southeast at 7.6 miles. The overlook faces toward sunrise, 35 degrees off square with the horizon. Sunrise times range from 05:53 at the June solstice to 07:29 at the December solstice, with sunset spanning 16:59 to 20:42 across the year. Staunton lies 16.4 miles west, Charlottesville 18.1 miles east-southeast, and Harrisonburg 21.1 miles north-northwest. Riprap Overlook precedes this stop, and Crimora Lake Overlook follows.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
2,964 ft
View
Southeast · 125°
Light
Best at sunrise
Relief
678 ft drop
In view
5 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
A view from atop a field looking down to mountains in the distance.
National Park Service · Public domain (NPS) · NPS
View south along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive just south of the Moormans River Overlook in Albemarle County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View north from the Moormans River Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Albemarle County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View east-northeast from the Moormans River Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Albemarle County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View northeast from the Moormans River Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Albemarle County, Virginia
Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
View east from the Moormans River Overlook along Shenandoah National Park's Skyline Drive in Albemarle 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.

  • Middle Mountain2,053 ftsoutheast · 2.3 mi
  • Pasture Fence Mountain2,884 fteast · 2.4 mi
  • Bucks Elbow Mountain3,164 ftsouth-southeast · 3.7 mi
  • Pigeon Top Mountain1,565 fteast · 7.4 mi
  • Bray Hill851 fteast-southeast · 7.6 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunrise — 35° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:2019:2718:52
June solstice05:5320:4220:03
September equinox07:0419:1418:39
December solstice07:2916:5916:18

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

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Staunton16.4 mi west
  • Charlottesville18.1 mi east-southeast
  • Harrisonburg21.1 mi north-northwest
← Before it: Riprap OverlookAfter it: Crimora Lake Overlook →
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From the source · Verbatim

Moormans River Overlook · National Park Service

Facing east-southeast from an elevation of 2,975 ft (906 m), Moormans River Overlook looks straight out to the Charlottesville Reservoir, fed by Moorman's River. Moorman's River has flooded many times, notably in 1895, 1924, 1942, and most recently on June 27, 1995. The 1995 flooding caused nearly 100 landslides. The Charlottesville Reservoir, also called Sugar Hollow Reservoir, contained much of the debris flowing downstream and prevented damage to homes nearby.

Read it at National Park Service →
Common questions

How high is Moormans River Overlook?

Moormans River Overlook sits at about 2,964 feet (903 m).

What can you see from Moormans River Overlook?

From Moormans River Overlook: Middle Mountain (SE, 2.3 mi); Pasture Fence Mountain (E, 2.4 mi); Bucks Elbow Mountain (SSE, 3.7 mi); Pigeon Top Mountain (E, 7.4 mi).

Is Moormans River Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise. The land falls away from Moormans River 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 Moormans River Overlook?

Staunton, 16 miles W of Moormans River Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Moormans River Overlook?

Crimora Lake Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Moormans River Overlook.

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Moormans River 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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