Rocky Top Overlook
Rocky Top Overlook sits at 2,853 feet along Skyline Drive, facing 330 degrees, with the terrain dropping 903 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. Brown Mountain Overlook is visible to the north-northeast at 1.0 mile, along with Rocky Mountain to the north-northwest at 1.4 miles and Rockytop to the west-northwest at 2.7 miles. Farther out, Lewis Peak lies west at 3.6 miles, Rocky Mount north-northeast at 3.7 miles, and Longs Hill west-northwest at 8.4 miles. Sunrise and sunset times vary through the year, from a 05:52 sunrise at the June solstice to a 07:29 sunrise at the December solstice, with sunsets ranging between 16:58 and 20:42 depending on season. Harrisonburg is 16.1 miles to the northwest, Charlottesville 20.1 miles to the south-southeast, and Staunton 23.9 miles to the west-southwest. This overlook falls along the route between Ivy Creek Overlook and Rockytop Overlook.

What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Brown Mountain Overlook2,851 ftnorth-northeast · 1.0 mi
- Rocky Mountain2,852 ftnorth-northwest · 1.4 mi
- Rockytop2,848 ftwest-northwest · 2.7 mi
- Lewis Peak2,742 ftwest · 3.6 mi
- Rocky Mount2,743 ftnorth-northeast · 3.7 mi
- Longs Hill1,381 ftwest-northwest · 8.4 mi
Light
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:19 | 19:27 | 18:52 |
| June solstice | 05:52 | 20:42 | 20:03 |
| September equinox | 07:03 | 19:13 | 18:39 |
| December solstice | 07:29 | 16:58 | 16:17 |
Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Harrisonburg16.1 mi northwest
- Charlottesville20.1 mi south-southeast
- Staunton23.9 mi west-southwest
Take the scenic way to Rocky Top Overlook.
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How high is Rocky Top Overlook?
Rocky Top Overlook sits at about 2,853 feet (870 m).
What can you see from Rocky Top Overlook?
From Rocky Top Overlook: Brown Mountain Overlook (NNE, 1.0 mi); Rocky Mountain (NNW, 1.4 mi); Rockytop (WNW, 2.7 mi); Lewis Peak (W, 3.6 mi).
What is the nearest town to Rocky Top Overlook?
Harrisonburg, 16 miles NW of Rocky Top Overlook.
What is the next lookout after Rocky Top Overlook?
Rockytop Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Rocky Top Overlook.
Drive to Rocky Top Overlook with Byway
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Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Shenandoah National Park · 19 mi
- Charlottesville · 20 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Rocky Top 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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