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Viewing Area

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Looking east from Viewing Area. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.

This overlook sits along the George Washington Memorial Parkway at an elevation of 102 feet, with the land dropping 102 feet within 600 meters, facing east toward 90 degrees. The view faces the direction of sunrise, aligning closely with the sun's path across the seasons. Several features are visible to the southeast and east-southeast, including the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove at 1.4 miles, Central Courtyard at 1.6 miles, and the Jefferson Memorial at 1.9 miles. Farther features include Gravelly Point Park at 2.3 miles, Jefferson Field at 2.6 miles, and a cluster of parks between 2.7 and 2.9 miles: 7th Street Park, The Grove, Town Center Park with its Southwest Duck Pond, Amidon Field, and Eleanor Holmes Norton Park. Arlington lies 0.7 miles to the west, while Washington is 1.9 miles east. Baltimore is 37.1 miles northeast. Fort Washington Overlook precedes this stop, and Freedom Park Viewpoint follows it along the route.

Access
0.3 mi detour
Elevation
102 ft
View
East · 90°
Light
Best at sunrise
Relief
102 ft drop
In view
10 named features
Ceremonial Marchers and Silent Drill Platoon of Marine Barracks Washington, Sunset Parade at the Marine Corps War Memorial , Rosslyn (Arlington County), Virginia, USA.
Ketone16 · Public domain · source
Ceremonial Marchers and Silent Drill Platoon of Marine Barracks Washington, Sunset Parade at the Marine Corps War Memorial , Rosslyn (Arlington County), Virginia, USA.
Ketone16 · Public domain · source
Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. The Jefferson Memorial , Washington Monument , and United States Capitol are in the background.
APK · CC BY 4.0 · source
The Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) in Arlington, VA
Athaphon · Public domain · source
Iwo Jima Memorial
Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Arlington, VA, USA
Pavel Kuritsyn · CC BY 3.0 · source

What you’re looking at

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

  • Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove19 ftsoutheast · 1.4 mi
  • Central Courtyard40 ftsouth-southeast · 1.6 mi
  • Jefferson Memorial12 fteast-southeast · 1.9 mi
  • Gravelly Point Park16 ftsoutheast · 2.3 mi
  • Jefferson Field29 fteast-southeast · 2.6 mi
  • 7th Street Park16 fteast-southeast · 2.7 mi
  • The Grove13 fteast-southeast · 2.7 mi
  • Town Center Park, Southwest Duck Pond23 fteast-southeast · 2.9 mi
  • Amidon Field25 fteast-southeast · 2.9 mi
  • Eleanor Holmes Norton Park21 fteast-southeast · 2.9 mi

Light

This overlook faces sunrise 0° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:1319:2018:45
June solstice05:4420:3819:58
September equinox06:5719:0718:32
December solstice07:2416:5016:08

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

Where it is

  • Arlington0.7 mi west
  • Washington1.9 mi east
  • Baltimore37.1 mi northeast
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How high is Viewing Area?

Viewing Area sits at about 102 feet (31 m).

What can you see from Viewing Area?

From Viewing Area: Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove (SE, 1.4 mi); Central Courtyard (SSE, 1.6 mi); Jefferson Memorial (ESE, 1.9 mi); Gravelly Point Park (SE, 2.3 mi).

Is Viewing Area better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise. The land falls away from Viewing Area 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 Viewing Area?

Arlington, 0.7 miles W of Viewing Area.

What is the next lookout after Viewing Area?

Freedom Park Viewpoint is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Viewing Area.

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Locals make it Verified.

Viewing Area — 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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Field notes

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