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A couple look at each other during a romantic garden wedding editorial shoot in downtown Roanoke. The bride is wearing a blue dress and is holding a colorful boho bouquet

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Bearfence Mountain Engagement Photoshoot

June 1, 2022

Bearfence Mountain is one of the best places in Shenandoah National Park for your engagement photos. The hike is only about half a mile each way. The summit provides 360 degree views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s absolutely stunning for either sunrise or sunset.

Unfortunately it’s also one of the most popular hikes in the park so if you are looking for a place with privacy, this is not it!

It’s also a little bit of a smaller summit than some of the others I take couples to. Being smaller means there really is nowhere to tuck away from other visitors so expect an audience!

But if you’re willing to navigate other hikers, the views and epic sunrises and sunsets will make it well worth your while.

A woman in a white dress kisses a man in a striped shirt's nose. They are standing on a rocky summit and blue mountains are in the background

A woman in a white dress embraces a man in a striped shirt. They are standing on a rocky summit and blue mountains are in the background

We actually planned a different hike for Jess and Francis. But on the way to their session, I hit a deer on Skyline Drive and it literally made my car undrivable. I happened to be right by the parking area for Bearfence and was able to coast into the parking lot. Cell phone coverage on Skyline Drive is super spotty, but I had enough to be able to text them. We changed plans, they came to me, we made it to the summit for sunrise and were able to shoot their beautiful session while waiting for USAA to tow me!

Accessing Bearfence requires a rock scramble through a rather narrow passage. It’s not hard and I actually did it while wearing my two-month-old baby. But some people do struggle with that part of the hike.

The summit is made up of exposed rock and requires flat shoes with rubber soles to navigate. You have to be comfortable moving around on uneven surfaces. But despite the 360 degree views, Bearfence is not one of the highest peaks in Shenandoah National Park. That means the mountains feel a lot closer to you than some of the other summit hikes like Hawksbill or Mary’s Rock.

So who would like Bearfence Mountain as a spot for their engagement session?

This hike would be a good fit for you if you:

Like adventure
Want epic 360 degree views
Are ok with other people being around
Are comfortable with a rock scramble
Don’t want a super long hike

This sound like you?

Get in touch! I’d love to photograph your Bearfence Mountain Engagement Session or take you to one of my other favorite spots in Shenandoah National Park.