Best Skyline Drive Overlooks for Engagement Photos

If you want mountain views, but don’t want to hike, then Skyline Drive overlooks in Shenandoah National Park are perfect for engagement photos!

Skyline Drive is 105 miles long and runs through the center of Shenandoah National Park. Peppered throughout, are overlooks that give vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some are simply parking areas with retaining walls. While others have short walking paths to rocks or more natural vista-points.

For engagement photos, we tend to look for places we can hop over the retaining wall and get to those natural vistas. Otherwise, you’ll end up just standing on the wall. Which is fine — that works for some too. But often we don’t want your photos to look like you are standing in a parking lot with mountains behind you!

So which are the best Skyline Drive overlooks for engagement photos you might be wondering?

Honestly, there are many. But here are five of my favorites for sunset. These are all in the Central District. I like them because they are relatively close together and give you the illusion of being farther away from your car than you actually are!

Baldface Mountain

Baldface Mountain Overlook is a west-facing overlook near the Swift Run entrance for Skyline Drive. It features a large, flat-ish rock and beautiful views of Massanutten Mountain.

The Point

The Point is a leg stretcher overlook. Once you park, you can walk down the path about .1 miles to a rocky outcropping with panoramic west-facing views. It’s very popular so I usually don’t recommend this spot unless we are on a weekday in the offseason, but it does have lovely west-facing sunsets.

Tanner’s Ridge

Tanner’s Ridge is right beside Big Meadows. So it’s easy to come visit this west-facing overlook and explore the meadows behind it. The tree here is iconic and a beautiful spot for both picnics and elopement ceremonies.

Franklin Cliffs

Franklin Cliffs is a northwest facing overlook that features a large rock. It looks out over the Shenandoah Valley and the town of Stanley, Virginia. Depending on which angle you either see the valley or simply the mountains peaking out on either side of the overlook.

Crescent Rock

Crescent Rock Overlook is lovely because just to the left of the parking area is a .1 mile “leg stretcher” path to a narrow rocky overlook. If you scramble down the rocks, there is an open area to the right that leads to an incredible view of the mountains that’s a little bit hidden from where others go so you can often get this little spot to yourself!