Scenic pullout · Blue Ridge Parkway
Ridgetop overlook and a famed fall hawk-watching hotspot
Overview
Perched around 2,524 feet on a narrow ridgetop, Harveys Knob Overlook dishes out big, open views of the Great Valley of Virginia—forests and farms sprawling 1,400 feet below, and ridgelines rolling 30+ miles on clear days. It’s a straightforward Parkway stop with a wow-factor vista and a quiet feel outside the fall rush.
This is one of Virginia’s go-to hawk-watching spots. From August through November, migrating raptors stream past—hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures, and occasional osprey—often in numbers that keep binoculars busy. Interpretive waysides explain the migration and what to look for. Monarch butterflies also drift through in fall. On non-migration days, it’s simply a stellar overlook, with sunsets and even decent stargazing thanks to darker skies.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhat makes it specialMap
Local know-how
Bring binoculars or a spotting scope for raptor migration.
Arrive early on fall weekends; parking fills with hawk-watchers.
Pack water and snacks—there are no services here.
Late afternoon light flatters the view and sets up a good sunset.
If hiking the AT from here, expect rapidly shifting mountain weather.
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourRecorded for this place
Harveys Knob Overlook: A Hawk-Watching Hotspot“The pullout ahead is Harveys Knob Overlook, which is one of the premier hawk-watching spots in Virginia. From August through November, you can often see hawks, eagles, and falcons using the air currents to migrate south.”
Plays as you drive up to Harveys Knob Overlook in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Guide
The Appalachian Trail passes through the overlook, giving you an easy chance to stretch your legs along one of America’s classic footpaths. If you plan to wander, bring sturdy shoes and be ready for quickly changing mountain weather.
Named for Robert Harvey, a local iron industry leader, the overlook sits on the Blue Ridge escarpment with a commanding look into the Great Valley. The ridgetop setting means you get a sense of both sides of the mountains—less common than the typical single-aspect overlooks.
Wildlife
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
Parkwolf’s Blue Ridge Parkway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
