Scenic pullout · Shenandoah National Park
A quick orientation stop with its mountain view across the road.
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The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Shenandoah National Park. 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 Shenandoah audio tourRecorded for this area
Thornton Hollow Overlook: The Eastward View“You're approaching Thornton Hollow Overlook, a broad east-facing view into the wooded valley. Facing the panorama, Mount Marshall is on the left and Oventop Mountain farther right.”
Plays on the road 0.8 mi from Beahms Gap Overlook in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Beahms Gap is a small pull-off at mile 28.5, 2,485 feet above sea level. It's a quick orientation break, with a map and information kiosk. Don't come expecting the wide Shenandoah Valley view the name suggests: trees now block that view from the parking area.
The view is across Skyline Drive. On clear days, look for Hogback, Fork and Oventop Mountains. The far side of the road is where to frame a photo of the ridges. The stop is listed as wheelchair accessible, though the named mountain view is across the drive.
In Shenandoah's early years, managers cleared land around the drive here to create a 360-degree view. Trees grew back, closing the valley view from the pull-off. It's a small reminder that the park's scenery keeps changing even when the road and overlook stay put.
The Appalachian Trail crosses Skyline Drive here and heads toward Pass Mountain. A rocky spur overlook lies about 0.7 mile into that hike, a separate walk if you want more than a roadside stop.
Wildlife
325 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
21 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
1,036 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
167 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
93 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Shenandoah. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateByrd's Nest #4 Loop2.5 mi · 1.5 hr · At the trailheadA short climb to a day-use shelter and back by fire road
ChallengingHull School and Thornton River Loop7.9 mi · 7 hr · 1.1 mi awayA backcountry river loop with falls, stone walls, and a long climb.
ModerateUpper Thornton River Trail6.3 mi · 5 hr · 1.9 mi awayA steep descent on the former Thornton Hollow fire road.
ModerateDouble Bear Rocks Hike8.3 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.4 mi awayA long ridgeline walk ends at a rocky western overlook.
ChallengingPass Mountain & Jeremys Run Loop22.4 mi · 16 hr · 2.4 mi awayA 22.4-mile loop links the AT, Neighbor Mountain and Jeremys Run.
ChallengingPass Mountain and Piney Ridge Loop22.9 mi · 16 hr · 2.4 mi awayTwo-day, 22.9-mile backcountry loop via Piney Ridge and the AT.
ModeratePass Mountain Loop3.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA moderate loop to an Appalachian Trail shelter through open woods.
ModerateMarys Rock Summit Trail3.7 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA rocky climb from Panorama earns a big west-facing view.
Scenic pullout · 0.8 mi awayThornton Hollow OverlookA broad east-facing panorama into Thornton Hollow.
Scenic pullout · 1.4 mi awayJeremys Run OverlookA tight west-facing valley view worth timing for sunset.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayPass Mountain OverlookA west-facing stop over Kemp Hollow and Luray.
Entrance station · 2.2 mi awayThornton Gap EntranceA staffed Route 211 gate to the Blue Ridge’s 105-mile road.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayPanoramaA handy Skyline Drive stop for water, restrooms, and park information.
Sight · 2.9 mi awayMarys Rock TunnelCheck the 12-foot-8 ceiling before this 1932 drive-through.
Sight · 3 mi awayTunnel Parking OverlookA quick east-facing view beside Skyline Drive's only tunnel.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayMarys RockA boulder summit rewards the hike with a sweeping valley-and-ridge view.Parkwolf’s Shenandoah ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
