#8 of 114 sights in Shenandoah
Sight · Shenandoah National Park
A short summit scramble opens a full-circle Blue Ridge panorama.
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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 place
Bearfence: Choose the Scramble or the Viewpoint“You're approaching Bearfence Mountain's trailhead, where a short hike leads to a hands-and-feet scramble and a full-circle view.”
Plays as you drive up to Bearfence Mountain 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
Bearfence Mountain is a rocky 3,553-foot summit in Shenandoah's Central District. Its draw is the hands-on climb over open rock and the view from the top: a full 360-degree sweep across the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia Piedmont. The National Park Service's Bearfence loop is 1.4 miles round trip, about an hour, with 311 feet of gain. It is a compact hike with an exposed finish, not a roadside overlook.
From the Bearfence parking area at Skyline Drive mile 56.4, cross the drive and climb the steps up the bank. Follow Bearfence Loop to the rock scramble, then take the connector to the Appalachian Trail north and return to the lot. Expect to use hands and feet on exposed rock; anyone uneasy with heights may find the top section uncomfortable. Do not attempt the scramble when the rock is wet or icy; the park warns that those conditions make it unsafe. Pets are not allowed on Bearfence Mountain Trail or Bearfence Loop Trail.
Bearfence Viewpoint starts from the same parking area but is a different destination. Its route is about 1.1 miles round trip, takes roughly 45 minutes, and reaches a 180-degree view of the Shenandoah Valley without the rock scramble. It does not reach Bearfence Mountain's summit or its full-circle panorama. The route still climbs about 305 feet, and neither Bearfence route meets the park's accessibility guidelines.
The panorama takes in both the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia Piedmont, with the Blue Ridge folds around you. The exposed gray rocks make a useful foreground for a photograph; a frame that includes them shows the rocky summit as well as the distant ridges. Autumn color can brighten the forested slopes, but fog can hide the long view, so the panorama depends on visibility.
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
ChallengingSlaughter Ridge and Conway River Backcountry Route15 mi · 11 hr · 0.2 mi awayA 15-mile ridge-to-river out-and-back with a long climb back.
ModerateMeadows School Trail2.8 mi · 2.3 hr · 0.3 mi awayA 1.4-mile descent to the former Meadows School site.
EasyBearfence Viewpoint Hike1.1 mi · 45 min · 0.4 mi awayShort out-and-back for a Shenandoah Valley view without scrambling.
EasyLewis Mountain Nature Trail1.1 mi · 36 min · 1.1 mi awayA short stair climb through mountain laurel to a small rocky summit.
ChallengingBear Church Rock via Bootens Gap9.7 mi · 5.5 hr · 1.5 mi awayLong forest miles end at a rock ledge above the Rapidan Valley.
ChallengingPowell Mountain Trail7 mi · 5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA long, rocky climb to Powell Mountain's unmarked summit.
EasyPocosin Mission Trail2 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayA gravel road through woods ends at a mountain mission's remains.
ModerateRapidan Camp via Mill Prong4 mi · 2.8 hr · 3.8 mi awayThree stream crossings lead to Hoover’s historic mountain retreat.
Picnic area · 0.9 mi awayLewis Mountain Picnic GroundsA quiet picnic stop with a history worth knowing.
Lodging · 1 mi awayLewis Mountain CabinsA wooded cabin stay with outdoor meals and important history.
Campground · 1.1 mi awayLewis Mountain CampgroundA small campground with a defining place in Shenandoah's integration story.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayThe Point OverlookA short, steep path opens onto sunset views across the Blue Ridge.
Scenic pullout · 2.2 mi awayHazeltop Ridge OverlookBeldore Hollow opens a clear-day look toward distant southern peaks.
Scenic pullout · 2.3 mi awayThe Oaks OverlookA narrow westward window onto the valley's working landscape.
Lodging · 2.9 mi awayPocosin CabinA historic log cabin stay, a short walk from Skyline Drive.
Scenic pullout · 3.3 mi awayNaked Creek OverlookA west-facing sunset stop over wooded ridges and Elkton.Parkwolf’s Shenandoah ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
