Hawksbill Summit

Give yourself time to circle the platform: the valley, ridgelines, and Piedmont spread around you rather than sitting in one framed window. For a photo, include some of the summit's foreground rock with the distant ridges so the view has a sense of scale. Clear weather matters here; fog can cover the panorama.

The cliffs west of Byrd's Nest 2 and the north slope below the viewing platform are closed to public use to protect fragile rock outcrop ecosystems. The Appalachian Trail corridor stays open through the north-slope closure, but don't wander off the permitted routes. The cool, moist upper slopes are also habitat for the endangered Shenandoah salamander, found only on the park's highest peaks.

Virginia Senator Harry F. Byrd donated the stone observation platform in 1963. He had helped bring Shenandoah National Park into being in the 1930s and continued supporting visitor structures, including several shelters known as Byrd's Nests. The summit's shelter and platform make this feel like a proper destination at the top, not just a bare rock ledge.

Start at the Upper Hawksbill parking area on Skyline Drive at mile 46.5 for the route described above; other trailheads have different mileage and effort. There's no food service on the hike, so plan to eat elsewhere. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. The trail does not meet ADA guidelines.