Scenic pullout · Shenandoah National Park
A small roadside view of Browntown Valley and the Appalachian Trail.
Overview
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Plan your stop
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
Little Devils Stairs Overlook: A Glimpse into the Gorge“You're nearing Little Devils Stairs Overlook, a quick south-facing view across wooded ridges toward Pignut Mountain.”
Plays on the road 0.3 mi from Little Hogback 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
Little Hogback Overlook is a pull-off on Skyline Drive at mile 19.7 and 3,035 feet, with a narrow view over Browntown Valley. Stop for a quick look north-northeast if you’re already driving this stretch; the view is a narrow window rather than a big, all-around panorama. It’s easy to drive past, so watch for the pull-off as you approach.
The view crosses Browntown Valley toward a low ridge, with Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain farther out and the Valley and Ridge Appalachians on the horizon. The Appalachian Trail runs directly below the overlook, adding a close-in detail beneath the distant ridges.
For a photo, leave some of the brushy overlook edge in the bottom of the frame and let the valley and ridges fill the rest. That gives the narrow opening more depth than a crop of the far skyline alone. The viewpoint is right at the roadside, so you don’t need a trail walk to see this view.
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
ChallengingHogback Mountain and Thornton River Loop18.4 mi · 21.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayAn 18.4-mile, three-day loop linking Hogback views and Thornton River.
ModerateHogback Mountain Loop6.4 mi · 4 hr · 0.3 mi awayA ridge loop with valley ledges, steep climbing, and a creek crossing.
ChallengingLittle Devils Stairs Loop7.4 mi · 8.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayA full-day gorge loop with cascades, scrambles, and a family cemetery.
ChallengingTuscarora Trail through Shenandoah8 mi · 6 hr · 1.1 mi awayAn eight-mile one-way traverse past Overall Run’s gorge and falls.
ChallengingOverall Run Falls and Piney Branch Loop22.3 mi · 18 hr · 1.1 mi awayThree-day backcountry loop past Overall Run Falls and Piney Branch.
ChallengingOverall Run Falls and Heiskell Hollow Loop15.6 mi · 13 hr · 1.1 mi awayA three-day backcountry loop linking waterfalls and Heiskell Hollow.ChallengingOverall Run, Piney Branch & Jeremys Run Loop34.2 mi · 1 day · 1.1 mi awayFour hiking days link a 93-foot waterfall and three wilderness streams.
ModerateBig Devils Stairs Trail5.2 mi · 3 hr · 1.7 mi awayTwo rocky rim overlooks face a steep, banded gorge.
Scenic pullout · 0.3 mi awayLittle Devils Stairs OverlookA quick pause for the steep gorge and layered ridges
Scenic pullout · 0.6 mi awayMount Marshall OverlookPiedmont views from a pullout with a John Marshall land story.
Scenic pullout · 0.9 mi awayGimlet Ridge OverlookA quick pullout for layered valleys and Signal Knob.
Sight · 1 mi awayHogback OverlookLayered ridges lead north toward the Alleghenies on clear days.
Scenic pullout · 1.5 mi awayRattlesnake Point OverlookPick out six Blue Ridge peaks from a meadow-framed roadside view.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayPiney River CCC BuildingA modest CCC office tied to Shenandoah’s early park design
Campground · 1.9 mi awayMathews Arm CampgroundWooded campsites, an easy loop, and no showers or hookups.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayRange View OverlookA quick pullout for a long look across layered Blue Ridge ridges.Parkwolf’s Shenandoah ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
