Best time to go
Sunset and fall color can add a lot to this view, though fog or vegetation can partly hide the valley. For a photo, frame the valley with the wooded ridges beyond it; the appeal here is the broad landscape, not one single landmark.
Overview
About McCormick Gap Overlook
Why stop
- A broad view across the southern Shenandoah Valley.
Heads up
- Fog or vegetation can partly obscure the view.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Best time to go
2 active Shenandoah alerts
- ClosureOld Rag Trailhead main lot closedThe Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for infrastructure improvements; use the existing overflow lots. - Work is expected to be completed by November 2026.Official details
- ClosureBackcountry camping and zone closuresBackcountry camping is prohibited on the Appalachian Trail from Lewis Mountain to Big Meadows, and the Naked Creek backcountry zone is closed.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Your drive to McCormick Gap Overlook, narrated.
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
McCormick Gap Overlook: The Southern Valley0:00 / 0:17
“You're approaching McCormick Gap Overlook, with a broad view across the southern Shenandoah Valley. Give it a few minutes to look beyond the valley floor to the wooded ridges on the far side.”
Plays as you drive up to McCormick Gap Overlook in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Why the Ridges Look Blue
- Look Into the Shaded Pools
- Calf Mountain Overlook: Waynesboro and Jarman’s Gap
- Rectangles in the Dead Wood
- 146 audio storiesacross Shenandoah’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 163 trails, 142 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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
More about McCormick Gap Overlook
A quick valley stopMcCormick Gap Overlook is a roadside viewpoint on Skyline Drive at mile 102.
McCormick Gap Overlook is a roadside viewpoint on Skyline Drive at mile 102.4, with a broad view across the southern Shenandoah Valley. It is a quick pause on the drive, not a place that needs a long visit. Look past the valley floor to the layers of wooded ridges beyond it.
What the view showsThe valley lies between the Blue Ridge to the east and the Valley and Ridge Appalachians to the…
The valley lies between the Blue Ridge to the east and the Valley and Ridge Appalachians to the west. The name Shenandoah has no settled origin. “Beautiful Daughter of the Stars” is a familiar theory, but the evidence does not make it stronger than other explanations.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Shenandoah
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.
