Sight · Shenandoah National Park
A roadside view puts Old Rag across Hannah Run.
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 place
Pinnacles Overlook: Old Rag Across the Valley“Pinnacles Overlook is coming up, with a roadside view south across Hannah Run toward Old Rag and Hot Mountain. Follow the nearer Pinnacles Ridge into the valley view, then pick out the mountains beyond.”
Plays as you drive up to Pinnacles 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
Pinnacles Overlook is a roadside viewpoint on Skyline Drive at mile 35.1, 3,320 feet above sea level. It looks south across Hannah Run toward Old Rag Mountain and Hot Mountain, with Pinnacles Ridge as the closer ridge on the right. If you want a look at Old Rag without taking a trail, this is an easy stop.
Start with Pinnacles Ridge, then follow the valley south to Old Rag and Hot Mountain. For a photo, keep the nearer ridge on the right with Old Rag beyond it; the overlapping ridges give the view its depth. Hazy conditions can soften the distant mountains.
This is a short pull-off rather than a destination hike. Roadside parking can be tight at busy times, and past visitors have sometimes waited for a space. A park entrance pass is required to drive Skyline Drive, which can close in bad weather; check road conditions before setting out.
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
ChallengingHannah, Hot-Short, and Catlett Loop9.1 mi · 7.5 hr · At the trailheadA strenuous loop past cascades, stone walls, and mining traces.
ChallengingLeading Ridge Trail2.7 mi · 2.8 hr · 0.9 mi awayA short ridge hike with a punishing climb and steep return
ModerateThe Pinnacle via Appalachian Trail2.4 mi · 1.8 hr · 1.1 mi awayA short AT climb to a broad summit and valley views.
ChallengingNicholson and Hazel Wilderness Circuit25.2 mi · 20 hr · 1.2 mi awayFour days of river valleys, cabin history, and backcountry miles.
ModerateHazel River Falls Hike5.3 mi · 5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA 5.3-mile round trip to a shaded cave and two small falls.
ChallengingBuck Hollow and Buck Ridge Loop5.9 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA streamside descent, 600 steps, and a hard climb back up.
ChallengingHazel River - White Rocks Loop8.5 mi · 6 hr · 1.2 mi awayLong loop, short spur to a cave and two falls.
ModerateHazel Mountain–Catlett Mountain Loop7.8 mi · 5 hr · 1.2 mi awayA wooded backcountry loop with old walls and stream crossings.
Sight · 0.5 mi awayThe PinnacleA short AT climb opens onto views across Shenandoah Valley.
Scenic pullout · 0.9 mi awayJewell Hollow OverlookMorning Star Lake sits just left of layered Blue Ridge ridges.
Picnic area · 1 mi awayPinnacles Picnic GroundsA historic picnic loop with Appalachian Trail access.
Sight · 1.6 mi awayHazel Mountain OverlookA tree-topped rock anchors this layered Blue Ridge view.
Scenic pullout · 1.8 mi awayBuck Hollow OverlookA sunrise stop above layered ridges and Sperryville.
Lodging · 1.8 mi awayCorbin CabinA restored farm cabin at the end of a river-valley hike.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayMarys RockA boulder summit rewards the hike with a sweeping valley-and-ridge view.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayTunnel Parking OverlookA quick east-facing view beside Skyline Drive's only tunnel.Parkwolf’s Shenandoah ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
