Range View Overlook

Range View Overlook is a roadside viewpoint on Skyline Drive at 2,810 feet, looking south into the center of Shenandoah. One ridge after another fills the view, so step out and give your eyes a minute to sort the nearer slopes from the distant mountains. It’s a strong quick stop if you want a big landscape view without a hike.

Keyser Mountain is in front of you; Old Rag and Stony Man sit much farther down the line. Follow the Blue Ridge from the dark near slope toward the paler ridges beyond it. On a hazy day the far mountains can wash together. For a photo, keep a little of the nearer slope along the bottom so the layers read as distance instead of one flat horizon.

Skyline Drive’s construction began in 1931, and it was designed to follow the mountain and make the views part of the drive instead of cutting straight across the ridge. Landscape architects studied where the road and overlooks would sit, and Civilian Conservation Corps crews later built overlooks, reshaped slopes and planted disturbed ground. Range View’s own construction date isn’t documented, but it makes sense as part of this carefully shaped scenic road.

The pullout is around mile 17, with the south-facing panorama available right beside the road. You can take in the view without setting off on a trail.