Parking
Park at Brown Mountain Overlook on the west side of Skyline Drive, around mile 77. The trail begins through an opening in the stone wall.
Overview
About Rocky Mountain via Brown Mountain Trail
Why go
- A rocky outcrop with broad, southwest-facing ridge views.
Heads up
- The steep return climb follows a sharp descent.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation2,339–2,792 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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 Rocky Mountain via Brown Mountain Trail, 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 trailhead
Brown Mountain Overlook: Big Run Without the Hike0:00 / 0:29
“Brown Mountain Overlook is coming up, with a broad view across the Big Run valley and surrounding ridges. Stop here if you want an open panorama without a hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Ivy Creek Overlook: Three Mountains and an Optional Walk
- Two Mile Run Overlook: White Cliffs in the Forest
- Rocky Mount: Save Energy for the Return Climb
- Rockytop Overlook: Ridges and a Fire Story
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Rocky Mountain via Brown Mountain Trail
A short hike with a real climbRocky Mountain via Brown Mountain Trail is a 3.
Rocky Mountain via Brown Mountain Trail is a 3.5-mile round-trip out-and-back from Brown Mountain Overlook to a rocky ridge viewpoint. Published figures vary from 3.2 to 3.5 miles; allow about three and a half hours. The walk starts with an open view, drops steeply through woods to a saddle, then climbs again. Dogs are allowed on a physical leash no longer than six feet.
Follow the ridge to the main viewThe trail leaves through a gap in the overlook’s stone wall.
The trail leaves through a gap in the overlook’s stone wall. Views open right away, then the tread descends to a low saddle about 0.6 mile in. At the junction with Rocky Mountain Run Trail, stay on Brown Mountain Trail. The next stretch climbs for close to a mile, levels out and grows rockier near the outcrop.
Stop at the outcropThe main reward is a broad view across forested ridges toward the Big Run watershed.
The main reward is a broad view across forested ridges toward the Big Run watershed. From the rocky ledge, keep a little of the foreground rock in the frame to show the depth of the ridges. A farther scramble along the outcrop has narrow, exposed footing; the main view comes first, so you can turn around there.
A burned landscape in recoveryThe 2016 Rocky Mountain Fire burned about 10,326 acres in Shenandoah’s South District.
The 2016 Rocky Mountain Fire burned about 10,326 acres in Shenandoah’s South District. Charred logs and returning plants show the landscape recovering along the trail. Dwarf iris and sessile bellwort have been reported blooming here in April, though flowering varies by season.
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.
