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Outdoors Central District, Shenandoah

Hawksbill Summit

An outdoor spot in Central District, Shenandoah, free to visit and worth about 1.5 hours. Best time to go: Sunset.

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Hawksbill Summit in Central District, Shenandoah
Photo: Kera Ellingson · Google

Why go

Highest point in the park, with a stone observation platform.

It is one of 10 curated places we feature in Shenandoah, alongside 3 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat and 2 sights. The closest of our other picks is Pollock Dining Room at Skyland, 2.7 mi away as the crow flies.

Type
Outdoors · Nature
Neighborhood
Central District
Price
Free
Time needed
1.5 hr
Best time
Sunset

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Shenandoah, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Pollock Dining Room at Skyland

    Park lodge dining room with valley views and blackberry ice cream pie.

    Food · 2.7 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    Stony Man Trail

    Easy 1.6-mile loop to cliffs with wide views over the Shenandoah Valley.

    Outdoors · 2.8 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    Dark Hollow Falls Trail

    Short, steep hike to a 70-foot cascade near Big Meadows.

    Outdoors · 3.0 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    Old Rag Mountain

    Rock-scramble summit hike, the park's most famous and toughest day hike.

    Activity · 5.6 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    Skyline Drive

    105-mile ridgetop road through Shenandoah National Park with 70 overlooks.

    Sight · 6.4 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Luray Caverns

    Large show cave with stalactites and the Great Stalacpipe Organ.

    Sight · 8.9 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Hawksbill Summit is a stop on our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More outdoor spots in Shenandoah

Another curated outdoor spot in Shenandoah. See the full Shenandoah guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Shenandoah run from 34°F in January to 82°F in July; May is usually the wettest month. For Hawksbill Summit itself, we suggest: Sunset.

Modelled monthly averages for Shenandoah from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Shenandoah weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Hawksbill Summit, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA 22835, USA
Coordinates
38.55535, -78.39513
Destination
Shenandoah, Virginia

Hawksbill Summit: quick answers

How much time do you need at Hawksbill Summit?

Plan on about 1.5 hours at Hawksbill Summit. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Hawksbill Summit?

Our pick: Sunset. Insider tip: Upper Hawksbill trail is the easier 2-mile option.

Is Hawksbill Summit free?

Yes, we list Hawksbill Summit as free to visit. Check locally before you go, since special exhibits, parking or tours can carry a fee.

Where is Hawksbill Summit?

Hawksbill Summit is at Shenandoah National Park, Luray, VA 22835, USA, in Central District. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Hawksbill Summit?

Hawksbill Summit appears on Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Hawksbill Summit to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Shenandoah.

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Also in Shenandoah

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.