Skyline Drive Series - Hogback Overlook
Sunset at Hogback Overlook, but Scott Turnmeyer
Greetings everyone. I’m starting a new series in my blog posts where I go through the ins and outs of different areas in the Shenandoah National Park and along the Skyline Drive and Blueridge Parkway. I’ll showcase hiking trails, overlooks and more from a landscape photographer’s perspective.
As you may or may not know, this is my back yard. I’ve spend 99% of my life in the this area and most of that taking photos in and around the park. I’m always being asked where the best spots are for sunrise, sunset, etc. So I’ve decided to kick off this new series in my weekly blog posts geared to areas within and around the Shenandoah National Park, from a landscape photographer’s viewpoint. I hope you find each one and interesting read. As always, please share with your friends and feel free to comment.
First up, one my two favorite overlooks along the Skyline Drive, within the Shenandoah National Park. This one is Hogback overlook.
Sunset at Hogback Overlook, by Scott Turnmeyer
Hogback mountain is the highest peak in the northern section of the Shenandoah National Park, the section between Front Royal and Thorton Gap. It’s listed with an elevation of 3,474 feet above sea level and it has three separate overlooks on it. We’ll talk about the other two overlooks in later blog posts. Today it’s all about Hogback. Given it’s height, some days you will find a dense fog at Hogback, but that is usually easily seeable well before you get to it.
You can find Hogback Overlook near mile marker 21, and you cannot miss it. It’s probably one of the largest overlooks in the park as it literally sweeps around the mountain. It’s always a favorite spot for sightseers, and occasionally you will find research vans with their radio tracking equipment sitting at the while they listen in on where the different animals that they are tracking are located. The high elevation and wide open views make it a perfect spot.
I’ve been utilizing Hogback for my photography for quite some time. It’s roughly a 45 minute drive from Front Royal. I love Hogback because I find it to be one of, if not the most versatile overlooks in the park. It’s one of the only overlooks in the park that you can, at certain times of the year, use it for both sunrise and sunset. That’s right, most people don’t realize that in the summer months even though Hogback is an overlook on the western ridge you can actually get an amazing sunrise photo from there. More on that in a bit.
I started utilizing Hogback for my photography workshops a few years back and it’s almost always a go to for either sunset, sunrise or night sky. Let’s talk about each of these in a little more detail. View My Upcoming Photography Workshops
Winter time sun angles at Hogback Overlook
Summertime sun angles at Hogback Overlook
Sunrises at Hogback Overlook
Sunrise at Hogback Overlook, by Scott Turnmeyer
From the late spring to early fall Hogback is actually a fantastic spot to see the sunrise. The sun is slow moving north along the ridgeline until the summer solstice, when it turns and starts heading back south. If you are on Hogback for a sunrise you won’t really see the sun as it breaks the horizon off in the east, but you will see if break the horizon over the Blue Ridge Mountains, which is by far a better and more interesting shot. I try to always get there at least 45 minutes before sunrise as that’s normally when the best color happens (see photo above)
Sunsets at Hogback Overlook
Sunset at Hogback Overlook, but Scott Turnmeyer
Since Hogback is a westerly facing overlook, which one could say northerly as well, it is well suited for sunsets through most of the year. You will find that as the year progresses you will have to utilize different areas of the overlook for the best sunsets. There are even two times a year where the sun is setting directly behind the Shenandoah River below in the valley, but you’ll have to join me on a workshop to get that info. :) Sunsets are pretty straight forward but just remember, you will more than likely NOT get a great viewpoint shot with the sun going down. It’s a bit too bright and you’ll only get silhouettes and some slight detail.
PROTIP: As the sun about to go down, keep a watch on the other side of the overlook. You have an amazing view of the Browntown, Virginia area below with beautiful shots of the mountains. With the right weather conditions you will get plenty of color on the clouds to give you a fantastic shot.
Night Sky at Hogback Overlook
Night Sky Photography at Hogback Overlook, by Scott Turnmeyer
Night sky photography at Hogback is fantastic. If you are into astrophotography then you know that the northern hemisphere has a stronger view of the Milky Way in the summer months, and this is when Hogback shines. I consider one of the top spots in the park for night photography due to its higher elevation and the ability you have to literally walk around the side of the mountain to block out more light pollution. You don’t want to shoot much pointing North or East because of the light pollution, but there is enough sky and some fantastic trees to do unique things with.
So that about sums up Hogback Overlook. I absolutely love being on Hogback. Standing on the rock wall and getting a sense of out beautiful our land is. It helps to put life into perspective and quickly makes you realize that there is a lot more to this earth than just us.
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