Brandon DeweyExplorer

Bodie Island Lighthouse is one of five lighthouses located on the Outer Banks in North Carolina.  Located just 10 miles south of Nags Head, NC.  To reach the lighthouse follow Cape Hatteras National Park Rd (HWY 12) from the intersection of HWY 158 for 5.2 mile then turn right onto Bodie Island Lighthouse Rd and follow the road for 1 mile until you reach the parking lot. It is free to park in t...

Shenandoah River State Park is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.  The park is full of well-maintained trails great for hiking and mountain biking.  The trails both parallel the banks of the river as it snakes through the Shenandoah Valley and through the rolling hills, which provides great views of the river and surrounding mountains. Shenandoah River State Park is nestled between ...

The skyline trail is a 4 mile out and back trail that allows you to start from either end. I prefer to start from the lower trail head near Cabin 5. To get to this trailhead: enter the park, and follow the narrow road the leads to cabins 1-6. Drive down the road until you reach cabin 5, and find a place to pull off the road and park. The trailhead will be on your righthand side. If you do not l...

Cedar Run Falls is located in the central district of Shenandoah National Park.  This is a pretty waterfall that flows into a deep swimming hole.  There are two ways to get to the Cedar Run Waterfall: from the top of the mountain off of Skyline Drive and from the bottom of the mountain off of Weakley Hollow Road. If you start from the top off of Skyline Drive, the trailhead and parking area are...

To reach the trail head, park in the Massie Gap Parking Lot.  This is the parking lot for most of the trails in the park, so it can fill up very quickly, but you are able to park along the side of the road.  Massie Gap as two parking areas: one intended for overnight hikers and one for day hikers.  Once parked, make your way over to the Rhododendron Trail Head.  If you park in the overnight par...

Big Meadows is home to many types of wildlife and is a great location to photograph many different types of animals. The best time to see the wildlife in the meadow is near dawn and dusk. White-tailed deer and a variety of local birds are the most common animals seen in the meadow, and because of the high volume of people, they usually do not shy away very easily making it easier to photograph...

This hidden gem is located near Lindy Point and Blackwater Falls State Park.  Unlike Lindy Point, which is very popular, hikers are usually able to enjoy the views from Table Rock all by themselves.  The Table Rock trail head is located off of Canaan Loop Rd.  I highly recommend driving to the trailhead from Highway 32.  It is possible to reach the trailhead from Blackwater State Park and is on...

To reach Red Spruce Knob trailhead from Marlinton, West Virginia, take HW 219N for about 7 miles then turn left onto HW150. Follow HW150 for about 5 miles, and the parking lot and trailhead will be on the left side of the road. The Red Spruce Knob trail is easy to follow and is well marked with blue diamond blazes. During the summer there are a few areas of the trail that become overgrown, but ...

Blackwater Falls State Park is one of 36 state parks in West Virginia and is located just north of the Canaan Valley less than two miles from Davis, WV.  Blackwater Falls State Park has over 2,000 acres, making it a great place to camp while you explore the beautiful area.  The campground has 65 spots for tents and is open from the last weekend in April through October 31.  The campground is do...

The Three Falls Hike in Shenandoah National Park will take you past three beautiful waterfalls all found within the central district of the park: Lewis Spring Falls, Dark Hollow Falls, and Rose River Falls. You are able to start the loop from any of the waterfalls’ trailheads, but I prefer to start at the Lewis Spring Fall Trailhead because it has the largest parking area and a bathroom.  To re...

To reach the Big Pinnacle Trail Head, park at the Massie Gap Day Parking area, and then follow the road west (away from Massie Gap) until you reach the trail head located on the left side of the road.  Follow the Big Pinnacles Trail for 0.4 miles until it intersects with the Twin Pinnacles Trail.  The trail to the right will lead you to the Outlooks faster.  From the junction, follow the trail ...

To reach High Rocks trailhead, drive about 3.3 miles along West Virginia’s Highland Scenic Highway (HW150) from Cranberry Mountain Nature Center. The parking lot and trailhead will be on the right side of the road. The High Rocks trail is 3.1 miles out and back and is fairly flat as it follows a ridge line most of the way. The dirt trail is well marked with blue diamond blazes and is very easy ...

Spruce Knob Lake is located just below the peak of Spruce Knob at 3,840’, making it the highest lake in West Virginia. If you are not camping in the campground, there is a parking lot/boat launch located near the dam. If you are camped in the campground, there is a trail that leads from the campground down to the lake and ends in the parking lot near the dam. To reach the trailhead from Riverto...

The reservoir is located in the Piedmont Hills just outside the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. So technically Charlottesville Reservoir is not in Shenandoah National Park, but it is only a few feet outside of the park, and it has an outstanding view of the Blue Ridge Mountains that make up the Southern District of Shenandoah National Park.  To reach Charlottesville Reservoir, known locally ...

Moormans River Overlook is one of the few eastern facing overlooks in Shenandoah National Park’s Southern District, which makes this a prime location for watching the sun rise when in this part of the park.  At mile post 92 off of Skyline Drive, Moormans River Overlook offers photographers a 180 degree view of the eastern most Blue Ridge Mountains and rolling hills surrounding Charlottesville, ...

To reach the trailhead, park at the main parking area near Glade Creek Grist Mill. Cross the bridge toward the grist mill, and the trailhead is directly behind the mill. Even though the Island in the Sky trail is only a mile long out and back, it is lined almost the whole way with rhododendron bushes that, at times, canopy over the trail. The trail leads passed the base of the rock cliffs that ...

There are two ways to the summit: the first is a 1.3 mile loop that starts at the Loft Mountain Wayside parking lot at mile marker 79.5 off of Skyline Drive in the southern district of Shenandoah National Park.  The second way is a 3.7 mile hike out and back from the Loft Mountain Campground, but keep in mind the campground is only open certain months of the year-usually May through October.  I...

Located in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest about half way between Snowshoe and the Cranberry Glades makes this campground an ideal place to set up a base camp while you explore the surrounding area. It is located about five miles from Highland Scenic Highway (HW150), which makes it just far enough away to not hear any vehicles driving on the road but close enough to easily hop on an...

At mile post 77 off of Skyline Drive, Brown Mountain Overlook offers photographers a western view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah National Park, and the Shenandoah Valley. At 2,840 feet, Brown Mountain Overlook is one of 72 beautiful overlooks that are on Skyline Drive located in the northern part of the Southern District.  Skyline Drive is the road that winds through the heart of Shena...

The Spitler Knoll is one of 72 overlooks for people to enjoy as they travel through Shenandoah National Park along Skyline Drive.  Skyline Drive is the road that winds through the heart of Shenandoah National Park, starting at Front Royal in the north and ending at Rockfish Gap in the south. This 105 mile long road offers great views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and valleys while sim...

Pinnacles Overlook in Shenandoah National Park is a southern facing overlook in the Central District that provides one of the best views of Old Rag.   Looking south over the Blue Ridge Mountains, this 3,320 foot overlook has a great view of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains as well as a valley that leads the the rolling hills. Located at mile marker 35.1 on Skyline Dive, Pinnacles Overlook is o...

One of Shenandoah National Park’s 72 overlooks, Jewell Hollow is a great place for people to stop while they are traveling through the park along Skyline Drive.  Skyline Drive is the road that winds through the heart of Shenandoah National Park, starting at Front Royal in the north and ending at Rockfish Gap in the south. This 105-mile long road offers great views of the surrounding Blue Ridge ...

Located just inside the park entrance of Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia, Sugarland Overlook provides an outstanding easterly view of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.  The Sugarland Overlook is located about a mile up from the ranger station and is on the righthand side of the road.  Sugarland Overlook is easy to access and has a lot of parking spots for visitors to enjoy the amaz...

Skyline Dive runs through the heart of Shenandoah National Park.  Consisting of 72 overlooks over 105 miles, Skyline Drive offers great views of the surrounding Blue Ride Mountains and valleys.  Hazel Mountain Overlook is located at mile marker 33 along Skyline Drive and is one of a handful of overlooks that looks due east.  Located in the northern part of the Central District of Shenandoah one...