A flash of blue soared over my car windshield. What kind of bird creates a vivid cerulean streak? Was that an Eastern bluebird? Or was it an indigo bunting, the eponymous bird I later heard chattering in the treetops?
I was en route to the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Piedmont Memorial Overlook, which has a view I have always cherished. Located atop a rocky outcrop on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Fauquier County, the overlook is embraced by the Shenandoah River, Sky Meadows State Park, and U.S. routes 50 and 17. Its view offers a dizzying panorama of the most protected landscape in the eastern United States. In the foreground, looking southeast, 1,860 acres of Sky Meadows State Park spreads before you, with dense woodlands, undulating green pastures and a cluster of historic structures that harken to the 1700s. The soft curves of Lost Mountain — part of the Crooked Run Valley, extending toward Delaplane — appear across U.S. Route 17.
That day, the PEC habitat team was leading an outreach event to educate the community about unique plants and wildlife at the overlook. As I got out of my car, an Appalachian cottontail hopped into the forest in front of me. Along the trail to the top, a common yellowthroat (an uncommonly handsome warbler known as the “yellow bandit” because of its black mask) peered from the safety of a tree branch. Gazing at a striped Jack-in-the-pulpit in the understory, I thought about the Sioux who once lived here and would have witnessed these same sights. The people of the Manahoac Confederacy lived in this region for centuries, managing the landscape with fire to create hunting grounds and fertile soil.
After a breathless hike gaining 1,000 feet in elevation, I arrived at the overlook and my eye traveled along the low stone wall to the far end of the meadow. Birds clustered in the limbs of three honey locust trees, eating the white flowers and creating an intricate melody with their distinct calls. An uninterrupted verdant landscape floated beyond the meadow.
What a romantic spot! I recalled a story Abby Keffer recently shared with us about a visit to the overlook.
“After a long hike on a sweltering June afternoon, I was tempted to skip the extra stretch to the overlook — one of Peter’s and my favorite spots — and head back to our car. Fortunately for Peter and his carefully laid plan, a friendly passerby overheard me and chimed in, ‘You made it this far, how could you possibly miss the overlook?’ Of course, they were right. We got engaged just a few minutes later, surrounded by the beauty of the Piedmont, and the overlook is now an even more special place for us.”
I reflected on how this view, which inspires joy and lifelong commitment, came to be.
In the late 1990s, the area risked being changed forever by several development projects. Consequently, the Preservation Alliance of Virginia nominated the area from Ashby Gap toward Paris as one of Virginia’s most endangered, calling it “the quintessential Virginia vista.”
In 2000, with support from local families and foundations, PEC purchased 1,235 acres adjoining Sky Meadows State Park, and shortly thereafter, transferred nearly 450 acres to the U.S. Department of the Interior to enhance the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which passes through the park. PEC then permanently protected the remainder of the land, now managed by Ovoka Farms, from development through a conservation easement. These significant conservation efforts provide protection to the Goose Creek watershed.
The Piedmont Memorial Overlook provides a place of reflection to commemorate community members who spent their lives working to protect this landscape. Thanks to PEC’s wildlife habitat restoration, many native plants, bees, animals and migratory birds thrive at the overlook. With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the PEC team eliminated non-native plants and planted native wildflower species on the 16-acres of meadow. PEC manages the meadow using prescribed fire, late winter mowing and invasive species monitoring, and the property serves as a demonstration site for landowners interested in viewing habitat restoration practices.
For the thousands of people who visit the Piedmont Memorial Overlook every year, the view of the protected landscape is a cherished destination: the crowning achievement of a hike through the woods surrounded by the sights and sounds of wildlife. And for others, like Abby and Peter, the overlook is just the beginning.
The Piedmont Memorial Overlook is located in Paris, Virginia, about an hour west by car from Washington, DC. You can access it via hiking trails at Sky Meadows State Park and the Appalachian Trail. Note: There is a fee to enter and park at Sky Meadows.
This article appeared in the 2026 summer edition of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s member newsletter, The Piedmont View. If you’d like to become a PEC member or renew your membership, please visit pecva.org/join.
