Shenandoah Sunset

Captured at golden hour from the ridgeline at Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park.

Subject: Blue Ridge Mountain Sunset
Location: Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Season: Spring

Shenandoah National Park stretches along the Blue Ridge Mountains for nearly 105 miles, and Big Meadows sits near its heart at over 3,500 feet elevation — one of the best vantage points in the park for watching the sun drop behind the western ridgeline. The rays fanning out through the clouds are a phenomenon called crepuscular rays, formed when sunlight filters through gaps in the clouds and scatters across the atmosphere.

I was camping at Big Meadows when this happened. You never quite know what the sky is going to give you, and this one was a reminder of why you always have your camera within reach. I stood on that rocky overlook until the last light was gone