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Scenic Viewpoints in Alabama

77 scenic viewpoints in Alabama with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Jefferson County has the most (16). The darkest skies are at Butler Mountain Lookout Tower (Bortle 2).

Top scenic viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Epes TowerSumter County · 99 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Westervelt Fire TowerTuscaloosa County · 135 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Lookout Hill Fire TowerMonroe County · 132 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Pleasant Grove Lookout TowerPickens County · 125 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Payne Lookout TowerHale County · 153 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Cahaba Lookout TowerPerry County · 178 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Bibb Lookout TowerBibb County · 185 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Butler Mountain Lookout TowerChoctaw County · 129 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Cains Ridge Lookout TowerFayette County · 178 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Havana Lookout TowerHale County · 135 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Morgan Springs Lookout TowerPerry County · 142 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Rumley Lookout TowerSumter County · 112 m

Scenic Viewpoints by county

All scenic viewpoints (77)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Epes TowerSumter County99 mLivingston3
Westervelt Fire TowerTuscaloosa County135 mNorthport4
Lookout Hill Fire TowerMonroe County132 mCamden2
Pleasant Grove Lookout TowerPickens County125 mGordo3
Payne Lookout TowerHale County153 mMoundville3
Cahaba Lookout TowerPerry County178 mBrent3
Bibb Lookout TowerBibb County185 mWest Blocton3
Butler Mountain Lookout TowerChoctaw County129 mButler2
Cains Ridge Lookout TowerFayette County178 mFayette3
Havana Lookout TowerHale County135 mMoundville3
Morgan Springs Lookout TowerPerry County142 mMarion3
Rumley Lookout TowerSumter County112 mYork2
Pondville Lookout TowerBibb County172 mBrent3
Memphis Lookout TowerHouston County90 mRehobeth4
Open Pond Lookout TowerCovington County95 mFlorala2
Eubanks Lookout TowerBarbour County117 mEufaula3
Redland Fire TowerElmore County185 mBlue Ridge4
Renfroe Lookout TowerTalladega County471 mTalladega4
Evergreen Lookout TowerAutauga County174 mValley Grande3
Murrell Hill Lookout TowerRussell County155 mLadonia3
Mount Willing Lookout TowerLowndes County107 mFort Deposit3
Perry Mountain Fire TowerChilton County204 mCentreville3
Grace's Gap OverlookBirmingham Civil RightsJefferson County—Homewood7
Scenic OverlookCleburne County—Oxford4
Scenic OverlookCleburne County—Choccolocco4
Pulpit Rock OverlookTalladega County—Munford4
Restaurant OverlookClay County—Munford3
Malbis Fire TowerBaldwin County59 mSpanish Fort5
Seminole Lookout TowerBaldwin County37 mElberta4
Aquilla Lookout TowerChoctaw County142 mBelmont2
Simerly Lookout TowerBaldwin County62 mLoxley4
Joe B Shirley Lookout TowerMadison County487 mHuntsville6
View pointMadison County349 mHuntsville7
CyclewayMarshall County356 mNew Hope3
Old Lock 14Tuscaloosa County—Brookwood4
Burial MoundHale County—Moundville3
High Falls OverlookJefferson County—Hoover7
Rock HouseJefferson County—Hoover7
Great WallJefferson County—Hoover7
Moon RockJefferson County—Hoover7
Hole in the RockJefferson County—Hoover7
Natural BridgeJefferson County—Hoover7
Window RockJefferson County—Hoover7
High CliffsJefferson County—Hoover7
Turtle RockJefferson County—Hoover7
Bald Rock OverlookTalladega County—Oxford4
Ishkooda OverlookJefferson County—Midfield6
Tilton Watch TowerShelby County—Westover5
Ebsco Overlook (West)Jefferson County—Midfield6
Ebsco Overlook (East)Jefferson County—Midfield6
Blazer CircleBirmingham Civil RightsJefferson County—Birmingham8
Jerry W. Bynum Fire Lookout TowerTallapoosa County—Dadeville3
Cambrian OverlookJefferson County—Irondale7
VulcanBirmingham Civil RightsJefferson County—Homewood8
Tensaw River OverlookBaldwin County—Spanish Fort5
Observation TowerBaldwin County—Gulf Shores3
Mrs. Nadine Meslon YeagerMadison County—Huntsville7
Little River Falls OverlookLittle River CanyonCherokee County—Fort Payne4
Hawks GlideLittle River CanyonCherokee County—Fort Payne3
Canyon ViewLittle River CanyonCherokee County—Fort Payne3
Wolf Creek OverlookLittle River CanyonDeKalb County—Fort Payne4
Lynn OverlookLittle River CanyonCherokee County—Fort Payne3
Daniel's Gap TowerCherokee County—Cedar Bluff3
Mabrey OutlookMarshall County—Guntersville4
Jim Lynn OverlookJackson County—Fyffe3
Sand Mountain Lookout TowerBlount County—Oneonta4
Noccalula Falls Scenic ViewEtowah County—Gadsden6
Russell Cave SinkholeRussell CaveJackson County—Bridgeport3
Russell Cave Archeological DigRussell CaveJackson County—Bridgeport3
Crow PointDeKalb County—Fort Payne3
Grace's High Falls OverlookDeKalb County—Fort Payne4
Eberhardt PointDeKalb County—Fort Payne3
Weaver OverlookDeKalb County—Fort Payne3
MeditationBlount County—Oneonta4
Highpoint OverlookColbert County190 mIuka3
ViewpointDeKalb County367 mFyffe3
West Bank OverlookHenry County98 mFort Gaines2

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph scenic viewpoints

Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.

  • Arrive 30–45 minutes before sunrise or sunset to find a composition before the light peaks.
  • Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
  • Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
  • Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
  • Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.

Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.