Top Places To Take Your Engagement Photos in Roanoke Virginia

New to the wedding world and planning your engagement photos in Roanoke, Virginia, I am so excited to share my 13 favorite places to pick for your session! 

Whether you are choosing to tie the knot right here in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains or just on the hunt for a scenic background for your engagement photos, Roanoke and the surrounding New River Valley is the perfect choice for several reasons. 

Why Choose Roanoke For Your Engagement Photos

The historic city is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers a perfect mix of natural beauty, charming urban settings, and unique cultural spots. Which means it does not matter if prefer mountain views, vibrant cityscapes, or rustic backdrops, Roanoke has a little something for everyone and can even allow for multiple locations in one session.

Additionally the local culture of Roanoke, Virginia is inviting for a romantic stroll around downtown for a day date ahead of your session or a romantic fancy dinner at Billy’s before heading home. You can even make a romantic weekend out of the experience with a special stay at the memorable Hotel Roanoke or Liberty Trust Hotel. 

Perfect Locations for Roanoke Engagement Photos

Now that we’ve talked about why Roanoke, Virginia is the perfect place to come for your engagement photos, below I’ve listed my top thirteen options to select from. As we are in the Blue Ridge Mountains, some locations will require a short drive or a form of hike to access, but nothing too intense so don’t let the distances keep you away from the perfect views. However, most locations included in this list can be easily accessed, like Green Hill Park, Downtown Roanoke or Cahas Mountains. There really is something for every engaged couple considering an engagement session here in Roanoke!

Table of Contents

• Greenhill Park
• Back Creek Overlook
• Downtown Roanoke
• Carvins Cove
• Hotel Roanoke
• McAfees Knob
• Heritage Park
• Hanging Rock Overlook Trail
• Smith Mountain Lake State Park
• Cahas Mountain Overlook
• Claytor Lake State Park
• Natural Bridge State Park
• Sharp Top Mountain

Green Hill Park

Quite possibly my favorite selection on this list, Green Hill Park is located right along the river in Salem, Virginia offering the perfect combination of mountain views, waterfront views, adventurous rocky spots, and stunning open fields. It is also easily accessible in any season with a slight variance in tree coloring and water levels. Also for those who want mountain views with no hiking needed, this is your jam the entire park is completely flat.

See a real engagement session from Greenhill park here. 

Back Creek Overlook

The parkway is a stunning location all on its own, but one overlook truly takes the blue ribbon for the variety it offers with a unforgettable open field with perfect views of roanoke’s best mountains, tall grass, and low levels of traffic so you can dance around in the road if your heart desires.

Mill Mountain also features a wildflower garden and hiking trails so there is plenty of variety for this easy-to-access location not far from the city center.

See a Back Creek Overlook engagement session here.

Carvins Cove

As you may notice, there are a lot of favorites to share, another one being Carvins Cove Natural Reserve. One of the only Roanoke locations that I have had clients drive over 2 hours for and where I have taken many of my own photos! It is a 630 acre water reserve for the city of Roanoke, but it boast some of the most perfect views of our mountains with water and a memorable row of rocks that couples swoon over. It’s also outdoors and typically not too busy so its an amazing spot to include your pets or even having children tag along! 

While they do not allow swimming, you can rent or bring a boat at the reservoir so if canoeing or kayaking is your thing, let’s get head onto the water for some cozy boat shots! Also a small $7 fee is needed per car to come into this location.

See a real session from Carvins Cove here.

Downtown Roanoke

Mountains definitely are not the only part of Roanoke worth noting. So if you are a couple who loves more intimate moments and more of the fancier things in life you should consider a stroll around Downtown Roanoke for your engagement photos. Depending on the season you can stroll around the farmer’s market, stop and get coffee, check out a local brewery, or find a rooftop to hang out on to overlook the amazing cityscape. This is the perfect way to use the incredible architecture of the historic buidlings as backdrop. 

A few notable place to stop along the way 

• Liberty Trust Hotel – A beautiful and unique spot you can rent a room for the night to sneak into for some fun flash photos with a warm pizza and bottle of wine, or just check out the outside for classy photos.
• Mill Mountain Coffee – Coffee lovers are my favorite type of people so if cuddling up with a iced latte or sharing a warm blueberry muffin is more your style than this is a great option and especially an easy way to sneak in a quick break for a recharge!
• Market Street – Walking up and down the streets is the best way to find some of the most beautiful stairwells and most sidewalks lead to the the walkway leading up to Elmwood Park which is an amazing spot especially in the spring. The pink blossom trees start to bloom along the walkway in the Spring!
• Center in the Square Rooftop – Now a brand new restaurant this rooftop is the perfect place to end the session! With the surrounding cityscape and mountain views it’s the best spot.

See a real Downtown Roanoke Engagement Session here.

Hotel Roanoke

A tiny step outside of official Downtown Roanoke, but still worth mentioning is the famous and historic Hotel Roanoke. This is your top spot for fancy outfits, classy background options all around, and even provides some fun spots inside at the bar and the elevators make for some fun shots to end the evening. This is just a quick walk from downtown so its a great place to choose for all your photos or as a quick detour! 

McAfee’s Knob

Now that we’ve covered the top spots right in the center of Roanoke, grab your hiking shoes and let’s chat about one of the perfect engagement session locations right on the outskirts of Roanoke. While it may require a shoe change ( or not because I support rocking hiking boots always) McAfee’s Knob is probably the most iconic spot on the Appalachian Trail and top pick for a sunrise engagement session. The trailhead for the hike is also only about 30 minutes from downtown Roanoke, but it’s important to not its about an 8 mile round hike so this is the spot for couples who adore adventure! 

Heritage Park

If the listed spots above don’t quite fit your mountain side fancy, a quick drive down Interstate 81 will bring you to Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Virginia right next to Virginia Tech. This spot is the ost iconic golden hour mountain background I have found in the New River Valley. Depending on the season you can find wildflowers, tall grass, and open views for miles! 

Hanging Rock Overlook Trail

Love the idea of mountain tops and hiking, but 8 miles is going to leave you a little more sweaty than you’d like. It would be worth considering Hanging Rock Overlook. This is definitely a hidden gem in southwestern Virginia and the best part is that the overlook is only about a half mile from the parking area and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll have it to yourself! 

Smith Mountain Lake State Park

You’ve truly not been to Roanoke, if you have never heard of its neighboring beauty Smith Mountain Lake. The lake brings in tourism year round and its the perfect spot to consider for your engagement session. While some may think this is only a good fit for a summer engagement session, but the beauty of the lake lasts year round. Some spots require a small fee and some may require a quick walk, but many spots are accessible and unlike other locations swimming is allowed here so for the adventurous lovers this is the perfect spot to jump into the water, try out paddle boarding, and more! 

Cahas Mountain Overlook

Similar to Backcreek Overlook, The Blue Ridge Parkway has dozens of incredible trails and overlooks for your engagement photos. One of the  less notable options is Cahas Mountain Overlook between Roanoke and Floyd. The overlook itself is east-facing, so it’s one I would recommend for sunrise if you want that epic light behind the mountains, but it’s also stunning in the evening especially if you are up for making a few stops throughout the evening. 

The best part is you can drive right up, park and start taking photos.

Claytor Lake State Park

If you have not caught on yet, I am a huge fan of having water for your engagement session. Even if you don’t get in, the water at Claytor Lake adds a lot of versatility for backgrounds. This option is a little more South of Roanoke so its perfect for couples traveling that way or who want to check out something new. With camp sites and trails you can have fun with this location, have a picnic with some champagne to share or end the evening roasting some smores snuggling under a blanket. 

Natural Bridge State Park

Often forgotten, but worth every bit of its place on this list is Natural Bridge State Park. Which is best known for its 215-foot natural rock arch. But surrounding this Virginia state park is rolling hills with mountain views and the most phenomenal rock arch. 

Now It Is Time To Schedule Your Engagement Photos in Roanoke Virginia! 

Thirteen amazing locations to choose from and you truly can not go wrong with any choice. So as a Roanoke Wedding Photographer I hope you have found this extensive guide helpful and if you’re still looking for a photographer to shoot your engagement photos I would love to chat with you! You can book me here by filling out the contact form to get started.