Back in Touch With Our National Parks: Shenandoah!

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North of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the ridge line provides the spine of the park and the route of the Skyline Drive, as other features spill down the mountainsides.

The long pandemic winter has brought cabin fever to new heights and left most of us craving an escape. While overseas travel and domestic plane rides remain untenable or risky, Shenandoah National Park offers convenient, world-class nature experiences close to home.

Centered around iconic 105-mile ridgeline highway, Skyline Drive, the park brings easy access to countless 3,000-plus-foot overlooks to the east and west. A pair of central lodges make perfect basecamps for exploring 200,000 protected acres—including 115 miles of Appalachian Trail, more than a dozen waterfalls, 80,000 acres of wilderness and more.

In celebration this July of the  85th anniversary of President Franklin Roosevelt dedicating the park,  here’s a quick guide to help you make the most of one of America’s greatest natural treasures.

CLASSIC HIGHLIGHTS

From a 4,050-foot peak with panoramic views to a majestic 93-foot waterfall, Shenandoah National Park is chock full of beloved staples. Here are a few of our favorites.

Old Rag Mountain. The 8.8-mile circuit hike to this rocky, 3,284-foot peak is one of the country’s most beautiful. The parking lot is located on the park’s eastern slope, about a dozen miles from the charming farm village of Sperryville, Virginia. Expect panoramic vistas, a challenging but nifty rock scramble, seasonal wildflowers and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. A shorter route—a strenuous 5.4-mile out-and-back—starts from the Berry Hollow parking area.

Skyland Resort. Nestled atop a 3,680-foot peak at milepost 41.7, the 28-building, 178-room resort boasts some of East Coast’s best bedside views. Established in 1885 as a wilderness getaway for nature-loving elites, this gem has been renovated to include modern amenities and well-appointed premium rooms and suites. The Pollock Dining Room dishes up American-style farm-to-table cuisine, while the Mountain Taproom offers craft brews, fresh java and nightly live entertainment. Rooms start at $101.

Stony Man. This action-packed .8-mile quickie carries you from Skyland via the Appalachian Trail and Stony Man Trail to a rocky, 4,011-foot summit with dazzling views of the Page Valley, Shenandoah River and town of Luray. Add another 3.4 miles by following the lariat trail back to the A.T., heading north, then taking the Passamaquoddy Loop back to the lodge.

Whiteoak Canyon Falls. While the canyon boasts a series of six cascading falls, the uppermost drops 86 feet and is the star of the show. Get there by way of a 4.6-mile roundtrip hike that descends from the parking lot at milepost 42.6. Expect mountain streams strewn with boulders, steel footbridges and plenty of scenery. For an upgraded adventure, continue past the first waterfall for 1.35 miles and check out the 35-foot lower falls.

Hawksbill Mountain. There are a number of ways to reach the SNP’s highest peak at 4,050-foot Hawksbill Mountain. The easiest is taking the Upper Hawksbill Trail at milepost 46.7. The 2-mile roundtrip passes through a high-alpine red spruce and Frasier fir forest en route to the rocky summit, where you’ll find a stone shelter and observation platform with incredible, 270-degree views including Massanutten Mountain, Stony Man and Old Rag.

Big Meadows Lodge. At milepost 51 near a 3,500-foot-high mountaintop meadow you’ll find a rustic, 25-room lodge overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. It was built in 1939 by Civilian Conservation Corps from native stone and wormy chestnut. Nearby cabins and multi-use buildings house an additional 71 rooms—many equipped with private balconies and jaw-dropping views. Eat and drink onsite at the Spottswood Dining Room and New Market Taproom. The latter offers craft brews on tap, a local wine menu and live music on weekends. Lodging from $89.

HIDDEN DELIGHTS

Five-hundred miles of hiking trails, 70 streams and 40,000 acres of backcountry offer ample adventures in the park’s more obscure corridors. These excursions are sure to delight.

Overall Run Falls. The 93-foot waterfall is the tallest in the park and is located in the North District near milepost 21. Get there by way of a 5.1-mile out-and-back that starts just south of Hogback Overlook. Along the way, you’ll pass through quiet hollows and get multiple stream crossings and views of Massanutten Mountain range to the west.

Cedar Run Trail. Hike a bit over 3 miles out-and-back through a rocky gorge, following a stream past idyllic pools to a 20-plus-foot waterfall and a natural waterslide that culminates in a dreamy swimming hole. Look for the trailhead in the Whiteoak Canyon parking lot at milepost 42.6.

Camp at Loft Mountain. The 200-site campground is situated in the heart of the park at milepost 80. Expect superlative primitive camping with a handful of backcountry and RV sites thrown in. The best spots are cut into the side of 3,379-foot Big Flat Mountain amid rhododendron forests, overlooking the A.T. A lovely mountaintop amphitheater offers educational programming and great star and moon gazing opportunities. Amenities include a renovated camp store and family restaurant with an adjacent bathhouse and laundry facility. Primitive sites are $15 a night.

Riprap-Wildcat Ridge Trail. This challenging 9.8-mile circuit hike begins at milepost 90 and includes both a 2.8-mile section of A.T. and notable rock formations like Calvary Rocks and Chimney Rocks. Follow spring-fed streams through a pair of hollows and a small gorge where you’ll encounter a 20-foot waterfall. Catch views of the Shenandoah Valley from ridgelines and 2,940-foot Rocks Mountain.

DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDES

Another great thing about the SNP is its proximity to trail towns. Small, quirky cities bookmark its beginning and end; bisecting rural highways deliver further cultural adventures.

Front Royal. This 15,077-person city sits at the confluence of the north and southern forks of the Shenandoah River, and is routinely praised as one of the East Coast’s best midsized trail towns. Head downtown for an array of interesting shops, boutiques and restaurants. Front Royal Brewing Company offers pub fare and a lineup of fresh craft beers. James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Alain Borel dishes up farm-to-table fine-dining just beyond the town limits, at L’Auberge Provencale.

Luray. Take U.S. 211 west from the park’s Thornton Gap Entrance at milepost 31.5 into this charming 5,000-person town. Take a 1.25-mile walking tour of one of America’s top underground treasures, Luray Caverns, or indulge a paddling adventure on the Shenandoah River’s scenic southern fork with Shenandoah River Outfitters. Catch lunch or dinner at Circa ’31, which offers New American cuisine in the historic Mimslyn Inn and spa.

Waynesboro. Head west at the park’s southern terminus at Rockfish Gap for more mountain town delights. Sample craft brews and grab burgers at Basic City or Stable Craft breweries. Book an award-winning guided fly-fishing tour on the South River with South River Fly Shop. Treat yourself with a stay in a luxury treehouse overlooking the Shenandoah Valley at the Iris Inn.

Charlottesville. One of the Southeast’s top foodie destinations is less than 25 miles east of Rockfish Gap. Pub-hop at more than a dozen craft distilleries, breweries, cideries and wineries along celebrated Route 151. Cruise into town for comestible delights at five-star eateries like the Alley Light, Mas Tapas, or Fleurie. Venues like The Paramount Theater, The Southern Café and Music Hall and The Jefferson Theater provide ample music and entertainment options.

Shenandoah  Fun and Facts

  • Open year-round, 24 hours per day; facilities’ seasons and hours vary
  • Entrance fees begin at $30 for 7-day pass; basic annual pass is $55
  • 79,579 acres in size, with 40% of that wilderness
  • The 105-mile Skyline Drive serves as park’s spine
  • Skyline Drive is the first NPS road east of the Mississippi River to become a National Historic Landmark
  • 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail
  • 9 significant waterfalls
  • Among the most dog-friendly in the NPS system, with all campgrounds and all but 20 of the park’s 500 miles of trails open to canines
  • About 1,000 Civilian Conservation Corps men and boys worked on the building of Skyline Drive
  • 50 mammal species (several hundred black bears)
  • 190 bird species
  • 40 fish species
  • 20 reptile and amphibian species
  • Park is home to Camp Rapidan, the summer getaway for President Herbert Hoover and his outdoor-active wife, Lou Henry Hoover
  • There are about 100 family cemeteries in the park, providing a connection to the many families who were relocated to create the park

—Kurt Rheinheimer

The story above first appeared in our May/June 2021 issue. To get more like it, subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!