Guide to Visiting Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park is located in the center of Virginia. This long park is in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a scenic view overlooking the valleys below. This is our guide to Shenandoah National Park.
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Overview
Shenandoah National Park is long and skinny. The park runs 100 miles in length but is rarely more than 5 miles wide. The park follows the Appalachian Mountains from north to south. The Appalachian Trail runs through most of the park.
The Skyline Drive is a hundred-mile road that goes through the park. It starts at Front Royal on the north end and ends at the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway on the south end Almost all the sites and major hikes can be found right off of the Skyline Drive. There are four entrances and exits along the drive. These are the only way into the park.
Most attractions in Shenandoah are identified by mile markers along the Skyline Drive.
Cost
The costs of entering Shenandoah National Park is a flat $30 for each vehicle ($25 for a motorcycle; $15 foot or on bike). This gets you access for 7 straight days. For $55 you can buy an annual pass. The National Park system is relatively inexpensive, even if you are only visiting for a few hours this is a bargain attraction.
If you are planning on visiting multiple national parks on a trip we strongly recommend the annual America the Beautiful National Park Pass. For $80 a year this allows entrance to most national parks for a year (exceptions include places like Alcatraz). Most national parks charge per vehicle so pretty much an entire family (or however many people you can jam into your car or RV) can get in on one pass. Note U.S. Military get in for free and people over the age of 62 get a lifetime pass for $80. If you are lucky to have a fourth grader you can get a free pass that works for the entire family.
Day Trip
Shenandoah National Park is a short drive from Washington, D.C. The north entrance to the park at Front Royal is only about 75 miles from the Washington Monument.
This can make a nice day trip if you are visiting the nation’s capital. Right outside the park are several attractions such as Luray Caverns and wineries in Shenandoah Valley Wine Country.
For a day trip you probably will want to enter Shenandoah National Park at either Front Royal on the north end or Thornton Gap about a third of the way down the Skyline Drive.
From Thornton Gap you take the Skyline Drive north to Front Royal. At Front Royal you do the opposite and take the Skyline Drive south to the Thornton Gap entrance/exit. Both ways have you complete a circular route from Washington, D.C.
Luray Caverns and many of the wineries are on the western side of Shenandoah. Our suggestion would be to take highway 340 on the western end of the park from Front Royal to Luray. This is a loop where you come from Washington D.C. on the I-66 and take a loop through Shenandoah National Park down the Skyline Drive, to the 211 west at Thornton Gap to Luray where you take the 340 north back to Front Royal.
Of course, you can do that loop in reverse. There are many other options but highway 340 is a scenic drive through the valley. You can see an overview here.
Skyline Drive
The Skyline Drive is the heart of Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah is a long, narrow park running north to south along the Appalachian mountains. On both the west and east side there are valleys below.
The Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through Shenandoah National Park. Other than the entrance and exit roads, it is the only major road in the park.
The speed limit on Skyline Drive is 35 MPH. This means it takes 3 hours to drive the full length, not including stops. We have never driven the full length and we always enter or exit at the north.
There are over 70 lookout points along the drive. These provide views of the Shenandoah Valley below on the west, or the Virginia Piedmont area to the east.
The scenery is beautiful throughout the drive, but don’t feel shortchanged if you can’t drive the full length. It doesn’t vary too much and with kids they can get antsy.
Places on the Skyline Drive are identified by mile markers starting from the Front Royal Entrance.
The four entrances include:
- Front Royal Entrance: This is the north entrance to the park is off interstate 66 at Front Royal. It is a 75-mile straight shot from Washington, DC
- Thornton Gap Entrance: This entrance is about one-third of the way down the Skyline Drive at mile marker 31.5. It exits on highway 211. You can go directly back to the Washington DC area from this entrance. You can also head west towards Luray (home of Luray Caverns) and take highway 340 through the Shenandoah Valley back to Front Royal.
- Swift Run Gap Entrance: This entrance is about 2/3 of the way down Skyline Drive from Front Royal at mile marker 65.7. This puts you on highway 33 which heads towards Richmond. You can also head south towards Charlottesville.
- Rockfish Gap Entrance: This is the southern entrance right off of interstate 64. It connects directly to the north entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs over 450 miles to Great Smokey Mountain National Park in North Carolina.
Places to Stay
We love to spend the night in Shenandoah National Park. In the park, there are two large lodges with full dining options. There is also the option to stay in more rustic cabins and campgrounds.
Skyland
We have always stayed in the Skyland resort. There is a wide variety of options available from individual cabins to more traditional hotel rooms. This is full, albeit rustic, resort type area with several dining options.
What we like best is that it is right by some of the best hikes in the area. Of course, the spectacular views are another plus. The Skyland area is around mile marker 42.
Big Meadows
We have never stayed at the Big Meadows Lodge about 10 miles down the road from Skyland. However, we have stopped for lunch. Much of the resort looks out over a big meadow. Lodging and amenities seem similar to Skyland.
We pick Skyland because of the hiking opportunities. However, there are plenty of hiking trails at Big Meadows and all throughout Shenandoah.
Lewis Mountain Cabins
The final option for official lodging is the Lewis Mountain Cabins and Campgrounds at mile marker 57.5. We have not stopped at this location, but do know it is a little more remote.
Camping
Of course, for those the really like the wilderness there are several campgrounds. You can also get a permit for backcountry camping where you create your campsite subject to certain rules and regulations.
Visitors Center/Dining
The main dining options in Shenandoah National Park can be found at Skyland or Big Meadows. There are also several stores along the Skyline Drive where you can get gas, groceries and takeout food.
Most ranger programs will be at one of the visitor’s center or in the Skyland area. There are also some programs that will take place at the official campgrounds.
The main visitor center is the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center near the north Front Royal entrance. There is also the Byrd Visitor Center in the Big Meadow area. This is about halfway along Skyline Drive.
Hikes
In addition to relaxing and enjoying the view, the primary activity in Shenandoah National Park is hiking. The Appalachian Trail, which stretches 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine runs straight through the park parallel to Skyline Drive.
Of course, you can hike Shenandoah’s 100-mile section of the Appalachian Trail. However, most people will choose from one of the dozens of hikes.
Hikes we have done include:
Dickey Ridge Visitor’s Center Hike: Short loop hike near the north entrance
Hawksbill Mountain: Hike to the highest point in Shenandoah National Park
Whiteoak Canyon Trail: This trail goes from the Skyland area down towards the valley below. There are multiple waterfalls on the way.
Near Skyland Lodge we were going to hike both Stony Mountain and Miller’s Head. However, a rain and lightening storm ruined those plans. We did get about halfway down Miller’s Head before lightening scared us back.
Note that the most famous trail in Shenandoah is actually not accessible from Skyland Drive. This is the hike up Old Rag Mountain. The hike starts in the valley and you climb 2,400 feet up boulders. The National Park Service claims it is the most popular and dangerous hike in the park.
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