Guide to Shenandoah National Park

 

We were visiting family in Maryland and wanted to visit Shenandoah National Park in nearby Virginia while we were close. Unfortunately we didn't get to spend as much time in the park as we wanted to due to time constraints. We were also limited by the fact that we had two kids under two for this trip which just slows you down majorly. We just tried to embrace where we are in life right now and be thankful for what we could see. We loved the park and hopefully will get another chance to come back and explore. 

Things to know before you go:

1. Shenandoah National Park is long and skinny. There is a road called the "Skyline Drive" that runs through the entirety of the park. If you are one of those people who loves a good drive then this is the drive for you- it's 105 miles long and the max speed is 35 mph. 

2. Plan extra time getting to places within the park- yes the road is 35mph but often we got stuck behind someone doing 20-25mph and no one was using the turn outs to let others pass.  (Cue my husbands road rage)

3. There are 4 entrances to the park: 1. North Entrance (Front Royal), South Entrance (Rockfish Gap) and two in the middle of the park- Thornton Gap and Swift Run Gap. Depending on where you want to go in the park it makes more sense to drive on the roads outside the park to the entrance closest to where you want to go and then enter the park when you are as close as possible to make the best use of your time.  

4. It's $30 for a car to enter the park and it is good for one week. We have the National Parks pass because it is worth it for us with how many national parks we go to in a year. 

5. There are two visitor centers in the park. 

    1. Front Royal Visitor Center- roughly 5 miles after the Front Royal Entrance. 

    2. Big Meadows Visitor Center in the middle of the park- between Thornton Gap and Swift run entrances. Big Meadows visitor center also has a restaurant and gas station but we didn't check those out. 

6. Most of the hiking and other things to do in the park is in the middle section by the the Big Meadows visitor center. Keep this in mind when planning. 

7. The Appalachian Trail runs through the majority of the park- you could potentially see some AT through hikers depending on the time of year that you visit if you go on the trail. 

Hike: Upper Hawksbill Trail 

This is a 2.5 mile round trip with 520 feet of elevation gain. Hawksbill is the highest peak in the park at 4051ft. The hike itself was relatively easy with a steady incline. Very family friendly as well. The views at the top are stunning- although be prepared it is a bit windy. Would highly recommend. 

Things that we would like to do if we have the chance to come back: 

1. Come back in the fall. I've heard the fall foliage here is amazing- and I would believe it based on all the trees 

2. Hike Dark Hollow Falls trail- I really wanted to do this but we just didn't have time for it. It's 1.4 miles and apparently a bit challenging in places but very pretty 

3. Stony Man Trail- 1.6 mile round trip hike with beautiful views- again we just ran out of time. 

Manassas National Battlefield Park

If you have an extra half day or so in the area I would also recommend checking out Manassas National Battlefield Park. This is not a national park but it is owned and operated by the National Park Service. It is the historical site of the Battle of Bull Run- the first battle in the civil war. There is a museum on sight and it was fun to explore and learn more about the civil war. This is roughly 45 minutes east from the Front Royal entrance of Shenandoah National Park.