Top Trails: Shenandoah National Park. Johnny Molloy
your Shenandoah experience, but as the subtitle suggests, there are some must-do popular hikes. Consequently, a few hikes traverse popular and potentially crowded areas. Each hike lists a Best Time that will help you manage the trails to your advantage.
Classic hikes, such as Old Rag and the falls of Whiteoak Canyon, along with seldom-visited gems, such as Piney River Falls and Furnace Mountain, are represented. Though the latter are not as well known, they offer more solitude than and equally scenic sights as the more popular hikes so that you can discover Shenandoah on your own terms.
Often, park sightseers pick a hike randomly without knowing where it will lead, or they follow the crowds wherever they go. Many times, I’ve been stopped with the question, “What’s down this trail?” Choosing a hike at random in Shenandoah, where many trails drop steeply off the Blue Ridge, may result in a disappointing trip followed by a rigorous return to the car with little reward to show for your effort. This guide provides easy means to find hikes to suit your desires.
This book features two types of hikes: out-and-back and loop. Out-and-back hikes lead to a particularly rewarding destination and return you to the start on the same trail. The return trip allows you to see everything from the opposite vantage point. You may notice more minute trailside features the second go-round. Returning at a different time of day may give the same trail a surprisingly different character. For some hikers, though, returning on the same trail simply isn’t enjoyable when 500 additional miles of Shenandoah trails await them. For these hikers, the loops provide a great alternative.
Day hiking is the best and most popular way to break into the Shenandoah wilderness—Shenandoah, in fact, is one of the finest day-hiking parks in our country. But those with the inclination to see the mountain cycle from day to night and back again can enjoy many of these hikes, too. Some of the latest hike additions are longer loops ideal for backpacking, but if you plan to hike overnight, you should be aware of the park’s backcountry-camping regulations (see page 6) and practice Leave No Trace wilderness use (see “Trail Etiquette,”).
When you tour Shenandoah, you may find it tempting to remain in your car and enjoy the sights along Skyline Drive. While auto touring allows an overview of the park, vehicles create a barrier between you and the wilderness beyond. “Windshield tourists” hoping to observe wildlife often end up observing only the cars around them. While overlooks avail easy views, the hassle of driving, the drone of the car engine, and the lack of effort in reaching the views can make them less than inspirational.
Shenandoah is great for hiking. The wilderness experience can unleash your mind and body, allowing you to relax and find peace and quiet. It also enables you to grasp beauty and splendor: a white-quartz outcrop with a window overlooking the patchwork valley below, a bobcat disappearing into a laurel thicket, or a snow-covered clearing marking an old homestead. On these protected lands, you can let your mind roam where it pleases, something you simply can’t do in a climate-controlled automobile. Hiking is the best way to enjoy this special preserve, so get out and enjoy Shenandoah!
Shenandoah National Park: An Overview
Getting There and Getting Around
Bounded by I-66 to the north and I-64 to the south, Shenandoah National Park is located in northwestern Virginia, about 70 miles west of Washington, DC; 93 miles west of Richmond; and 24 miles west of Charlottesville.
To reach the Front Royal entrance at the northern end of the park, take Exit 6 off of I-66 onto US 340/US 522, heading south through the town of Front Royal. Drive 4.2 miles and turn left (south) onto Skyline Drive, the main thoroughfare through the park. GPS: N38° 54.344' W78° 11.917'.
To reach the Rockfish Gap entrance at the southern end of the park, take Exit 99 off of westbound I-64 onto US 250, follow the signs 0.3 mile south and east to Skyline Drive, and turn left (north) to enter the park. GPS: N38° 02.026' W78° 51.541'.
The Thornton Gap entrance is just north of Lee Highway/US 211, inside the northern third of the park (GPS: N38° 39.658' W78° 19.246'), and the Swift Run Gap entrance is just off Spotswood Trail/US 33, on the park’s western edge (GPS: N38° 21.970' W78° 34.732'). The Swift Run Gap entrance is also the only one with a physical address: 22591 Spotswood Trail, Elkton, VA 22827.
For detailed driving directions, along with Google maps that you can use to create your own directions, visit nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/directions.htm.
The park is technically open year-round, although certain facilities are open only seasonally. Entrance fees vary depending on the type of vehicle; visitors under age 16 are admitted free. Check before you go for the latest information on operating hours and admission prices: 540-999-3500, nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit.
Skyline Drive bisects the park from north to south along its 105-mile length. Mileposts along the way mark important landmarks; all park maps and informational materials use these mileposts as a reference. A driving map of the entire park is available at nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/upload/whole_park.pdf. Note that the speed limit on Skyline Drive is 35 miles per hour.
Lodging
Hotel-style accommodations are available at Skyland Resort (milepost 41.7) and Big Meadows Lodge (milepost 51.2). Lewis Mountain Cabins (milepost 57.5) are more rustic than the two lodges (which also offer dining and entertainment) but more luxurious than the backcountry cabins maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (see next page). For reservations and additional information, call 877-247-9261 or visit www.goshenandoah.com/lodging.
Waysides
A unique Shenandoah amenity, a wayside is a combination convenience store, camping-supply store, restaurant, and gift shop. The park has three waysides: the Elkwallow Wayside at milepost 24.1, the Big Meadows Wayside at milepost 51.2 (which also sells gasoline), and the Loft Mountain Wayside at milepost 79.5. For hours and additional information, visit www.goshenandoah.com/dining/food-groceries.
Camping
Developed (frontcountry) camping is available at the park’s five official campgrounds. See nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm for details. Stay limits are 14 consecutive nights in season and 30 consecutive nights in the off-season.
Backpackers must obtain a free backcountry permit to camp overnight in the wilds of Shenandoah. Permits can be obtained at the following places during business hours, starting at the north end of the park:
Front Royal Entrance Station, milepost 0.6 on Skyline Drive
Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, milepost 4.6 on Skyline Drive
Panorama, milepost 31.6 on Skyline Drive
Old Rag Fee Station, off Nethers Road/VA 600 on the eastern edge of the park (GPS: N38° 34.297' W78° 17.346')
Big Meadows, milepost 51.2 on Skyline Drive
Swift Run Gap Entrance Station, milepost 65.7 on Skyline Drive
Loft