Visiting Shenandoah National Park
January 4th, 2025
Entrance to Shenandoah National Park
If you’re like me, you really enjoy visiting our national parks but can get a little overwhelmed with all of the options of things to do once you’re inside of the park. I thought I’d provide a list of activities I did recently when I visited Shenandoah National Park- I thought it was a great mixture of hikes and activities. Hopefully this will help you for your next visit to Shenandoah!
I flew into DC and drove straight from the airport (the drive wasn’t bad at all) and went through the Front Royal (North) entrance station. Be sure to check out the visitor center there and talk to a ranger if you have any questions or need some suggestions. I highly recommend walking around the facility to learn a little bit more about the park.
Front Royal Entrance Station, Shenandoah National Park
There are plenty of overlooks along Skyline Drive. Take time to soak in the beauty and check out some of these stops. Make sure you plan your trip so that you are in no hurry to be anywhere because I can guarantee there will be things you’ll like to pull over to see. There are a lot of deer by the road so keep an eye on them as well.
I did the Lower Hawksbill Trail around sunset and it was the perfect first hike for my trip. It’s 1.7 total miles up and down and was definitely a bit strenuous at times but the views are worth it. Park at the Hawksbill Gap parking area and you’ll see the trail right in front of you. There are several other trails that can be found from this parking area as well, if you’d like a longer hike. Hawksbill is the highest peak in the park and I can’t recommend sunset viewing enough.
Lodging- there are many options for lodging in Shenandoah National Park, which I thought was great. They have everything from cabins to a lodge to camping, so depending on how adventurous you want to be, there’s something for you. I chose to camp at the Big Meadows Campground and thought it was great. I felt very safe, which is always key for me as a solo female traveler.
Dining- because Shenandoah is pretty remote, there aren’t great options to “go into town” to grab something to eat. Instead, either bring your own food or enjoy one of the dining options available in the park. I ate at Skyland’s tavern (semi-separate from the main dining hall) for dinner and it was a good option for solo travelers. There can be a bit of a wait during peak times if you want to eat in the main dining area, so keep that in mind. The next morning I went to the Big Meadows lodge to warm up by the fireplace and grab some breakfast- that fireplace was just what I needed after a chilly night of camping.
Big Meadows Lodge
That morning I wanted to do a longer hike and the ranger suggested the Rose River Loop Trail. I really enjoyed this hike, as it followed the river for over half of the hike. To access the trail, park at Fishers Gap Overlook (or the small lot next to it) and walk across the street to the start of the trailhead. The Rose River Falls are gorgeous and the hike wasn’t too busy, so I found it very peaceful. There’s a short side hike a little over halfway where you can shoot up and see Dark Hollow Falls- I highly recommend adding that additional portion to your hike. Also, if you only want to see Dark Hollow Falls without hiking a lot, you can park at the Dark Hollow Falls parking area and take the quick walk down to see the falls.
Another trail that I did that is a short, easy hike is the Stony Man Trail. This trail can be found near Skyland- park at the Stony Man parking area. The trail is only 1.6 miles roundtrip and provides great views. It’s perfect for families and people of all ages but can be a little busy.
A few other trails that the ranger suggested to me that unfortunately I didn’t have time to do were the Limberlost Trail (1.3 miles) and the Bearfence Loop Trail (1.8 miles). I’ll have to come back to visit Shenandoah again and check those out next time, as well as more of the south side of the park.
Overall I really enjoyed this national park, as it was east coast hiking vibes that I’m used to. I really felt like it had many options for people of all ages, which isn’t always the case at other parks. 10/10 highly recommend Shenandoah National Park, especially in the fall!
