Auto Touring and Outdoor Recreation in Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park stretches 105 miles from Front Royal in the northeast to Waynesboro in the southwest, offering spectacular views and recreational activities across Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The park was established in 1935 to preserve the natural and cultural resources in the area. With the construction of Skyline Drive National Byway along the ridge of the narrow mountain range, visitors have access to thousands of acres of wilderness area to enjoy during all four seasons. Two of the most popular areas to visit within the park are Big Meadows and Skylands, two ideal places to use as home base with lodging, food services, and close proximity to visitor centers and other amenities. There’s also no shortage of things to do in the area— a short detour leads to charming small towns, as well as show caves, local museums, tasting rooms, and u-pick farms.

Travel Tip: Plan your trip for the autumn (September – October), when the fall foliage is the main attraction and the wildlife is extremely active in preparation for winter. Book your overnight accommodations well in advance, the parks are a popular getaway, especially on the weekends. During the Spring (April – May), the cooler temperatures in the mountains cause the flowers and trees to bloom a few weeks later than the surrounding valley. Keep that in mind, especially if you are making the trip to see the azaleas than line many sections of Skyline Drive.

Things to Do

• Traverse the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, making stops at dozens of scenic overlooks on Skyline Drive National Scenic Byway. The 105-mile scenic road provides access to a majority of the points of interest in the park, including trailheads, picnic areas, and visitor centers. With a speed limit of 35 mph, enjoy the journey and keep an eye out for wildlife.
• The park has two visitor centers— Dickey Ridge is located at mile marker 4.6 near Front Royal, while Bryd is located at mile marker 51 near the Meadows area. The facilities provide an abundance of useful resources to assist with your visit to the park. Spend some time watching the park film, looking at the exhibits and perusing the book / gift shops before continuing down the road.
• Shenandoah is an outdoor paradise with over 500 miles of trails, including over 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail. With 40% of the park designated as wilderness, it’s easy to get off the grid and enjoy the peacefulness of the mountains. For a bucket list hike, test your rock scrambling while summitting Old Rag Mountain (3,284 feet), the tallest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The trailhead for the 9-mile hike isn’t on Skyline Drive, but the effort is worth the satisfaction of making it to the top.
• Take a detour and get a guided underground tour of a natural cavern. See amazing rock formations at Skyline Caverns (Front Royal), Grand Caverns (Grottoes), Luray Caverns (Luray), and Endless Caverns (New Market). 
• Spend a long weekend in the park and book a cabin at Skyland Resort, Big Meadows Lodge, or Lewis Mountain Cabins. There are also five campgrounds in the park and 196,000 acres of backcountry and wilderness camping.

Wildlife Observation

The wildlife in the park is consistent with many of the forested areas along the east coast, but here there are over 200,000 acres of protected lands for them to call home. With a little patience at slow speeds, don’t be surprised if you spot families of black bear, a few white-tailed deer, and cottontail rabbits from the comfort of your car. The trails are the best place to see more diverse wildlife, including hundreds of species of birds, reptiles, and amphibians. There are also a few predators in the park—the best time to see bobcat, coyote and foxes are in the evenings when they are most active.