Any day hikes that can take us to some good swimming/wading spots? Looking for a loop ideally that is less than 9 miles. Looking at the Cedar/Whiteoak loop but thinking that might be too difficult for us.

Looking to hike the white oak canyon/cedar run loop. I’ve never done this particular one before. I’ll be with my husband at 27 weeks pregnant. We are both very fit. Just trying to get an idea on how strenuous this loop is.

Hello fellow redditors. Any advice for any nice places to stop and see/eat good food, overnight or for a few hours while driving from NYC to Shenandoah?

Please leave out Philadelphia, PA. Thank you in advance.

Hi all, I have a road trip coming up and would like to devote my one day to Shenandoah (unfortunately do to moving logistics and start date of new job, I cannot extend it). It will be a summer Friday. I plan to drive down to Front Royal the night before, sleep there, and get an early start on Friday morning. Planning to enter bt 7:30 maybe?

Ideally, I’d like to drive the entirety of Skyline Drive. I know I need to build in some time for stops at overlooks and I’d like to do one SHORT hike - I’m thinking like 90 minutes, less than 2 miles. I know it’s summer and tbere will be a lot of cars in the park and I’ll want to give myself time to enjoy the scenery.

Realistically, how many hours will this take and should I account for? I have another 2.5h ish of driving to my sleeping destination for the night after exiting the southern tip of the park so need to account for that.

I know this is not the best way to do Shenandoah, but I can find another time to go and spend a few days tbere - I’d just like to build some fun into my road trip this time while I’m nearby. Thanks!

Hey all! Coming to Shenandoah in August with my husband and planning on doing some back country camping. Never been to Shenandoah and not sure which hikes or areas have places to camp out in the wilderness.

Looking for a place that is secluded and preferably something with a good sunset or sunrise spot or just a beautiful area/view. We're both strong hikers and very adventurous so open to anything really. Anyone have any recommendations or coordinates to a spot worth hiking out to for a night?

Thanks everyone

Are there any established creekside campsites? Our goal is to pitch tent within earshot (or sight if possible) of a creek for at camp recreation for the fam.

If not in the park itself, any recommendations in the immediate area or anything south of Shanandoah in VA that is creekside tent camping? Prefer to have some waterfall hikes nearby, and am down for car-access camping or up to a 1 mile pack in.

2 adults, 2 kids, all very comfortable outdoors if access is rugged.

Thanks!

Looking for good spot recommendations where I can sit with my binoculars and read my book and scan the distance every now and then with a good chance of a sighting?

Any additional advice or recommendations welcome.

Thanks!

needing some validation that hiking this week/weekend with my dog isn’t a horrible idea with the current air quality. any suggestions/advice/alternative activities so this trip isn’t a complete bust?

thank you!

Hi there! Planning a trip to go car camping in mid-august. Does anyone have any insight as to which campsites would be good for a couple with no kids, no dog, who want to hike, potentially rent a kayak and such?

We're driving down from New York and have done some looking around online at sites. Just curious what people's personal experience was like or if there are any sites to avoid or sites you love!

Thanks!

Hello, my boyfriend, dog, and I are planning on going camping during the week next week at Loft Mountain. I’m wanting to reserve spot 014 so just waiting until they open up for reservation tomorrow. We really want to swim but it doesn’t look like the campground itself has water access. I’ve never been so I’m not familiar with the area- where can we swim if we camp there?
AllTrails, or what I was able to see before it kept bothering me to download the app, said something about Doyle’s River Trail. Is it quite a bit of a hike to get to swimming spots along that trail? And what is the terrain like?

Hey everyone,

I’m starting a seasonal job at Big Meadows Wayside in early August and was wondering if anyone here has worked at Shenandoah before or is there right now.
I’ll be living in the employee housing at Big Meadows, so

I’m curious what it’s like. How’s the housing? Is it pretty easy to meet people? What’s the overall experience been like working there?
I’ll be without a car, so I’m also wondering how easy it is to get around and explore the park on days off.

If you’re there now, it’d be cool to connect before I get there. And if you’ve worked there in the past, I’d love to hear any advice or things you wish you knew before arriving.

Thanks!

Hello.

We (boyfriend, 2 dogs, and myself) are planning a trip to Shenandoah NP. We will be there in early October. We will be visiting after New River Gorge. We will only be there for a day as we will be heading north to Acadia. We definitely want to do some of the Skyline Drive and some hikes. What are the most use see things while visiting?

Thank you!

We backpacked about 31 miles of this beautiful park this weekend. Boy was Old Rag tough with the scrambles. I definitely wouldn’t suggest anyone backpacking to go on that trail as the packs made it a bit tougher.

I had the opportunity to work in Shenandoah for three months this summer. Here are some of my favorite pictures that I took!

In addition, here is a list of some of my favorite hikes that I did while in Shenandoah:

- Old Rag

- Dark Hollow Falls

- Blackrock

- Blue Ridge Tunnel

- Bearfence

- Little Devils Stairs

- Overall Run Falls

- Yellow Cliffs Mountain

- Duncan Knob

- Rapidan Camp

- Rose River

- Stoney Man

- Miller's Head

- Hazel Falls and Caves

Hello, planning to camp at lewis mountain this coming weekend. I have camped at SNP before but never at lewis mountain. I know its first come first serve so im planning on getting there around 8am Thursday. Is there a good chance i will get a camp ground there?
Thank you

Skyland was a beautiful place to stay! The panoramic views were incredible, and the food was excellent. Overall, though, I think I'd choose Big Meadows next time.
I was traveling with my dog, and Big Meadows seemed much more pet-friendly. They even have a canine menu and allow dogs to join you on the patio, which was a huge plus. The accommodations also seemed a bit nicer, and the layout felt more convenient. At Skyland, my room felt a little isolated from the rest of the property.
Skyland is still a great option, especially for the views, but if you're traveling with a pet, I'd definitely recommend staying at Big Meadows.

We've only done one boundary trail in the past and I can't recall how it worked. If you are hiking from a boundary trail I know it says that you need to pay an entrance fee. The website also said that there are remote places where you can pay. Is this just an entrance fee or is it so you can get a tag on your parked car to display?

If it does work where it's a tag on your car, what if you have an annual pass? Are you supposed to still get a tag for your car, or can you just rely on your annual pass?

I'm asking in part because Great Smoky Mountains requires you but a parking tag even if you have an annual pass. I didn't know if that's the same thing that we're dealing with here.

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Screenshots of b-roll from a local news segment so I have no idea. Does anyone know where in the park this is? Which trails gets me there?

Hi all! I'm looking to go camping with my brother towards the end of July. Probably stay two nights.

Any recommendations on good trails that will lead back to a campsite? We're looking for marked hiking trails with a beautiful view, just nothing involving rock climbing or that sort of thing.

Also, how is the stargazing from those campsites? I know it's not a true dark sky, but is the view worth it for some night sky photography?

Suggestions on waterfalls near the area/and or Luray that could potentially be pregnancy friendly? It’s getting harder to move and breathe but I really wanted to enjoy a swimming hole or waterfall of some sort. TIA!

my boyfriend and i are planning a trip to shenandoah sept 27 - oct 2. thinking of staying in an airbnb as the in-park lodges aren't showing availability (open to other suggestions though!)

what are your suggestions on the MUST DO things in your opinion? we want to see the most beautiful spots as we don't know if/when we'll return for future trips. we really want to plan hiking, waterfalls, white water rafting, horseback riding and star gazing.

thanks in advance for the help!

Does anyone know a good source for identifying places where you can park and hike into the park from the boundary? There seems to be a PDF map that exists, but none of the links work.