Just a few hours from several major East Coast cities, Shenandoah offers families a place to recharge.
Shenandoah National Park has long been a place of retreat for urbanites. Just 75 miles from Washington, D.C., President Herbert Hover even built his Radian Camp here (which you can tour) as an escape. The park is uniquely laid out – just one road, Skyline Drive, stretching 105 miles from north to south. The drive is meant to be experienced with a strict speed limit of 35 mph, so you won’t miss the 75 overlooks offering stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and possible sightings of wildlife including deer, black bear, and wild turkeys.
The road also provides access to scores of trailheads. Think of Skyline Drive like a curvy spine, sitting atop a mountain ridge; most all of the hiking trails descend or ascend from this road, providing your family with opportunities to experience Shenandoah on foot.
Cost: $30/vehicle; If you’re visiting multiple parks in the same year, consider the Annual National Park and Federal Lands Pass for $80.
KidTripster Tip: Stop at one of the two visitor centers to pick up your child’s Junior Ranger book and return it completed for a Junior Ranger badge. Also, make sure to watch the park movie so you’re primed for your visit.
What to do at Shenandoah National Park?
Hiking is really the main activity in Shenandoah. Hikes are rated from easy to very strenuous; know that even the easy hikes involve a hike downhill and then, of course, a hike back up.
The park is broken into sections, so I’ve made some recommendations for family-friendly hikes based on these divisions:
In the Mathews Arm and Elkwallow area, Hogback Overlook (Mile 21) is a good area for little ones to explore. It’s not really a hike per se but instead an overlook with a boulder area that offers the park’s youngest visitors some climbing fun.
In the Skyland area, Stony Man Trail (Mile 41.7) is a fairly easy 1.6-mile circuit that leads to views of the second highest peak in the park.
In the Big Meadows area, Dark Hollow Falls Trail (Mile 50.7) leads to a 70-foot waterfall. It’s just 1.4 miles (round trip), but it’s very steep, so it may not be suitable for small children on foot. If you’re interested in visiting more of Shenandoah’s waterfalls, click here.
In the Lewis Mountain area, hike the Bearfence Trail (Mile 56.4). This strenuous, 1.2-mile (round trip) trail has a fair amount of bouldering that will likely appeal to your kids, but do be careful of the steep drop-off.
KidTripster Tip: If you want to add an extra challenge to your hikes, your family can search for earthCaches along the way. Unlike geocaches, earthCaches are not physical caches but instead natural features. Here’s how it works: Set up a free account at geocaching.com. You then print out a specific earthCache hunt in Shenandoah from earthcache.org. Grab a GPS device and your camera, and you’re off! For more information, click here.
Rather than hiking, your family also can explore Shenandoah on horseback. Both 1- and 2-1/2-hour rides are offered from Skyland Stables, but honestly, as a novice, I’ve always found one hour on the back of horse to be plenty. Riders must be at least 4-feet,10-inches tall and weigh less than 250 pounds to ride. Cost for 1-hour ride: $50; 2-1/2-hour ride $100. Also wrangler-led pony rides for children (5 and under) are available for $8.
Learn more about the history of the park with a visit to President Herbert Hoover’s Rapidan Camp. Book a 2½-hour, ranger-led tour which includes guaranteed access and a 30-minute van ride from Byrd Visitor Center on Thursdays through Sundays from late May to late October. Tours can be booked six months in advance. Alternatively, you can make the 4-mile (round trip) hike to the camp along the Mill Prong Trail, but know there’s no guarantee that you’ll have access to the buildings. It depends on volunteer staffing.
Where to stay near Shenandoah National Park?
For a small national park, Shenandoah has plenty of choices when it comes to eating and sleeping.
Skyland(Mile 41.7) has 179 guest rooms, rustic cabins, multi-unit lodges, and modern suites. The dining room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Market Taproom features lighter fare. You can also order box lunches for a picnic.
KidTripster Tip: Check out the live bluegrass music in the the family-friendly bar in the evening.
Big Meadows Lodge (Mile 51) has 25 rooms in the main lodge plus 71 additional rooms in rustic cabins, multi-unit lodges, and suites. Here too, there’s a full-service dining room, New Mountain Taproom, and to-go options.
KidTripster Tip: At either lodge restaurant, order the famous blackberry ice cream pie. You can thank us later!
Lewis Mountain (Mile 57.5) has several rustic, furnished cabins with private baths and outdoor grill areas.
Elkwallow Wayside (Mile 24.1), Big Meadows Wayside (Mile 51.2), and Loft Mountain Wayside (Mile 79.5) also have food options.
There are four developed campgrounds:
Mathews Arm (Mile 22.1) accommodates RVs; no hookups, but there is a dump station; $15-50/night.
Big Meadows (Mile 51.2) accommodates RVs, no hookups, but there is a dump station; $20-45/night.
Lewis Mountain (Mile 57.5) is first come, first serve; no RVs; $15/night.
Loft Mountain (Mile 79.5) accommodates RVs, no hookups, but there is a dump station; $15/night.
Dundo Group Campground (Mile 83.7) is a tent-only, reservations-only campground for groups; $45/night.
In addition, our friends over at The RV Atlas podcast have additional recommendations outside the park. Check out what they have to say here.
Getting to Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park is a 1-1/2-hour drive from Washington, D.C., 2-hour drive from Baltimore, and 3-1/2-hour drive from Philadelphia.
KidTripster Tip: If you are driving an RV, camping trailer, and horse trailer, be sure that you will clear Marys Rock Tunnel (just south of Thornton Gap entrance from Route 211) with a height of 12-feet, 8-inches. Otherwise, you’ll need to exit and make a sizable detour.
Looking to get out into the Great Outdoors? Consider renting an RV or camper with our friends at Outdoorsy. It’s the Airbnb of RVs, matching RV owners with would-be renters. Use this link and get an extra $50 off your booking just for being a KidTripster fan! In addition, KidTripster will get some coffee money from Outdoorsy at no cost to you.
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