Shenandoah National Park

Basic Information

Shenandoah National Park website

Date of trip: 03/18/2021 – 03/21/2021

Weekly car pass fee $30

Where we stayed:  AirBNB in Madison, VA, approximately 30 minutes from Old Rag Mountain.

Our Shenandoah Itinerary

Day 1: Luray Caverns

Day 2: Old Rag

Day 3: Mary’s Rock

Day 4: Dickey Ridge

Shenandoah and the Skyline Drive

Our first getaway vacation!  We decided to head south to hike as it was still winter and picked something within relatively close driving distance from home.  We did a Google search of the best hiking destinations in the USA and found Shenandoah.  We invested in hiking sticks for these long hikes that we were about to undergo.

Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935.  It is located on the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state of Virginia that rise to over 4,000 feet in elevation. 

The Skyline Drive is a 105 mile winding road that runs along the ridge of the mountains from the northern to southern part of the 300 square mile park.  It offers spectacular views of the mountains with 75 overlook points.  The Skyline Drive can be accessed from one of four entrances: Front Royal, Thornton Gap, Swift Run Gap, or Rockfish Gap.

The park offers over 500 miles of trails, nine significant waterfalls, horseback riding, camping, and biking.  Over 200 species of birds, thirty-two species of fish, and various mammals roam the park.  Aside from outdoor activities, Shenandoah has eight magnificent underground caverns.

Our plan was to hike all four days of our trip.  However, the weather did not agree with us on the first day.  It was raining so we dedicated the day to Luray Caverns and part of the Skyline Drive.  Please stay tuned for Luray Caverns in the next post . . .