If Shenandoah National Park isn’t on your family’s bucket list, it should be! The park offers a wide variety of activities for all ages, such as hiking, camping, wildlife watching, and scenic drives. We had a great time spending the day at the park with our three boys and we would love to go back someday even if it was just for the incredible views from Skyline Drive. The day we visited, a storm was moving in so our views weren’t as clear as they could have been, but they were still stunning. We had to be flexible to get the most out of our day and the weather.
Entering the Park
To enter the park, it costs $30 per single vehicle and it is good for seven consecutive days. When we visited, we had a child that was eligible for the free Fourth Grade Pass. With the pass, everyone in the car may enter a National Park for free as long as the passholder is with your party. If you do not have a child in the fourth grade and you’re interested in visiting multiple national parks, you may be interested in an “America The Beautiful” annual pass for $80. Depending on which parks you plan on visiting, this may save you some money on entrance fees as well as other park fees.
Picnic in the Park
We were able to find a lovely picnic area near the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center which was perfect because the visitor center also had clean bathrooms and a place to wash our hands. There was a nice little tree lined path to the left of the parking lot that lead to a shaded area with multiple picnic tables. This was a great place to unwind and relax before our next activity. Our kid’s love picnic lunches with some special treats that we picked up along the way in Shenandoah Valley. We didn’t see any bears during this visit, but we did watch some deer wandering through the picnic area and they seemed completely undisturbed by visitors in the park.
Junior Ranger Badges
Our children enjoy participating in the Junior Ranger program and earning a special badge while visiting National park sites. You can purchase a Junior Ranger booklet in one of the visitor centers or print them out at home. We choose to print our booklets and have our children work on some of the activities before we arrive at the park as the activities can be time consuming (crosswords, matching games, etc.). By completing the activities, children can learn about the park’s resources, it’s historical significance, and how to protect these natural wonders. Once completed, children can return to a visitor center and speak with a ranger to receive their free Junior Ranger badge. These are unique souvenirs and fun to collect when visiting national park sites.
Hiking in Shenandoah
There are many family friendly hikes available in the park. We chose to do the Fox Hollow Trail which is a 1.2 mile loop located directly across the road from the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center. This is an easy walk through the woods with small inclines. We’ve already learned that our children are not interested in hikes, unless there’s something fun to look at or to arrive at during the hike. The Fox Hollow Trail has remnants of the old Fox family homestead such as rock walls and a cemetery, but it really wasn’t enough to hold our kid’s interest and they were bored quickly with this trail. Our youngest (four years old at the time) can easily do these types of hikes, but it was a particularly hot and humid day and he tired quickly and requested to be carried. We had to pull out all the stops to keep them interested such as frequent stops for drinks and snacks, encouraging them to listen to the different sounds in nature, pointing out interesting flora and fauna, and anything else we could think of at the time.
As we got into the car to drive Skyline Drive and find our next hike, the rain and the clouds moved in quickly. Luckily, we had gotten a least one hike in while the weather cooperated. As the rain ended, two of our three kiddos had fallen asleep in the car and we decided that they needed their little naps more than another hike that day. We continued to enjoy the drive and pull over when spots were available to take more pictures.
Here are a few more hikes that were recommended to our family, but we didn’t get to try:
The Stony Man Trail– This is a 1.6 mile trail loop. The trailhead is located in the northern Skyland parking lot (there are two Skyland parking lots). At the viewing area, there is a large area of uneven rocks with no safety rails. This trail is also popular and may become crowded at times. Be aware that there is poison ivy near many of the trails.
Whiteoak Canyon Trail– This is one of the most popular hikes in Shenandoah. There are several large waterfalls to view along the way that range in height from 35′ to 86′. The full Whiteoak Canyon Trail stretches from the valley floor to Skyline Drive at the top of the park. The full distance is approximately 4.6 miles one-way and has an elevation gain of 2400 feet. Many people only hike Whiteoak Canyon from the lower parking lot to the first waterfall, which is approximately 1.6 miles one-way and only about 390 feet of elevation gain. Be cautious on the trail as it can be challenging in places with some rocks and tree roots to maneuver around.
Dark Hallow Falls Trail- This kid-friendly trail is about 1.6 miles in total and leads to a beautiful waterfall. The first half is all downhill, then the trail follows a stream the rest of the way down. The trail descends for just over 0.6 miles until you get to the bottom of the waterfall.
Limberlost Trail– This is an easy 1.3 mile loop through flat section of the park with a nice gravel pathway for easier access.
Skyline Drive
Cruise along Skyline Drive and enjoy the amazing views it has to offer. Skyline Drive is the 105 mile scenic bypass through Shenandoah National Park. The speed limit here is 35mph, so be prepared to take your time (fun fact- it takes approximately 3 hours to drive the entire length of Skyline Drive). There are lots of places to pull over and take in all of the amazing vistas that Shenandoah National Park has to offer.
As the rain moved in, our views became hazy and at points it seemed like we were driving through clouds. This didn’t provide us with the best views, but it was still an extraordinary experience. Make sure you know what mile markers you’re interested in for your next hikes or for taking in the views because once we left the visitor center, cell phone coverage was sparse. You’re going to want to make sure you have an alternative other than your phone and GPS for finding directions and interesting locations.
Overall, there are many exciting activities to partake in at Shenandoah National Park. You could easily make a family camping weekend out of your visit. We can’t wait until our next visit to explore everything else that this beautiful national park has to offer.
If you’re interested in learning about more activities in the area, check out my blog post “Explore Shenandoah Valley on a Budget: Tips for a Wallet-Friendly Adventure“.
