r/ShenandoahPark

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.

Hi!! I love hiking and have been to Shenandoah once before. I did Old Rag, White Oak Canyon and Hawksbill Gap. Now we are visiting again with my 18mo son. Unfortunately we only have 1, maybe two days to hike as Shenandoah isn't the only reason we're going to be in VA. What should we do?? I loved Old Rag so much I'm considering doing it again via the fire road to avoid the rock scramble while baby wearing. But that would still take up most of our time. We're also interested in Skyline Drive, Stony Man, White Oak again... Help me choose! What are the most fun, rewarding without being overly strenuous hikes? We're in excellent shape it's just carrying around a 20lb baby for 5 hours on end does sound like a lot of there's other easier and beautiful hikes.

Has anyone used the FarOut app with the specific SNP map? Trying to find a better way to research trails with some good campsites for overnighters. I have a hard time going thru reviews on AllTrails to see if the trail I am looking at has decent sites. Is there another app or way I could look into? Thanks!

Booked a site at Matthews Arm this weekend but worried about the heat. Is the temperature moderately cooler than what the forecast is saying for Shenandoah? Aka, will it be unbearably hot or does the elevation provide some cool air?

We have never been camping in the park and are super excited, but debating if it is worth it with this weather :/

Edit: thank you so much for the helpful replies! We have decided to postpone our trip for a cooler weekend.

Hey all,

Planning on visiting and hiking up Old Rag this Saturday (coming in from out of state) for the first time! Been excited and looking forward to this hike for a while, but saw the weather advisory for thunderstorms, and was looking into any opinions you guys may have about whether or not this climb is safe.

Looking for a good spot in Virginia for a one-night camping trip. I’d love somewhere quiet, scenic, and more wild—not a developed campground with picnic tables and lots of people. , so any recommendations?

Hey! My husband and I are planning to do a weekend (2days, 1night) backcountry camping trip down Cedar Run sometime in sept or oct and I’m unsure how to plan for layers.
I know night will drop but I want enough layers to stay comfortable all day (going to Hawksbill Summit and catching some waterfalls too) while not carrying excessive weight if I can avoid it.
I have a long sleeve sun shirt and my felt-lined rain jacket right now but I was thinking of getting a quarter zip fleece or something similar for in between those two. Is that good or not enough?

Also I have a leg condition where I have to wear compression leggings- should I wear just those leggings or wear my hiking pants on top too?

Okay thank you!!

What do yall use for camp showers? Reading that the ones at Shenandoah are kind of expensive bang for buck wise

Hi! What are some trails that are the most tick safe (i.e not a lot of tall brushes/grass, has wide or paved roads, etc)?

Would like to hit the must see trails but also worried about ticks

Hello! Hopefully this isn’t too common of a question but I have basically an entire later half of a day free soon while traveling and am looking to drive part of Skyline Dr and stay in the area. For one person traveling alone, would staying at Big Meadows or Skyland or somewhere else make the most sense? Is one a totally different vibe than the other or have a major upside compared to the other?
Also… if I only have time to do one portion of skyline dr, would you suggest focusing on the section north or south of US-33/ Spotswood Trail? Waterfalls are probably my biggest draw.
Thanks!

Traveling to the Shenandoah NP area in July with two other families, 4 kids 6-9 and 6 adults total. Staying at a house near Massanutten Resort and looking for a kid- friendly hike to a waterfall and thinking of the following possibilities: Dark Hollow Falls, Lands Run Falls, Whiteoak Falls, South River Falls. Any favorites among those? Trying to combine a not-too-hard hike (probably better a walk for some) and a good waterfall.

If you have any other recommendations for the area for kids (besides whatever they have a Massanutten which I've looked into) I'd love to hear them! Thanks!

We're visiting Shenandoah NP for a few days next weekend, staying in a rental outside the park, and it looks like it will be really hot. We'll have our small dog with us and are looking for short, shady hikes/walks we can go on with her when temperature permits, probably first thing in the morning.
Would also welcome recommendations for other dog-friendly things to do in the area!

We planned to do old rag early morning tomorrow but it is currently raining and supposed to rain all morning. Could we start the hike afternoon? Would this be safe? We are pretty confident but don’t want to do something stupid.