This east coast national park offers some amazing hikes and views. Just two hours from the Washington D.C. area, it provides a great escape from city life. If hiking isn’t your thing, the Shenandoah Valley also has beautiful vineyards that are well worth visiting. There really is something for everyone.
Hikes to Do
Old Rag Circuit
Distance: 10.2 miles; Elevation Gain: 2,650 feet; Difficulty: Hard
Without a doubt, Old Rag is the most famous and most visited hike in Shenandoah. It’s no joke, though. You’ll want to seriously consider whether you are fit enough to make it to the top.
While the distance is long and the elevation gain is substantial, those aren’t the aspects of the trail that make it harder than most. It’s the rock scramble.
Before even starting this hike, plan your day accordingly. Budget 7-8 hours to finish the loop, and get started early. We got to the parking lot at the trailhead around 7:15 AM and were very happy we did. The modest-sized parking lot already had quite a few cars in it. Once that lot is full, you’ll have to resort to overflow parking lots that are a bit of a walk from the trailhead. Trust us that you won’t want to do that walk back after finishing your hike.
Starting early is also key to avoiding crowds. When you make it to the rock scramble (more on that below), you’ll likely encounter lines of people waiting to navigate the obstacles. From what we heard, these lines can last up to an hour at peak times. By starting when we did, though, we pretty much avoided lines all together. Granted, we did the hike on a Friday, but it was also Labor Day weekend.
As far as packing is concerned, bring plenty of water. There are no facilities (water, toilets, etc.) on the trail, so you’ll want to make sure you have plenty to drink and anything you need to pack out waste. Respect the nature and leave no trace.
The first couple miles of the hike are a steady uphill ascent through the woods. When you approach a fork in the trail, make sure you keep to the left. We recommend doing this loop clockwise to follow the typical path and avoid going an unintended direction through the rock scramble. Once you get to the beginning of the scramble, take a minute to relax and appreciate the views before getting started.
Speaking of which – we had never done a rock scramble before this hike. We honestly didn’t really know what to expect. We had heard that upper body strength was needed to make it through certain parts of the trail, but we didn’t really take it seriously until we were literally doing pull-ups on boulders. Honestly, though, it was super fun. We felt like kids again climbing all over the rocks. If you’re in decent shape and have shoes with good traction, you should be okay. Just take your time and be careful. Due to the remoteness and terrain of the hike, it takes a while for a rescue team to arrive in a worst case scenario.
Once you make it to the top, the scenery is spectacular. Plan to spend some time relaxing and enjoying the panoramic views of the Appalachian Mountains. There are plenty of huge boulders that make for great sitting areas, photo props, and lookout points. The area is also big enough to easily allow for social distancing.
The remainder of the loop includes a bit more scrambling, but it is mostly a steady downhill descent through the woods and on a fire road. The last bit feels way longer than it actually is. To keep it interesting, we recommend walking off the road to the adjacent creek at certain points to appreciate the water and take some photos of the rapids. Despite the lackluster conclusion, though, we can’t recommend this trail highly enough.
Rose River Trail
Distance: 3.5 miles; Elevation Gain: 843 feet; Difficulty: Easy
For a more relaxing hike, we recommend the Rose River Trail. We were pleasantly surprised by pretty much everything on this trail. The elevation gain is mostly gradual, so it isn’t too strenuous at any one point. There is also great scenery along the vast majority of the trail, as you’re walking along the beautiful Rose River and its many cascades.
Similar to Old Rag, we recommend doing this loop hike clockwise. About halfway around the trail, you’ll see the main attraction – Rose River Falls. While not the biggest waterfall, it is beautiful and has a nice swimming pool at its base. We didn’t dress appropriately for the water, so learn from our mistake. We definitely had some FOMO watching another family splash around in the pool.
As you approach the end of the loop, you’ll cross a bridge and see some steps to the left that continue to follow the water. Take this path. After about 0.2 miles, you’ll see the amazing Dark Hollow Falls. This tall, tiered waterfall is much larger than Rose River Falls and offers some shallow pools of its own. You’ll also have the opportunity to climb along the side of the falls to appreciate the views from different levels. Honestly, this little detour felt like a cheat code, as we had initially planned to do an entirely separate hike to reach Dark Hollow Falls. We definitely suggest you kill two birds with one stone and group the two waterfall viewpoints as we did.
Getting to this hike is a breeze, as it is accessible from the middle section of the scenic Skyline Drive that runs through Shenandoah. Parking is also plentiful at the trailhead, as there are a few side roads that have room for street parking. We had no trouble finding a spot despite doing the hike in the early afternoon on one of the park’s busiest days of the year.
Bearfence Mountain Trail
Distance: 1.0 miles; Elevation Gain: 242 feet; Difficulty: Moderate
Don’t let the distance or elevation gain of this hike fool you. Like the Old Rag Circuit, there is a rock scramble to the top that includes some tricky parts. You’ll want to make sure you have enough upper body strength to lift yourself on top of some boulders.
If you’re not worried about the scramble, we highly recommend this hike. It’s not very often you come across a trail that is only a mile long, offers a fun ascent, and has awesome views at the apex.
Like the Rose River Trail, you can access this hike from Shenandoah’s scenic Skyline Drive. Since it is a quicker hike, people cycle through the small parking lot quickly, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a spot.
Vineyards to Visit
- Veritas Vineyards and Winery: Out of all the vineyards we visited in Shenandoah, we thought Veritas had the best wine. The scenery is also great, as there is a large, open field overlooking the vineyard and the Appalachian Mountains. Oh, and the cheese and charcuterie boards are on point too. I guess what we’re saying is that everything here is awesome. If you visit one vineyard in the southern Shenandoah region, make it Veritas. Note that they do require reservations for tables on their patio, though. We had our own lawn chairs with us, so we opted to set up our own little spot under a tree in their field.
- King Family Vineyards: While we preferred the wine at Veritas, we have to admit we preferred the scenery at King Family Vineyards. It’s pretty stunning. The vineyard is set right at the foot of the mountains, so you can really appreciate the views. They also have polo matches at the vineyard, so getting to see the horses in the stable added a little something extra. Unlike Veritas, King Family is first-come-first-served, so we were able to grab a small table on their patio. Plan to arrive close to when they open if you’d like to do the same.
- Sharp Rock Vineyards: This small family vineyard is conveniently located a stone’s throw from the Old Rag parking lot. If you’re hankering for some refreshment after the long hike, stop by Sharp Rock on your way out to try some delicious white wines. The owner is super nice, and we also loved getting to spend time with his dog Doc. Such a very good boy.
Other Things to Do
- Skyline Drive: This scenic road through the national park is well worth the time investment and park entry fee. In addition to providing access to some of the park’s best hikes, Skyline Drive has a ton of scenic overlooks that offer great mountain views. If you’re short on time and can’t drive the full road, we’d recommend focusing on the middle section. There you’ll find the best hikes, the best views, and the visitor center. Our favorite viewpoints had to be Spitler Knoll, Two Mile Run, and The Point, which has an overgrown, narrow path leading down from the parking area to an even better observation point.
- Blue Ridge Parkway: If Skyline Drive didn’t satisfy your itch for scenic roads, take a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway. This famous road, which connects Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is free to drive and has a ton of great views. While each overlook is special in its own way, our favorite had to be Ravens Roost. It’s beautiful enough to serve as a spot for a wedding ceremony, as we saw a wedding party getting ready while we enjoyed the views.
- Chiles Peach Orchard and Farm Market: The perfect family-friendly activity! While Chiles is known for its peaches, they also have gala apples available for picking. They’re delicious too. Take a look at their website to see what’s in season before your visit. Assuming that apples are available, we highly highly highly recommend getting a slice of their homemade apple pie. A la mode, of course. This orchard represents a great change of pace from all the hiking and drinking in the area.
- Breweries: If you get tired of wine and need to change up your intake, check out some of the great breweries around Shenandoah. We really liked the beer at both Basic City Beer Co. and Seven Arrows Brewing. We will say that Basic City had a better set up for social distancing, so keep that in mind if you’re visiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another brewery in the area with good reviews is Blue Mountain Brewery. We tried visiting it on two occasions, but it was way too crowded. We can see the appeal, though, as the views from their patio seemed great.
Where to Stay
The answer to this question largely depends on what you plan to do while in the area. We moved around quite a bit during our three days in the region, and below are our thoughts on where and how to stay for each type of activity.
- Camping: If your primary reason for coming to Shenandoah is to hike, you should seriously consider camping. There are three primary campgrounds spread throughout the national park: one in the southern part (Loft Mountain), one in the middle (Big Meadows), and one in the north (Mathews Arm). While these campsites sometimes offer first-come-first-serve spots, you should try to make a reservation to be safe. Big Meadows gets especially busy due to its proximity to many of the park’s premier sites and hikes. If you plan to hike Old Rag, though, you may want to consider staying outside the park. The road leading to the trailhead is just east of Shenandoah, so you’ll save yourself some time by staying as close to there as possible the night before your hike. We chose to camp at Rocky Run Sustainable Farm Share, which is only 20 minutes from the trailhead. Overall, it was a good, private camping experience, but make sure you have a map downloaded ahead of time. We didn’t have any service getting to or on the farm.
- Hotels: If vineyards interest you more than hiking, your best bet is staying in one of the many hotels or Airbnbs that surround the national park. We would recommend choosing the wineries you want to visit ahead of time and then picking accommodation in that area. For us, we wanted to stay somewhere that was close to both the park’s entrance and Veritas. That led to us using Marriott points to stay at the Residence Inn Waynesboro, which sits right next to the park’s southernmost entrance. The hotel itself was perfectly fine, and we appreciated having easy access to both our outdoor and alcohol-related activities.
Happy traveling!
Kitrina & Jordan
