In this post, I am going to share my top three favorite hikes in Shenandoah National Park. We are lucky enough to live about 1-2 hours from the many, many hikes within Virginia’s largest National Park depending on which part of the park you’re planning to visit. Shenandoah National Park is about 200,000 acres with the infamous Skyline drive being 105 miles long. Over the past several years I have been exploring as much of the park as I can. However, with over 500 miles of hiking trails I probably won’t ever be able to cover all the ground, but after exploring several, I don’t plan on stopping my adventuring in Shenandoah National Park anytime soon. So keep an eye out for updates!
Preparing to visit Shenandoah National Park
One important thing to keep in mind when planning your visit to Shenandoah National Park is that cell service is very sporadic, if you’re lucky. You can get service around some of the service areas – think, lodges, rest areas, etc. Otherwise, you should plan on not having any service for most of your time in the park. So, plan ahead. I recommend grabbing a map or downloading your planned hiking trails in your favorite trail map app.
I have not yet stayed overnight inside the park but a friend of my mine highly recommends staying at Big Meadows Lodge if you plan to do so. There are many short-term rentals available outside of the park and I’ve never had a bad experience going that route. Keep in mind that there the Skyline Drive is long with several enterances throughout the park. I recommend determining where you want to do your exploring in the park then planning where to stay from there.
Now, let’s get into the my favorite hikes in Shenandoah National Park!
#1: Old Rag Mountain Loop
Old Rag Mountain Loop is one of the coolest hikes I’ve ever done. I’ve done it twice now – once in the fall and once in the spring. Both times have provided for some incredible views and a sense of accomplishment that I’ll probably go back to again and again. This is an extremely popular hike so if you’re able to go during the week, I highly recommend it. As you make your way to the scrambles, people can start to get backed up since it takes awhile to work your way through each obstacle.
The thing that Old Rag Mountain Loop trail is most known for are the rock scrambles – they are so fun! You’ll start your hike at the base of the mountain. You don’t actually go into the park to start this hike. Instead, you will park at the Old Rag parking lot and pay your park entrance fee before getting on the trail. Before you go, be sure to check nps.gov to see if you need to purchase an Old Rag Day-Use Ticket.
Once you’ve paid your park entrance fee and shown your day-use ticket, you’ll be on your way! This trail starts uphill almost immediately. About 3 miles in, you’ll hit what they call “False Summit.” The name is apropos as you’ll see a beautiful overlook and by that point, you’ve been climbing up for several miles and you’ll probably wish it were the summit!
After False Summit, you’ll shortly start to scramble your way to the real summit. I like to think of these scrambles as an obstacle course of sort. At times you’ll be climbing vertical rock surfaces, squeezing your way through boulders, and descending down into steep crevasses. Sounds intimidating but they are super fun. I will say, however, that this hike is not for the faint of heart. And I highly recommend going with a small group. Both times, my hiking buddies and I were helping each other through these scrambles. Being only 5’1″, I was grateful for a helping hand from time to time.
Now you’ve made it to the summit. And boy, was it worth it! Easily 180 degree views of the Blueridge Mountains anytime of year are breathtaking. There is plenty of space at the summit to chill out and enjoy a nice snack or lunch while you soak up the scenery.
After the summit, you’ll start your decent back down the trail via the loop. Although the decent is a bit longer than the ascent, it’s much more gradual grade than the ascent, of which my knees were grateful for. Eventually you will hit Weakley Hollow Fire Road which will bring your back to the parking lot. Admittedly, the four mile hike down the fire road is a bit boring. Beautiful surroundings, but compared to the other half of the hike, it’s not very exciting. Perhaps have some trail games ready to play with our hiking buddies.
In a nutshell, if you are a hiking enthusiast and are visiting the Shenandoah National Park area, be sure to work this 9 mile hike into your itinerary. It’s challenging but oh so satisfying to complete. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
#2: Overall Run Falls via Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail
Unlike Old Rag Mountain Loop, Overall Run Falls via Tuscarora-Overall Run Trail less traveled but in my opinion, the waterfall at the end is truly incredible. If you can do this hike in the fall, I highly recommend it as there is a overlook at the end that allows for spectacular views of the fall foliage. Even better, go after there has been some rain to increase your likelihood of seeing a bigger waterfall.
The trailhead for this hike is about 17 miles headed south on Skyline Drive from the North Entrance (Front Royal) and about 15 miles northbound from the Thornton Gap Entrance. The most challenging part of this hike is that the first half of the trail is all downhill which means that second half is all uphill. This is true for many of the trails in Shenandoah National Park given that Skyline Drive runs along the mountain ridge.
Beside the waterfalls, my favorite part of this hike is looking up at the canopy of trees that shelter the majority of this trail. Aside from their beauty, they provide cover from elements protecting you from the harsh sun in the Virginia sun.
After about 2.5 miles descending down this trail, you’ll come to a fork in the trail, continue straight. From here you’ll start seeing the waterfalls on your left. Continue down another half mile to the tallest waterfall in Shenandoah National Park at 93 feet. At this point, in addition to the waterfall, you’ll see a stunning view of the Blueridge Mountains.
After you have soaked up the views of the mountains and waterfall, you’ll work your way back up to the fork in the trail. At the fork, take the trail to the right. This will take up the 1,500 foot incline back up to the trailhead. Pay attention to your map as you’ll need to take a sharp right onto Traces Trail to get back to Tuscarora Overall Run Trail to work your way back to the trailhead.
Although much of this trail may not deem to be very exciting, the view of the waterfall and mountains at the bottom make it absolutely worth it. Again, try to go in the fall and after it’s been raining. You’ll be glad you did!
#3: Hawksbill Summit Trail
Hawksbill Summit Trail is a short and sweet but steep trail to the highest peak in Shenandoah National Park at 4,049 feet. Being only 1.6 miles in length, this trail is pretty steep and rocky almost the entire way up to the summit. Being as rocky as it is, I recommend wearing ankle high hiking boots to protect your ankles.
Once you make it up to the summit, you’re not going to want to leave. This overlook is at the perfect angle to view the impressive vertical ridges that make their way down the mountain range. The park has built a stone viewing platform for your optimal viewing pleasure. There is also a shelter in case you get stuck in the rain.
This is yet another great spot to sit and enjoy a lunch or snack. There are plenty of rock edges that make it easy to sit, look out and get lost in the views. There is a way to make this hike a loop; however, I have only done it as an out and back. Either way, I think you’ll be happy you put this hike on your list for your visit to Shenandoah National Park!
Summary
Shenandoah National Park has so much to offer whether you are an avid hiker or just starting dabble into exploring the trails. These are just my three favorites so far that I’d recommend hitting while you’re in this beautiful park. I’ll be sure to keep this post updated as I continue to explore the park. But for now, these are my top three recommended hikes for your visito to Shenandoah National Park!