If you’re looking for a fun and scenic trip, Shenandoah is an excellent choice. The park stretches along the Blue Ridge Mountains and features rocky peaks, waterfalls, wetlands, and diverse bird species. Visitors can also see deer, squirrels, black bears, and other wildlife.

Skyline Drive

The Shenandoah Valley is a beautiful destination near Washington, DC, featuring hiking trails, cascading waterfalls, historic sites, and natural wonders. Explore this scenic area with six popular activities. Take the scenic Skyline Drive for 105 miles of scenic views, and take in the fall foliage for a breathtaking experience.

Taking a scenic drive along the scenic Skyline Drive is a great way to reconnect with nature. The park is home to deer, black bear, and wild turkey. Many of these animals regularly cross Skyline Drive. Visitors can enter the park through one of four entrances, including Front Royal, which is easily accessible from Washington or Baltimore.

The Skyline Drive is 105 miles long and has seventy-five overlooks. This scenic byway connects most of the park’s major visitor centers and trailheads. It is also an ideal place to catch breath-taking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway or a family-friendly getaway, you’ll find several options on the Skyline Drive. Luray, a small town off the Skyline Drive, is a popular place to stay. The Mimslyn Inn offers a full restaurant and outdoor pool. Rooms are available with one or two double beds, or in a suite with a king-size bed.

On the west side of the Skyline Drive, Signal Knob Overlook offers sweeping panorama views of the Shenandoah Valley and the Massanutten Mountain, which runs parallel to the skyline drive. Further south, Range View Overlook offers spectacular views of the landscape.

Luray Caverns

Luray Caverns is a stunning cave system located west of Luray, Virginia. It has drawn visitors since 1878. The complex is filled with mud flows, columns, stalactites, flowstone, and mirrored pools. It is also home to various types of bats and owls.

Luray Caverns is a well-known attraction, and its rich history is worth exploring. A visit to the town of Luray is an exciting way to get a history lesson or to feel nostalgic. The nearby Luray Valley Museum features local history and artifacts. Other attractions at Luray Caverns include gem mining, rope adventure parks, a melodic bell tower, and a grand garden maze. You can also enjoy one of two cafes.

Luray Caverns is home to eight underground caverns that are stunning and unique attractions. Visitors can find temperatures of around 56 degrees below ground, making the caverns a great place to escape the hot summer or warm up on cold winter days. The caverns are also home to the largest musical instrument in the world, the Stalacpipe Organ. Visitors can play a tune on this organ by playing the organ’s keyboard with rubber mallets.

Luray Caverns is one of the most popular caves in the eastern United States. Visitors can enjoy cool stalactites and crystal mud formations. Luray Caverns also has an underground lake.

Dark Hollow Falls

One of the must-see attractions in Shenandoah National Park is the Dark Hollow Falls. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the park and it’s accessible for most hikers. You’ll find the trailhead right off Skyline Drive.

You can take a walk or hike on the 1.4-mile Dark Hollow Trail to see this magnificent waterfall. The trail is well maintained and you’ll see plenty of wildlife, including the common raven and ovenbird. If you’re visiting in spring, you can also see a gray catbird, red-eyed vireo, and eastern towhee.

The trail to Dark Hollow Falls begins in a shady forest, where you’ll find the waterfall. A gentle stream cascades over a series of rock shelves. The water gradually gets larger until it reaches the final drop. The trail has a lookout at the bottom, but the trail can also be hiked further to see the upper waterfall.

The first part of the trail is downhill, which you’ll follow for 0.7 miles. The first part of the trail will take you to the base of Dark Hollow Falls, which is a 70-foot cascade. From there, you’ll have to hike a short distance to the lower section of the falls, which is less impressive than the upper portion.

Stony Man Mountain trail

The Stony Man Mountain trail in Shenanoah is a moderate hike. It begins in a forested area and soon forks in two. A second fork goes up the mountain and leads to the rocky summit. This trail is dog-free. The views from the summit are breathtaking.

There are many viewpoints along the way. The trail also intersects with the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and provides a scenic route from Washington DC. The trail has some steep sections and can be slippery in wet or icy weather. Early to mid-June is the best time to hike Stony Man Mountain. The mountainside is also beautiful in the fall. Because of the lack of foliage, the trail offers more open views.

Stony Man Mountain is the second-highest mountain in Shenandoah National Park, and it’s the only one over 4,000 feet. From its summit, you can enjoy sweeping views of the Shenandoah River and the George Washington National Forest. A rock outcropping near the top also offers boulder-hopping opportunities and interesting photo opportunities.

If you’re a hiker, you can’t go wrong with Stony Man Mountain trail in Shenanoah. It’s one of the most scenic trails in the area and has a breathtaking view at the end. Whether you hike up to the summit or down, you won’t be disappointed.

Fresh blackberries

The Shenandoah National Park is famous for its blackberries. The thorny bushes are covered with tiny white flowers in the spring, and in the summer, the fruit ripens into juicy blackberries. The park celebrates this delicious fruit by hosting Blackberry Delight, an annual festival where local chefs prepare special dishes using blackberries. This festival also features live music, local crafts, and kid’s activities.

The Shenandoah National Park offers a variety of lodging options, from rustic cabins to elegant suites. You can stay in one of the Lewis Mountain Cabins, simple shelters without running water, to deluxe suites with private baths. If you’re looking for something a little fancier, try the Big Meadows Lodge or Skyland, two lodges that offer a more upscale feel. Either way, be sure to try the delicious blackberry desserts while you’re there.

Cidery

The Glaize family has been in the apple business for almost 100 years. Four generations of the family have run orchards throughout the Shenandoah Valley. In 2014, David and Phillip Glaize began exploring the potential of making cider. They convinced their father to plant 12 different varieties of cider apple. Since then, they have grown into a processing facility that serves both the wine industry and the cider industry.

The mission statement of Soul Valley is a fatalistic reality, but it is true: the cidery is aiming to reclaim the Shenandoah Valley’s status as the “cradle of East Coast cider.” They’re working towards this goal by making 100% organic cider without the use of synthetic pesticides, GMOs, or harmful fertilizers. The cidery is located in a vintage Airstream trailer that is only open by appointment.

The Shenandoah Valley offers beautiful scenery and many opportunities to explore the countryside. It is home to James Madison University and several charming small towns. The county is home to numerous vineyards. The cidery is a great place to taste locally-produced cider and purchase bottles.

Showalters Orchard is a family-run farm that has been in business since 1965. During the fall, they offer fresh-pressed hard cider to visitors in their Old Hill Cider Tasting Room. You can sample their original hard cider, Yesteryear, and Farmhand. You can also find a variety of seasonal and specialty hard ciders in their Cider Store.