Shenandoah National Park Itinerary: What to Do and See
Marys Tunnel on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
Whether you have 1 day or a week, we have the perfect Shenandoah National Park itinerary for you!
Below, you’ll find essential things to do in Virginia’s only national park, with suggestions for add-on days, must-do hikes, and local attractions.
As with all of our content, the suggestions here are family friendly and are meant to get even your youngest adventurers outdoors.
Shenandoah National Park is a wonderful place to take your family for hiking, relaxing, and exploring.
Spend a day getting to know the park on a longer road trip, or plan several days as the park is a destination unto itself.
Either way, we’ve laid out everything from lodging to activities in this Shenandoah itinerary, so you simply need to head to this part of the Blue Ridge Mountains to start the fun!
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Shenandoah National Park: Best Time to Visit
Fall foliage next to Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park
Honestly, any time of the year is the best time to go to Shenandoah National Park!
During the spring, the weather is cool and perfect for hiking.
You’ll be treated to the explosion of colors in the park’s wildflowers, as everything from pink azaleas to purple violets blanket the hillsides.
The spring has lower crowd numbers as many families are still committed to school schedules at this point.
As the spring turns into summer, crowd levels build.
The crowds peak in late summer as families take advantage of school breaks, and hikers enjoy the warm temperatures.
Yet, this is a great time to visit as you’ll have the widest access to ranger stations, visitor center hours, and guided talks.
The fall might be the most beautiful time in the park as the leaves change in a riot of color.
If you’re driving through the park at peak leaf season, you will be treated to incredible scenery and lighter crowds.
Marys Tunnel after an ice storm
The winter see the lightest crowds, which is great if you’re looking for solitude in nature.
However, the park also cuts back services during this time, so you’ll have fewer options for ranger talks, visitor center hours, and park activities.
The weather this time of the year can vary wildly: one week, the park might be closed for an ice storm, while the next, temperatures might be steady in the 50s.
If you can plan to visit during one of those warmer winter weeks, you’ll have the place nearly to yourself!
NOTE: Shenandoah National Park has not gone to a reservation system for park access like others, but plan to get there early in the summer. You’ll find that the Skyline Drive is much less crowded first thing in the morning.
Dive more deeply into what you’re seeing and doing in the park with the highly recommended Shenandoah National Park tour on the GuideAlong App.
This app is our go-to when visiting national parks as the guide plays automatically based on your GPS location and doesn’t require a cell signal once the tour is downloaded to your phone.
You’ll get information on the park’s history, geology, wildlife, and more.
Since we can start and stop the tour as much as we’d like, it’s great for traveling with kids.
It’s like having a tour guide in your car with you—but at an extremely reasonable price.
1 Day in Shenandoah National Park
If you’re pressed for time, and only have a day to commit to the park, that’s fine!
You’ll still be able to catch glimpses of what makes this park one of the best national parks in the East Coast.
NOTE: If this is your first trip to a national park, you’ll want to read through my comprehensive guide to the U.S. National Parks for beginners, which explains in detail everything from how the Junior Rangers program works to how to nab accommodations in the parks.
1 Day Shenandoah National Park Itinerary
You’ll want to base your day around Skyline Drive, which bisects the park from north to south.
On this paved road, you’ll be treated to incredible overlooks of Shenandoah Valley, easy trail access, and multiple picnic areas.
Plus, you’ll find both visitors centers on the road side. Dickey Ridge Visitors Center is at mile marker 5, while the Big Meadows Visitors Center is at mile marker 51.
The Camping Kiddos at the Big Meadows Visitors Center
NOTE: Mile markers run from north to south with MM0 at the North entrance park sign.
If you only have 1 day in Shenandoah National Park, we recommend that you start at the North entrance—closest to Front Royal—and drive to the Big Meadows Visitors Center and back.
Bookend your drive along Skyline Drive with visits to the Visitors Centers, where you can purchase a souvenir, enjoy the free interactive exhibits, and get a park map.
Doing this recommended drive would take about 2.5 hours if you did it without stopping, but you’ll likely need all day to complete once you realize how many places there are along Skyline Drive to get out and look!
You can enhance your drive with a self-guided audio tour of the park, which highlights the park’s history, overlooks, and more.
Working on the TRACK Trail Booklets for the Fox Hollow Trail
Spend your day slowly meandering along Skyline Drive, pulling over at the overlooks which grab your attention.
You’ll likely have time for at least one short hike during your visit, and I’d recommend one close to a Visitors Center.
If you’d like to start off your day with a short hike, the Fox Hollow Trail is a 1.5 mile loop that focuses on the history of the mountains’ inhabitants before this area was a park.
You can access the trail just across the road from the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center.
If you’d like to do a hike midway through your day’s journey, I recommend the Dark Hollow Falls trail, which is within easy walking distance of the Big Meadows Visitors Center.
Both of these trails are on our list of recommended kid friendly hikes in Shenandoah National Park!
Complete your day in the park with a picnic at Elkwallow, which is about halfway between Big Meadows and Dickey Ridge.
You’ll find shaded picnic tables and restrooms right next to the parking lot.
With only one in the park, you’ll have to make some tough decisions on how to spend your time, but you’re sure to enjoy your day here.
Where to Stay When Spending 1 Day at Shenandoah National Park
Our cute little camper at Shenandoah River State Park
Since you’re concentrating your efforts on the northern half of the park, you should stay at a hotel in Front Royal.
Staying outside of the park rather than inside of it means that you’ll be able to get back on the road faster to your next destination.
Plus, a 1 day visit to Shenandoah likely means you’re passing through—and Front Royal has many more options for dining, gas, and other road trip supplies.
If you’re camping outside of the park, make a reservation at Shenandoah River State Park.
This quiet campground is less than 15 minutes to the north entrance of the park, and provides easy access if you’re traveling from Luray to Front Royal and beyond.
Thanks to its wide, wooded lots and easy access to hiking, we think it is one of the best RV campgrounds near Shenandoah National Park.
Shenandoah National Park 3 Day Itinerary
Add a few days onto the 1 day itinerary, and you have many opportunities to explore Shenandoah.
Instead of rushing to do both visitors centers in one day, you could slowly make your way through the park, focusing on each section in each of your 3 days in the park.
Adding on 2 more days also opens up the possibility of exploring the southern half of Shenandoah National Park, which isn’t feasible with only one day.
3 Days in Shenandoah Nationanl Park Itinerary
At the Jewell Hollow Overlook in Shenandoah National Park
During this time, plan to get your kids their Junior Ranger booklets.
We always find that we need more than a day to accomplish all of the tasks in the Junior Ranger programs, so getting these early in your trip is important.
On your second and third days in the park, plan to do at least one more hike each day.
If you have older kids, you can try a longer hike such as the Doyles River hike (MM82), which is just over 3 miles total, and has a beautiful waterfall at the end for your troubles.
For younger kids, aim for one of the shorter, kid friendly hikes each day.
On a warm day, plan to go to the Overlook Falls swimming hole!
This little oasis is only a few hundred feet from the parking lot at Mathews Arm campground (just past the ranger station), making it an excellent choice for families with young kids.
Mathew Arm Campground is located at MM22.
Add on a free ranger walk or two—these might cover anything from local wildflowers to nature-based art!
Check the Shenandoah National Park calendar before you leave, or ask about the weekly programs at the visitors centers.
Explore our full list of suggestions on how to have the best time in Shenandoah National Park with kids!
Where to Stay When Spending 3 Days in Shenandoah National Park
You’ll want to stay in the heart of it all by choosing a location inside of the park.
This way, you’ll spend more time hiking, exploring, and learning than you will driving to and from the park each day.
Both Skyland Lodge (MM 41) and Big Meadows Lodge (MM51) are conveniently located about halfway along Skyline Drive.
If you’re camping, Big Meadows Campground is a great choice.
You’ll be able to explore both the northern and southern sections of the park from these locations.
1 Week Shenandoah Itinerary
Ideally, you’ll want to spend a week in this area as this will give you time to thoroughly see the national park and visit the surrounding areas in the Shenandoah Valley.
In addition to the suggestions in the 1- and 3-day itineraries above, you’ll want to include more hiking and in-park exploration as well as a few day trips out of the park.
What to Do in Shenandoah for a Week
If your kids were interested in the Junior Ranger program, make sure they complete the booklet, ranger talks, and other associated requirements.
Watching them take their Junior Ranger oath only takes a few minutes, but it’s always adorable.
On your extra days in the park, ensure that you’ll have time to revisit one of the Visitors Centers to turn in the booklet and get the Junior Ranger badge.
If you have the proper equipment, consider taking a longer hike—even if you have younger kids.
A baby hiking backpack carrier like this one can go a long way in making a multi-hour hike fun for the entire family.
Thankfully, with a week in Shenandoah National Park, you have the flexibility to devote an entire day to one longer hike.
I’m a big fan of giving kids a reason to wander through the woods for hours, so choose a longer hike with a waterfall at the end.
Both Hazel River Falls (MM33) and Rose River Falls (MM49) have beautiful waterfalls on the trail, and both will take up most of your day, usually 4-5 at a 1.0 mile/hour pace.
If you’re hiked out, there’s plenty more to do in the park!
Younger kids will love the gentle pony rides at the Skyland Stables, near Skyland Lodge at MM42. Choose from 15 or 30 minute rides.
Kids 8 and up can learn the art and sport of rock climbing with trained professionals on Tuesdays and Thursdays from mid-April to late-October (extra cost).
Teens 12 and older can build on their outdoor skills with the day-long survival course or the map and compass course, which both leave from Skyland Lodge (extra cost).
Enhance your trip even further with nightly music or clogging performances!
Best Day Trips from Shenandoah National Park
Still need more ideas on what to do in the Shenandoah Valley?
If you’d like to venture outside of the park, you’ve got multiple options within easy driving distance.
Front Royal, Virginia
The town of Front Royal is less than 10 minutes from the north entrance of Shenandoah National Park, and it has an adorable historic downtown, where you could easily spend a few hours browsing.
While in town, grab a coffee from Main Street Daily Grind, then explore the cute stops along Main. There’s a toy shop, several boutiques, and an outdoor store.
Front Royal also has an adorable independent movie theatre right on Main Street if you’d like to relax for a bit.
Don’t miss Royal Oak Bookshop on South Royal Avenue. They sell new and used books in a maze of rooms—before it was a bookstore, the buildings were a private residence and a Civil War hospital!
Luray Caverns
Our daughter on the cave tour at Luray Caverns
The town of Luray is half an hour from Front Royal and the park’s north entrance and 15 minutes to the Thorton Gap Entrance State in the park.
While Luray, Virginia, does have a small downtown area, chances are that you’re spending most of your time in Luray Caverns.
This dazzling cave tour is filled with some of the most beautiful formations I’ve seen—and we’ve been to a lot of caves!
From towering stalagmites to a stalactite organ (really!), your family will be awed at every turn in the underground path.
The Luray Caverns property has expanded its offerings over the years, adding on a small-but-interesting car museum, an underwhelming toy museum, and a well-done Shenandoah Valley museum.
You can also grab a bite to eat at the cafe onsite or snack on the fudge made daily (only during the summer, though).
Shenandoah River State Park
Located halfway between Luray and Front Royal, this state park isn’t as busy as the nearby national park—but it provides several great hiking trails and river access.
The tiny visitors center doesn’t have much in the way of interpretive materials, but it is a great place to start a hike.
We enjoyed hiking from the visitors center to the campground along the Bluebell Trail, which parallels the Shenandoah River for much of the time.
Shenandoah River Floats
If you’re visiting during the summer, set aside a day to do a river float!
These are so much fun, and they give you the chance to see the Shenandoah Valley from a new perspective.
There are several outfitters in both Front Royal and Luray that provide tube rentals and shuttles.
