Thanks to careful planning and a widespread appreciation for our beautiful landscape, America is filled with scenic drives. There’s one in particular, though, that sets itself apart from the rest. Meandering through the majestic Appalachian Mountain Range in Virginia, Skyline Drive offers viewers unadulterated views of gentle rolling hills and breathtaking mountainscapes. And the best news? It extends for the entire length of Shenandoah National Park. So whether you’re looking for a gorgeous road trip, hiking trails, or breathtaking overlooks, you can find them all in one convenient stretch. Take a look at the photographs below and you’ll surely be inspired to plan your visit to this immensely beautiful national park in Virginia.
Located just 75 miles from Washington D.C., Shenandoah National Park is the perfect antidote to traffic, hustle and bustle, and other stresses of the weekday routine.
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One of the park’s most unique characteristics is its establishment around Skyline Drive, a scenic route that immerses visitors into a world of cascading waterfalls, breathtaking flora, and the magic of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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On a clear day, the 105-mile stretch takes about three hours to drive through. This doesn’t take into consideration the overlooks and trails you may want to enjoy along the way.
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The park features 75 stunning overlooks, each marked with a sign reading your current elevation. These pulll-offs are the perfect place to enjoy the scenery and snap some photos without interrupting the cars around you.
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And if you’re ready to stretch your legs, there are countless hikes to delve deeper into the wooded surroundings.
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For a real challenge, you can hike the 9-mile Old Rag trail (Milepost 46), one of the most iconic overlooks in the entire park.
daveynin/flickr
Another memorable activity is to enter the park either as the sun is rising or setting. As you carefully meander down the scenic highway, you’ll be enchanted by the transformation of color.
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No matter the time of day or time of year, you can expect to be positively mesmerized by this memorable drive through Virginia.
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Curious to learn more about Skyline Drive? You can check out the National Park Service website here to plan your visit to this beautiful national park in Virginia. Keep in mind, though, that there is an admission fee upon entering the park. All proceeds help to maintain the park and enhance visitor experience.
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daveynin/flickr
To see more gorgeous footage from this corner of the U.S., be sure to read about The Breathtaking Drive That Will Show You Virginia Like Never Before.
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The OIYS Visitor Center
National park to visit in Virginia February 05, 2022 Sarah M. What makes Shenandoah National Park so unique? Easily the most famous national park in Virginia, Shenandoah is also one of the best-loved national parks in the country! Few places in the country are as breathtakingly beautiful as Shenandoah National Park. This scenic expanse of the Southern Appalachian mountains in Virginia is 200,000 acres of pastoral perfection. Photographers love Shenandoah National Park for its picture-perfect panoramas, but this national park is so much more than just a quick photo stop. With stunning and radiant scenery, Shenandoah National Park offers some of the very best outdoor recreation opportunities in the U.S., stellar hiking trails (including access to the world-famous Appalachian Trail), extraordinary camping, an abundance of wildlife, and, yes, some of the most jaw-dropping views in the country. Shenandoah is a true national treasure; a place that belongs on everyone’s bucket list. What’s the history behind Shenandoah National Park? The story of how Shenandoah National Park came to be is really quite remarkable. The western region of the U.S. is known for its bucket-list-worthy wonders, but you don’t have to head west to find remarkable scenery. This notion is how, in 1935, Shenandoah National Park came to be. You see, the National Parks Service is meant to represent the entire nation, and Shenandoah National Park is one of the stunning wonders of the East. In the 1920s, the National Park Service’s first director, Stephen Mather, recognized that his agency was too focused on protecting western lands and that these established national parks simply weren’t accessible for many people living on the other side of the country. Mather knew that something needed to change; after all, the West didn’t have a monopoly on magnificent places. The U.S. was full of beauty just waiting to be explored, and it was the NPS’s job to bring these wonders into the national spotlight. He first focused on the Shenandoah River region of Virginia and established Shenandoah National Park to shine the spotlight on this stunning and gorgeous valley – and we’re so very glad he did.
The OIYS Visitor Center
National park to visit in Virginia
February 05, 2022
Sarah M.
What makes Shenandoah National Park so unique? Easily the most famous national park in Virginia, Shenandoah is also one of the best-loved national parks in the country! Few places in the country are as breathtakingly beautiful as Shenandoah National Park. This scenic expanse of the Southern Appalachian mountains in Virginia is 200,000 acres of pastoral perfection. Photographers love Shenandoah National Park for its picture-perfect panoramas, but this national park is so much more than just a quick photo stop. With stunning and radiant scenery, Shenandoah National Park offers some of the very best outdoor recreation opportunities in the U.S., stellar hiking trails (including access to the world-famous Appalachian Trail), extraordinary camping, an abundance of wildlife, and, yes, some of the most jaw-dropping views in the country. Shenandoah is a true national treasure; a place that belongs on everyone’s bucket list. What’s the history behind Shenandoah National Park? The story of how Shenandoah National Park came to be is really quite remarkable. The western region of the U.S. is known for its bucket-list-worthy wonders, but you don’t have to head west to find remarkable scenery. This notion is how, in 1935, Shenandoah National Park came to be. You see, the National Parks Service is meant to represent the entire nation, and Shenandoah National Park is one of the stunning wonders of the East. In the 1920s, the National Park Service’s first director, Stephen Mather, recognized that his agency was too focused on protecting western lands and that these established national parks simply weren’t accessible for many people living on the other side of the country. Mather knew that something needed to change; after all, the West didn’t have a monopoly on magnificent places. The U.S. was full of beauty just waiting to be explored, and it was the NPS’s job to bring these wonders into the national spotlight. He first focused on the Shenandoah River region of Virginia and established Shenandoah National Park to shine the spotlight on this stunning and gorgeous valley – and we’re so very glad he did.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
Easily the most famous national park in Virginia, Shenandoah is also one of the best-loved national parks in the country! Few places in the country are as breathtakingly beautiful as Shenandoah National Park. This scenic expanse of the Southern Appalachian mountains in Virginia is 200,000 acres of pastoral perfection. Photographers love Shenandoah National Park for its picture-perfect panoramas, but this national park is so much more than just a quick photo stop. With stunning and radiant scenery, Shenandoah National Park offers some of the very best outdoor recreation opportunities in the U.S., stellar hiking trails (including access to the world-famous Appalachian Trail), extraordinary camping, an abundance of wildlife, and, yes, some of the most jaw-dropping views in the country. Shenandoah is a true national treasure; a place that belongs on everyone’s bucket list.
What’s the history behind Shenandoah National Park?
The story of how Shenandoah National Park came to be is really quite remarkable. The western region of the U.S. is known for its bucket-list-worthy wonders, but you don’t have to head west to find remarkable scenery. This notion is how, in 1935, Shenandoah National Park came to be. You see, the National Parks Service is meant to represent the entire nation, and Shenandoah National Park is one of the stunning wonders of the East. In the 1920s, the National Park Service’s first director, Stephen Mather, recognized that his agency was too focused on protecting western lands and that these established national parks simply weren’t accessible for many people living on the other side of the country. Mather knew that something needed to change; after all, the West didn’t have a monopoly on magnificent places. The U.S. was full of beauty just waiting to be explored, and it was the NPS’s job to bring these wonders into the national spotlight. He first focused on the Shenandoah River region of Virginia and established Shenandoah National Park to shine the spotlight on this stunning and gorgeous valley – and we’re so very glad he did.
