Plan Your Visit

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in Shenandoah National Park

Know before you go

 

Plan your visit to Shenandoah National Park, the only national park in Virginia.  Skyline Drive is the only road through the park, stretching 105 miles from Front Royal in the north to Waynesboro in the south.  You can enter Shenandoah National Park via four access points:

 

  • Front Royal at U.S. 340 near I-66
  • Thornton Gap at U.S. 211
  • Swift Run Gap at U.S. 33
  • Rockfish Gap at I-64 and U.S. 250

What You Should Know About Skyline Drive

It takes about three hours to travel the entire length of the drive on a clear day. The maximum speed limit is 35 mph. As you travel along Skyline Drive you will notice mileposts along the side of the road.  These posts help you find your way through the park and help you locate areas of interest. The mileposts begin with 0.0 at Front Royal and continue to 105 at the southern end of the park. For current road conditions or alerts, click here.

There are 75 overlooks that offer stunning views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the rolling piedmont to the east.  Wildflowers put on a show all year long – in early spring, look for trillium peeking through the grass. June’s display of azaleas is spectacular. Cardinal flowers, black-eyed susans, and goldenrod keep the color vibrant right into fall, when the leaves begin to change and put on their own fall foliage show.

Watch for Wildlife

Deer, black bear, wild turkey, and a host of other wildlife call Shenandoah home and regularly cross Skyline Drive. Watch carefully for these animals, which may dart across your path without warning.

2022 Entrance Fee Free Days

There will be fee free days in 2022 in all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee.

Mark your calendar for these entrance fee–free dates:

  • January 17: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.
  • April 16:  First Day of National Park Week
  • August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • September 24: National Public Lands Day
  • November 11: Veterans Day

Hazardous Weather May Close Skyline Drive

Inclement weather may necessitate closure of Skyline Drive at any time. For current road conditions:

  • call the park’s recorded information line: (540) 999-3500, press 1, then press 1 again 
  • or follow @ShenandoahNPS on Twitter

There’s so much to see!

So,  what should I do first?

We know there is a lot to see and do in the Park.  So we decided to create a seasonal top 10 lists for those who have only limited time. We asked park rangers to give us their best recommendations. Learn more about what they suggested: the Top 10 Things to Do in Shenandoah National Park.
Discover the Top 10