The unbelievably thick forest of Shenandoah National Park is a majestic landmark, home to bald eagles and white-tailed deer, brown bats and black bears. Over 95 percent of the park is covered in trees, and the seasons bring a beautiful change in color for those who are lucky enough to visit during the fall. Hikers will thrill in seeing the waterfalls, wildlife, and wildflowers, and can even hike a portion (101) miles of the Appalachian Trail with the park. Skyline Drive is also an amazing route through the Blue Ridge Mountains, created as one of the first national park scenic drives for visitors early in its history. A short drive from Washington, D.C. (75 miles), East Coast visitors should definitely consider making a stop in this magical park in their itinerary.
Following our time in Washington, DC on our Summer 2020 RV Road Trip, our family spent a few days in Shenandoah National Park, just two hours south of D.C. We absolutely loved our stay in Shenandoah.
Our first day in the park was spent hiking Compton Gap, where the trail intersected the Appalachian Trail for several miles, leading to a gorgeous overlook that really showed off the lush vegetation of the park. It was a spectacular view, and we all enjoyed the moderate hike.
After staying the night at Mathew’s Arm Campground, conveniently located inside the park, we woke up and drove the Skyline Drive through the park to our hiking destination for the day. Our family spent that day hiking the White Oak Falls Trail, an almost 7 mile trail with a 1500 foot elevation gain. The destination of this hike at the gorgeous waterfall was a welcome sight, and the kids really enjoyed swimming in the swimming hole and playing in the waterfall before the somewhat treacherous hike back (it was rocky and steep, in addition to being wet at points). I was so proud of their perseverance that day!
That evening, we spent the night at Big Meadows Campground, also in the park, and Hayden enjoyed some chopping wood lessons from Dad.
On our way out of Shenandoah National Park, we were sure to drive another large portion of the Skyline Drive, which runs all the way through the park, a drive which provided many incredible views along the way.
