4 Essential Stops in SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK [4K]
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- in this video, I talk about my 4 favorite things to do in Shenandoah National Park, VA. This beautiful national park lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, about 75 miles west of Washington DC. The park is over a hundred miles long and as you could imagine, there are countless activities to do within this park.
This video was taken in the end of April, so you can really see which trees have leaves and which do not. As we hiked or drove down from Skyline drive, even just 900 feet would be enough to completely transform.
Additional Notes:
SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK
General:
One of the few national parks on the east coast
Established in 1935
Home to the famous SKYLINE DRIVE which is 105 miles long
Virginial mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains (part of the Appalachian mountain range), just 75 mi outside of Washington DC,
Land acquired through eminent domain. There is a long story there including claims of embellished claims local inbreeding
Parts of the park was used to train troops for WW2
5 campgrounds (some are first come first serve, and others allow reservations when in season)
3 lodges/cabins
9 major waterfalls to hike in and see - tallest one is 91 ft, but there are countless smaller ones along every creek
ROSE RIVER FALLS TRAIL / DARK HOLLOW FALLS:
Start at mile 49.4
Moderate difficulty, 4 mi, 910 ft elevation change
Hike clockwise to go down the rocky side (relatively easy) and then up the gradual fire road
You will also see Dark Hollow falls at the bottom and you can optionally add a quarter mile to hike up that waterfall
Cemetery on the way back
SKYLINE DRIVE
105 miles long, spanning the entire park
More than 75 overlook
Countless overlooks and pull offs to get the best view on the east or west side.
I recommend stopping at these all day to see amazing views, at sunrise, at sunset, and pull over to take a look at the stars at night
HAWKSBILL SUMMIT - start on Skyline drive pull off mile 45.5
1.7 mi round trip - which means you go up 520 ft
Very rapid ascent
Birds nest 2 - you can see Old Rag Mountain on your right
OLD RAG MOUNTAIN
You need to drive out of the park to get here
This does still require the park entrance fee, so be sure to stop and pay, or show them your pass
7.5 hrs (we did it in 6)
2380 ft elevation gain
Very strenuous - includes rock scrambling
9.2 mile circuit
Birds Nest 1 resides here - and you can see Hawksbill from the summit
Also, check out Audible for a better way to listen while you travel to Shenandoah! 2 FREE AUDIOBOOKS: amzn.to/2T72vA7
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WHAT GEAR DO I USE?
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My microphone: amzn.to/2VKR4kE
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My tripod: amzn.to/2IebL0V
Please comment below with any questions you might have. Thank you all for watching! I appreciate you!
Disclaimer: This video is purely based on my experiences, research, and opinions. You and only you are responsible for your actions. I made this channel to advise viewers and I truly hope to help you all out. I love making these videos and connecting with my viewers!
This channel is monetized via CZcams ads as well as some affiliate links. If a purchase is made after clicking the link, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to the buyer. Thank you all for watching!
#ShenandoahNationalPark #OBRTravel
To everyone who is reading this, you’re beautiful and an amazing person. Please exercise frequently and eat more fruits/veggies. I wish you all good health, great success, and everlasting happiness!!!!!!!
Nice documentary. Thank you for making a video about this state park in Va.
Everyone feels relaxed when they walk through nature, as nature has the perfect law of vibration.
I’ve never felt better eating only meat
I wish you the same my friend. 🙏
I just saw this video on youtube on my TV and decided to leave a comment here. Great video and well covered! We (family of four) visited this park from Mississauga, Canada in 2008. It definitely sent us back to the Memory Lane. We visited in July and the temperatures were as high as in 90s and on one particular day, it reached 100F. We remember a hike on a trail leading to three waterfalls one after the other.
Please remember to subscribe!
Video Correction: This park is definitely not 300 miles wide! I meant to say 3 miles wide! (average width, since the total park area is 300 square miles)
Native Virginian, and hiked Old Rag over a decade ago, very fun.
Shenandoah is such a gorgeous park.
I've been going to shenandoah national park every year since I was 3 months old. I volunteer every time I go there. Alot of the rangers have seen me grow up.
awesome :D
Instablaster...
I hiked Old Rag... This one is the BEST! Intense but super rewarding once you reach the top... videos do not do justice for this challenging beauty. You will definitively be in lots of tight situations. LOVE IT!
My first time going to Shenandoah was about 40 years ago. My girlfriend and I booked a cabin at Big Meadows Lodge and what an experience. A foggy mist shrouded the lodge and parking area and as we pulled in we surrounded by these old Rolls-Royce sedans from the 20's to the 40's. We saw Silver Ghosts sedans with lanterns on the sides of them. Unbeknownst to us we had booked our stay while a Rolls-Royce convention of old timers were there. We checked into our rustic cabin and lit a fire in the fireplace to warm up. The cabin was built in the 30'S during the great depression and was part of the "Civilian Conversation Corp" to keep young unemployed men working. It was what cabin should be like, simple but cozy. We dined in the lodge which is made of beautiful old American chestnut wood that was destroyed by a blight. In the dining room were elegantly dressed older couples of the Rolls-Royce group. The men were wearing blue blazer jackets with crests on them. They all looked like Alfred the butler from the old batman series. It was surreal. After dinner we went to the tap room and had some white lighting whiskey in mason jars and listened to some old country music. I miss those old times of being able to get away. No cell phone, no phone or T.V. in the cabin. You could just enjoy your surroundings and the person you were with. Doing day hikes ( Old Rag Mountain) and seeing the beautiful mountains and valley's below and then relaxing by a fire. I'm glad for the memories that I had visiting Shenandoah National Park, an American treasure.
I love going in the fall with my family and I love how you added Led Zep as your music,perfect.
I really like the trails you picked and I know it will help.😉
I remember driving Skyline Drive as a kid, we used to go to the park for a weekend every summer. It's been 35 years, time for a revisit.
Shenandoah....I'm so happy to have such beautiful mountains so close to home without having to go far.
I’ve done Hawksbill like 5 times now at various times of the year.. never gets any easier lol not even going back down because it’s just straight downhill switchbacks very rocky/rooty really easy to lose your footing & fall. But that view is priceless!
Great information and great video!! I have rented some of the PATC Cabins in the park. That is highly recommended as well. Rent a cabin, hike in, spend the night, then more hiking the next day. Good times. And most of the cabins are stocked with cooking essentials so you can cook right over the wood stoves.
Exelente lugar para ir un fin de semana!
Fuimos esta pasado fin de smena con mi familia y amigos, hicimos el circuito completo de Old rag.
Recomendado 100% !!
Thanks for this video. Very nice.
Thank you for sharing. Very nice. 🙇♀️
Thanks for watching!
I love the trails and thank you so much for sharing
Loved the video Mike and Ellen. You're easy to listen to and I look forward to more from you. I live about 45 min from Shenandoah and am there often. I have two young kids so it's hard to do the trails on your list but I Rag Mountain is on our list. Another short, but beautiful hike is Black Rock Summit. About a mile up and it's as easy as it gets in the park with a spectacular pay off.
A side note is that on the South end where Skyline drive ends and the Blue Ridge parkway begins there is another fantastic trail called Humpback Rock with a historic little farm at the base. one of my absolute faves for younger families.
Thanks again. I subscribed! =)
Thank you for your kind comment and hike suggestions!! I will be sure to check those out when I'm back there this spring! Happy trails :)
I did old rag this past weekend. It was fun and I did an out and back instead of the loop. Lots of people coming up while I was coming down. I went chasing the sunrise.
I’m going there in June! Your video has made me so excited!
Great info there! I was planning a trip to Shenandoah and wanted to do more than just the skyline drive. Now I know exactly where all to stop!
I'm glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the video. It looks like a great place to visit. 👍
Definitely! Thanks for watching!
Great video! Thank you. Really helped.
Glad you liked it! Have a good trip!
I absolutely love Shenandoah! I have family buried in the Cemetery along the Rose River Fire Road.
No way! I stopped at that cemetery! It was an amazing hike, and I didn't know there was a cemetery there beforehand, but it really makes you realize that people did live there once upon a time. So does that mean any of your ancestors were forced to leave their homes in the park?
Sadly yes, my family was forced to leave their life in the mountains behind and were forced to move down off the mountain into The Valley. Even though they were forced to leave I am still happy to share those same mountains my family was raised on.
@@derrickwood9749 beatiful story thank you :) blue ridge cabin home one of my favorite songs im out in the kittitiny mountains of nj but would love to visit shanadoah one day
I actually stop and visited it in one of my hikes.
I was there the last weekend is beautiful and awesome
Nice video and description. Thanks a lot for sharing
Glad you liked it!
I have spend two days and two nights in this beautiful park. So many nice place to visit.
Yeah it's a big park with lots of great places to visit. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for the great video. I wish you had more views.
Thank you for making this very informative video
You're quite welcome! I'm very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!!
This video was very useful ! Thank you buddy !
Thanks for watching!! :)
Really well made video! It was like the third or fourth result when I typed in Shenandoah National Park. I'll be there at the end of July. Thanks for your tips!
Thanks for the kind feedback, Jacob. I'm glad you liked the video! I'm sure it'll be even nicer when you're there. Everything was just starting to turn green when I went but now that it's summer, it'll be beautiful 👌
Great video. This is my hometown park. And I’m pretty sure I’ve met you on your visit too. First time seeing the videos and now subscribed. Great job
Good Video , I will be visiting this Park next week with the family.
Enjoy your trip! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video!
Thanks for watching!! I'm glad you enjoyed my video :)
The Big Meadows is where most people should go initially - sunrise, sunsets, deer, occasional bear, bathrooms, and there is LTE and 5G signal now up there. Close to Dark Hollows and a lot of overlooks. Kids can run around and play safely.
And the night sky view from big meadows
Excellent any views
Me and my family went there and spent few days driving and hiking along Skyline Drive, beautiful and amazing views! The hike to Stony Man summit is worth it, never to miss👍
Definitely an amazing park
E Basil V how many miles is stony man hike?thankyou
Hermoso. Lugar bro. Es Un encuentro con Dios por medio de la naturaleza. I see. All you video
i only got 1 day there. i be driving to GA. cant wait to see this park and luray caverns.
Thanks dude for making this video! I’m gonna take your tips and go out to this park
Thanks for the positive feedback! I'm glad you liked this video :)
I'm sure you will enjoy the park and now that it's summer, it will be even more beautiful than it was in the video!
White oak canyon has the best waterfalls and old rag summit is beautiful
Awesome video very very informative thanks OBR travels
Thanks!
Very good video. The narrator does a good job 👍🏻
Old Rag Mountain hike - definitely strenuous! You don't have to leave the park to get there. From the Limberlost parking lot on Skyline Drive, hike down the Old Rag Fire Road (5 miles), then climb Old Rag from the western side. Of course, after climbing Old Rag, you'll have to hike up Old Rag Fire Road to return to your car (5 miles on an incline).
A couple other notes:
1. Big Meadows campground is crowded and noisy.
2. I prefer Loft Mountain campground - beautiful sunsets from the first-come-first-serve sites and nearby Appalachian Trail.
3. FYI, I arrived at Mathews Arm campground on a Friday evening (May 14, 2021) and grabbed one of the few open sites. By the next morning every camp site in the entire park was taken. So arrive early if you do not have a reservation.
Enjoy!
Great views!
Absolutely! The park has some incredible views, and they are even better in summer/fall when the trees aren't just brown
My favorite trail in the park is Brown's Gap just south of Loft Mountain. Any hike with three waterfalls is amazing. I found it a little taxing, but you would enjoy it if you actually enjoyed Old Rag.
very nice video. good overview. Hoover Camp on the Rapidan is another good point of interest. Several trails to Old Rag.perhaps easier is one from Berry hollow out of Syria
Thank you!
Mary's Rock, Stoney Man, Bearfence. And not in the park, but west across the valley (through Luray) and up to the top of that ridge is a trailhead that leads up to a peak, maybe 3 to 4 hours round trip.
Going to check out Rose River Falls and Dark Hollow Falls for possible photoshoots! Thank you for all the info!
Thanks for watching! Dark hollow is a great spot for a photoshoot! I recommend going either early morning or late evening to avoid crowds for your photos... Or just use Photoshop
there are 3 campgrounds, and one group camp site...they all have first come options, and they all have reservation options open at various times of the year. During winter the camps are closed, and skyline is closed pretty often as well but is weather dependent.
Hey mike! Thanks for the video! I am thinking about doing those same hikes but wondering where to stay to minimize driving to the different hikes.
Just moved to Virginia. Stoked to get up to the park as soon as I can will definitely be checking out some of the stops you made!
Nice! It's a beautiful part of the country. I think you chose a great place to live.
Check out belle isle
Welcome to the Old Dominion. Where you living at?
I'm in the Shenandoah Valley near Woodstock.
Great video.
@ 13:45, what a knight in shining armor. :))
I rewound several times, but never found deer #1, though #2 was quite easy to spot. Maybe I'm blind in 1 eye, and can't see out of the other.
Yeah they're not easy to see. I digitally zoomed in a bit but still
absolutely you must do Mary’s rock in Shanndoha national park near Thornton gap entrance station lot for real because it’s the longer and steeper hike of the 2 Mary’s rock trails!!!!!
Shenodah is very crowed although it has some great hikes, I recommend going to GW national forest. Less people and some great hikes.
Great tips! Thinking about going in the fall.
Just subscribed as well.
Thank you! Enjoy your trip!
We go to Shenandoah National Park every year in the fall and have done for over 25 years. We prefer Loft Mountain for camping has it is less of a parking lot feel. You should try it next time.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll be sure to check Loft Mountain out next time I'm headed to Shenandoah!
I love shenandoah i love Skyland resort and all friends there.
Glad you put hawksbill. Its the highest point in the park. On a clear day you can see almost 30 miles
I just went back to Hawksbill a few weeks ago and it was amazing! Such a nice clear day, and incredible visibility!
Nice video
Nice footage , great tunes . Just drove the skyline today, it was beautiful .
Glad you liked it! This is a great time of year to be there too!
Have you seen Black Bears in the Park. when we you use to camp in several of the camp and picnic areas we would see black bears frequently. My parents and I also saw a mountain Lion kitten along one of the Overlooks. there are also three different skunk species we saw in the Park, the Spotted skunk, the Striped skunk and the Hognosed skunk. there are lots of deer, and other wildlife in the Park.
White Oak Canyon & Cedar Run👍
Old Rag Summit can be reached from Skyline Drive via Limber Lost Trail. The best way to do Old Rag is up and back down the rock scramble. Why wouldn't you drive the whole Skyline Drive? It's like 3 hours. The restaurants there are great. Turkey Dinner is the best. You should go in summer, cause there is one of the best natural water slides. Luray Caverns is a cool side trip.
Wait... I was deciding to go to either acadia natoinal park or shenedoah national park... and then both of the videos came on my recommended!
McaFee Knob has my favorite view in the whole park. Gives you a 270 degree view of the mountains
That’s not in Shenandoah, but it is a
An awesome hike!
great video for visiting Shenandoah! I am here now doing a few hikes. Subbed :)
This is the best time of year to be there. Enjoy! Thanks for watching!!
I lived in Luray many years so the park was right outside my house.
A beautiful place to live!
@@OBRTravel Loo-Ray
I use to live one light away from the entrance to skyline dr in front royal lol
@@cailin5309 Yep know it well.
Great video. Gonna do Old Rag one for real. Also, any good options of food for Vegetarians??
Anyone know of any 1/2 mile trails to any falls for older people?
Hey man I live in va beach and I'm planning to go here for the first time next month. I'm in really good shape I work out often but have never hiked seriously. Do you or anyone in the comments have tips on things to bring? Thanks!
I just went to hawksbill last weekend and good lord that walk up sucked lol 😂 I carried a huge backpack too so I was sweating in 90 degree weather
I grew up going to skyline drive.. I loved big meadows mostly.. my first trip there I was 4 years old.. so your young, they used to have a overflow area and that’s where we camped.. so many bear.. it was super fun a a kid
Sounds like some great memories!
Thank u
Easy sub! 👍
Loved the video! What was the background guitar? Sounded like Jimmy Page or Nancy Wilson. Sounded like the background music to a Cameron Crowe movie.
This park can be exhausting, be prepared. Some trails have little ball bearings(rocks) that make it difficult. Beautiful park, old rag and cedar creek canyon are awesome. Cedar creek has a great water slide. I wouldn't suggest doing all these trails in a weekend.
I agree! If you have more time, this park could easily be much longer than a weekend
Hawksbill from the upper parking lot is a lot easier and partly paved, if you want a less strenuous route to the overlook
Can you please share the musical that plays in the background?
Hello there, I’m planning a trip to Luray Caverns this month. What path should I take??? Also how long takes? Thank you for your video! Please Keep posting more videos of Virginia.
Make sure to check out some of the other caves. Luray is good, but way commercial Compared to the other caves in the area. Endless Caverns on the other side of the mountain was used as a speak easy during Prohibition. Hope your enjoyed the valley.
Im in Pennsylvania and gonna drive my motorcycle there and hike . definately gonna do skyline drive
You’re gonna love it man. Definitely a beautiful experience.
Recommendations for hikes with a 7 & 9 year old?
I like the natural bridge
Where is that rock you climb up located?
Hi! What kind of camera are you using for this awesome video?
I've lived in the valley my whole life. Cool to see others enjoy our area as well. My ancestors was one of the early families to help settle the area. I'm a bit of an amateur historian. So if you ever need some info let me know. My great grandfather was in the CCC as well.
Have you been to Camp Roosevelt?
If you say "Appa-LAY-shun" one more time, I'm gonna throw an "Apple-at-cha!" 😥😉 All joking aside, nice video.
I hear there is a restaurant somewhere with one wall size window, where you can enjoy the view while you eat. Can you talk about that in one of your videos? I want to go there, but don't know exactly where that is.
Lots of very useful information in your nice video. I am considering visiting Shenandoah in the second week of October 2019 and staying in the region for 8/10 days, hoping to find some nice Fall colors and atmosphere. My intention is to be based in Waynesboro VA and from there do day trips to the park. Any recommendations/suggestions? On an average when is the peak of Fall foliage over there? Thnx!
That will be a fantastic time to go! I was considering going some time in autumn as well. Perfect for skyline drive views
Pedro Collusso
Hike up to Humpback Rock and nearby Crabtree Falls.
I am doing a road trip through virginia, and I want to go along the skyline drive, but I feel like doing the full 105 miles (I believe at 35mph is the speed limit, someone correct me if I'm wrong) is a long way to drive that slow, does anyone have any suggestions on what portion of the skyline drive is the best?
Waynesboro to Elkton
Whiteoak Canyon Trail is awesome for advanced hikers! You'll pass by six waterfalls. Did it today in the snow and it was absolutely beautiful.
did that one yesterday. Can't move my legs today
Awesome video, very informative! I’m planning a day trip at the end of July. I will have a dog with me so very minimal hiking (if any) but I’ll definitely drive down skyline drive
If your dog loves car rides as much as my dog, skyline drive will be a great time! Thanks for watching, and enjoy your trip!
Awesome video, very very informative , thank you OBR Travels
It’s very dog friendly. But you might want to check with the ranger about any specific trail
Any tips going solo?
Don’t forget to mention it’s $30 for one car one week pass to get on the Skyline Drive.
If your into wild edible foods, you can look for morel mushrooms that time of the year you filmed the video. As long as the black locust tree hasn’t bloomed, once it does it’s too late.
That's a good point. I bought the annual national parks pass.
Also, I didn't think to look for morels! I grew up in Pennsylvania and we used to look for those every spring!
OBR Travel awesome! Have fun!
Thankfully I got that military national parks pass. #thankyouunclesam!
Just a note, Old Rag now requires a reservation. They did that due to overcrowding on the trails.
Well made video. When did you guys go, around Easter time? I am seriously considering a trip around Easter, not to sure it will be too early though..
Yep! But I think Easter was late last year. I believe this was April 26-28
Crabtree Falls and Humpback Rock
Crabtree is really awesome.
Great video! What did you use to record those videos of walking the trails?
I used a DJI Osmo Pocket! Link is in the video description!