10 Best Hikes in Shenandoah National Park

Described as a spine of mountains running northeast to southwest through Virginia, Shenandoah is full of beautiful views, cascading streams, and fields of wildflowers.

Just 75 miles from Washington DC, this is the perfect getaway whether you have a day or more to explore. It also makes an excellent road trip destination if you’re driving along the East Coast of the United States. Check out the best hikes in Shenandoah below to get out and explore this beautiful National Park.

In this article we’ll share a list of the 10 best hikes in Shenandoah National Park with hiking distances and difficulty. You can also find information on the best time of year to hike and a map to help you plan you visit to Shenandoah. We enjoyed spending time in Shenandoah and did most of these hikes in April which was the perfect time to explore this park.

Quick Look Best Hikes in Shenandoah

What to Know About Hiking in Shenandoah

Big Picture of Hiking in Shenandoah

There are over 500 miles of trails to choose from in Shenandoah NP so there are plenty of hikes that didn’t make our list of the best hikes in Shenandoah that are still worth checking out. The park itself is oriented northeast to southwest with Skyline Drive running right down the center of the park. Many of the hiking trails are directly off Skyline Drive.

In order to get onto Skyline Drive, you will need to enter the park at the North, South or off route 33 that meets Skyline Dr. about midway through the park.

The hiking trails in Shenandoah are generally well marked and maintained. You will find plenty of rocks and roots on most trails, but the most popular trails are often wide and easy to navigate. When you are picking your hike, you will generally select either a waterfall or summit hike.

When is the Best Time to Hike in Shenandoah?

Weather conditions in Shenandoah are highly variable and it’s completely possible to experience snow in the morning and t-shirt weather by mid-afternoon.

Shenandoah can be explored year-round, but if you are looking for warmer temperature, the best time of year to visit Shenandoah is spring or fall. In the summer, you can expect hot and humid conditions, so if you are visiting during July and August you are best off hiking early in the morning.

The table below shows the typical weather throughout the year, but note that these are just averages. On our last visit to the park in April, we had one warm and beautiful sunny day, and one windy, cold and miserable day.

Can You Hike with Dogs in Shenandoah?

Shenandoah National Park is one of the few National Parks in the US that allows dogs on the trail. Dogs must be leashed and you will need to clean up after your dog on the trail. These trails are great for enjoying with your furry friend.

Map of Best Hikes in Shenandoah National Park

Best Shenandoah National Park Hikes

Here are our favorite hikes in Shenandoah. Many of these are short and you can do a few in one day, or choose one of the longer hikes in Shenandoah listed below.

Hawksbill Mountain Loop

Distance: 2.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 800 ft
Difficulty: moderate

This short hike is partly on the Appalachian Trail and is a short, but steep hike to the top of Hawksbill. The trail passes many waterfalls and has the benefit of both beautiful views and water. Make sure you finish the hike by taking the Lower Hawksbill Trail to make this into a loop.

Stony Man

Distance: 1.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 320 feet
Difficulty: easy

This is a great, easy hike and a perfect hike if you are with young kids or are looking to get summit views with just a short amount of walking. This is also a very popular hiking trail. The trail leaves the parking lot and eventually splits into a small loop at the end.

Little Stony Man

Distance: 3.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 800 ft
Difficulty: Moderate

We actually liked this hike a bit better than Stony Man. The trail itself is a bit longer and it was slightly less crowded. Since it is a loop trail. The views from the top of this hike are truly wonderful and if you time it right, this is a great place for catching the sunset (just make sure to have a headlamp to get back to the car).

Old Rag

Distance: 9.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,700
Difficulty: Difficult

This is the classic Shenandoah hike, and is very popular. Keep in mind that this is a difficult hike, but it is completely worth the effort. The Old Rag Hike takes you to the summit of Old Rag Mountain. The trail itself gains a lot of elevation, but since you do a series of switchbacks it is generally steep but steady.

Once your start to near the summit, you will be tricked with several false summits – keep a lookout for the Old Rag Mountain sign to make sure you get to the summit.

Due to the popularity of this hike, you now need to procure an Old Rag Day-Use-Ticket.

Bearfence Mountain

Distance: 1.0 mile
Elevation Gain: 250 ft
Difficulty: moderate

This is a fun little hike. The trail is easy to start with and involves a little rock scrambling for the last short portion. This is a fun hike for slightly older kids who enjoy climbing on rock ledges. Once you’ve reached the end of the hike, you can loop back around so you don’t need to downclimb the steep rocks.

Mary’s Rock

Distance: 3.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,200
Difficulty: moderage

This trail ends with a beautiful view at the end. Note that there is a fair amount of elevation gain with some rocky footing along the way. This is a great medium-length trail. Get to the summit early to watch the sunrise, or bring some layers and picnic and pack in a lunch.

Dark Hollow Falls

Distance: 1.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 550 ft
Difficulty: moderate

This is a wonderful waterfall trail. The walk itself is relatively easy although you will gain the elevation back on the return trip. This is a great trail to hike in the spring as there are lots of wildflowers along the way. This is a very popular hike but we really enjoyed it!

Rose River Loop

Distance: 3.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 875 miles
Difficulty: Moderate

This is a lovely loop trail that has multiple waterfalls along the way. We did the trail clockwise. In this direction, you begin with a wide trail that slowly descends down to the river. At this point, you follow the trail along the river with many lovely places to stop. The trail loops back uphill and joins the Rose River Fire Rd for the last part of the hike. This is a great hike!

Whiteoak Canyon

Distance: 9.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,400
Difficulty: challenging

This is another lovely hike, and a great choice if you’re looking for a longer waterfall hike. The trail is generally easy to follow, but does have rocks and roots and can be slippery in several places. The trail has many waterfalls of different sizes and several deep pools for swimming. The best swimming spots are near the lower falls. Since the trail is an out and back you don’t have to do the entire trail.

You Might Also Like:

Looking for other great hikes in US National Parks? Check out the National Parks Page for more information.

Our top tips on planning a National Parks trip in the US or our Guide to Shenendoah.

Some of our favorite East Coast Parks to Explore include the Great Smokey Mountains and Acadia National Park.