Summer Weekend Escape- Shenendoah National Park Along Skyling Drive in Virginia

Shenendoah National Park in Virginia is a great summer weekend escape. This park has a lot to offer! It is less than two hours from the Washington, DC metropolitan area, the setting is serene and beautiful, there are places to stay overnight and eat right in the park, and there are various degrees of difficulty hiking trails, some of which lead you to waterfalls!

I have visited this park twice, and was greatly entranced by the scenery and wonderful views. I didn't realize such beauty could be found so close to home. The park is located along Skyline Drive in Virginia, which is about fifteen minutes off of Interstate 81. There are four different places where you can get to the park. One is at the South end, in Front Royal, one is at Thornton Gap, Route 211, a third is near Harrisonburg, via Route 33, and the final is at Rockfish Gap at Route 64 and Route 250. This park is actually only 56 miles from Washington Dulles (IAD) International Airport! Harrisonburg is fifteen minutes from one of the entrances, which hosts the Massanutten Resort and James Madison University.

When I visited, I had been staying at Massanutten Resort, and so entered the park at Route 33. It took about ten minutes to reach the park from this resort. As soon as we got on the road, I could see down to the valley below, and knew I was in for some beautiful landscapes ahead. The best time to visit the park in my opinion is in the fall, when I went. The leaves have turned red and yellow and orange, and light up the whole valley. The best time of day is right before sunset or right after sunup. The sun then cascades on the landscape and provides some beautiful sunset pictures.