Hugging the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Shenandoah National Park is a narrow protected area encompassing waterfalls, rocky peaks and river valleys. It’s famed for the Skyline Drive and for being a part of the Appalachian Trail and is home to deer, black bears and a variety of bird species.

Follow the 169-kilometre-long Skyline Drive along the mountain ridges for spectacular views across Shenandoah. This Heritage-listed road accesses the park’s more than 800 kilometres of walking trails, as well as mountain biking and horseback riding routes.

Marvel at the 28-metre-high waterfall of Overall Run or photograph the series of picturesque cascades at Whiteoak Canyon. Birdwatchers can spot barred owl, red-tailed hawk and peregrine falcons while exploring the dense woodlands, while fly fishers can try their luck at luring native brook trout.

Getting there

There are four main entrances to Shenandoah National Park, with the Front Royal entrance in the north around 1.5 hours’ drive from Washington, D.C. The Rockfish Gap entrance in the south is a 2.5-hour drive from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.