This summer we had the opportunity to spend a weekend in the Shenandoah Valley. Being Florida residents the Blue Ridge Mountains have always been a favorite vacation spot for our family. It wasn’t until recently that we were able to really explore the Shenandoah Valley area with our kids.
Skyline Caverns
We started off our long weekend with a stop into Skyline Caverns just outside of Front Royal, Virginia. Skyline Caverns has a 1-hour tour that takes you winding through a 54-degree cavern. We saw rare anthodites that were pretty amazing. In fact, Skyline Caverns has the largest and oldest anthodite known to man. We also saw 3 underground streams and a 37 foot Rainbow Waterfall. The whole family really enjoyed our tour.
Skyline Caverns is open most days from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Check their website for exact hours. Admission to the Cavern is $22 for adults, $11 for children 7-13, and free for those 6 and under.
Belle Grove Plantation
Next, it was on to Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Virginia. In the late 1700s, Belle Grove Plantation was built as the home of Major Isaac Hite and his first wife Nelly Conway Madison (sister of President James Madison). In 1864 it was the center of the Civil War Battle of Belle Grove, also known as the Battle of Cedar Creek. Today visitors can take tours of the Manor House and peruse the Ice House, Meat House & Blacksmith’s Forge, Teaching Garden, Outbuildings, Bank Barn, and the Enslaved Burial Ground.
Belle Grove is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Guided tours of the house are about 45 minutes to an hour. The house is not air-conditioned so take note if you are visiting during the summer months. It was quite warm during our July visit. Tours are $12 for adults and $6 for students 6-16 years old. They do offer AAA discounts. The plantation also has a Gift Shop, a small picnic area, a scavenger hunt for kids, and wonderful views of the mountains.
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP
Afterward, we made a quick stop into the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Visitor Center in Middletown, Virginia. It is very close to the Belle Grove Plantation. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and is free. The center is very small but has a lighted topographical Battle of Cedar Creek map that helps you understand all that went on that fateful Autumn of 1864.
The visitor center also has maps for the 17.5-mile driving tour that takes you to 9 stops around the battlefield. Because we were short on time we skipped this portion. After completing the auto-tours at Gettysburg and Valley Forge a few months back, we didn’t think the kids would get much out of yet another battlefield tour.
Dark Hollow Falls
The following morning we started out early with a drive into Shenandoah National Park to hike to Dark Hollow Falls. We had read that this was a very popular hike so we wanted to get started early. Instead of parking at the trailhead, we parked at the nearby Byrd Visitor Center and walked about 0.5 miles to the trail. Even arriving close to 9:00 am the trailhead parking lot was 3/4 full. After our hike, we found the parking lot overflowing with vehicles.
The 1.4-mile round trip hike to Dark Hollow Falls is mostly downhill with some steps and rocks. The last portion is pretty steep, but the kids managed it well. The return hike, all uphill, was grueling! We had to stop and rest often. Be sure to bring plenty of water and wear proper shoes. We saw many people headed down the trail in flip-flops or sandals. It was a sprained ankle just waiting to happen. Also, no pets are allowed on this trail. But we did, in fact, see lots of dogs. Please pay attention to trail rules. They are there for a reason. Even with the tough return, the falls were worth the trip.
Big Meadows
By the time we finished our Dark Hollow Falls hike, we were all hungry. A short drive later we pulled out our picnic lunch at the Big Meadows Picnic Grounds. There were many tables, some with grills, spread out across the area. We noticed bear warning signs so the kids were on high alert. We felt like this was a very nice picnic area, especially since it was so spread out.
Next, we drove a little further to the Big Meadows Lodge. I’ve always wanted to stay at a National Park Lodge, but our big family prohibits that. The Lodge rooms are mostly too small for our family. It was neat to explore the Lodge a bit.
Blackrock Viewpoint
From the Lodge, we hiked to the nearby Blackrock Viewpoint. It is a short and easy 0.4-mile trail to a spectacular viewpoint. Keep an eye on the kids here. There are steep drop-offs and no rails.
Byrd Visitor Center
The last thing we did before heading back to our hotel was to stop at the Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center. We have stopped here before but felt rushed. This time we had time to take it all in. This visitor center has a great exhibit area with even some interactive kiosks. It also has great views of Big Meadows. The visitor center is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you had to visit only one Shenandoah National Park visitor center this is the one I would recommend.
Fort Windham Rocks
Our final day in the Shenandoah Valley started with a hike to the Fort Windham Rocks in Shenandoah National Park. The trailhead is about 10 miles south of Fort Royal on Skyline Drive. It has a good-sized parking lot but no facilities. The trail to the rocks is an easy 0.8-mile round trip. It was a bit longer for us since we took the wrong trail at the intersection with the Appalachian Trail. Oops! It was nice to see more of nature. If you hike this trail, once you come to the intersection take the far LEFT trail. The trail is much thinner than the other trails and quite overgrown. Make sure to apply bug spray because you will be brushing your legs against many plants and there were quite a few bugs.
After about 300 yards you should see Fort Windham Rocks on the right. The rocks are deeply split boulders rising about 50 feet about the ground. During our visit, they were quite hidden among the overgrown trees and bushes. Use your best judgment on whether your kids should climb among the boulders. We let our kids climb on one boulder that was right next to the trail but were uneasy about letting them go far off the trail.
Dickey Ridge Visitor Center
Next, we drove back north on Skyline Drive to the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center. It is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and has restrooms, a gift shop, a small exhibit area, and a picnic area. This visitor center was a bit of a disappointment. Being the first visitor center in Shenandoah National Park as you enter from the north I thought it would be more elaborate. Like I said earlier, Byrd Visitor Center in Big Meadows is much better.
To end our time in Shenandoah National Park we drove south on Skyline Drive stopping at a few overlooks with great views. The kids got really excited at one point when we drove through a cloud drifting over the road.
Elkwallow
Our last stop of the weekend was at the Elkwallow Picnic Area to have lunch. The picnic area is located on both sides of a loop right off Skyline Drive. On the backside of the loop, there is a pit toilet and a trash dumpster. Each picnic spot has a table and a grill. Some had a water spigot. The kids were again on high alert after seeing the bear warning signs. The picnic area was unusually quiet during our visit. We didn’t see any other people. We thought that was kind of odd especially for a summer weekend.
Where did we stay?
Since we were unable to stay at one of the National Park lodges we chose to stay in Strasburg, Virginia at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. The hotel had suites that were perfect for our family of 5. This location has an indoor pool, free breakfast, an exercise room, and high-speed internet. It is very close to I-81 and I-61, making it a short drive to Shenandoah National Park and other area attractions.
Conclusion
You probably noticed that we did not drive the entire length of Skyline Drive. We did the complete drive back in 2018. You can read about it in my post, Skyline Drive and Upper Blue Ridge Parkway Roadtrip. This year was geared toward further exploration and hiking. We’ll be back someday. There is so much more to discover. What is your favorite thing to do in Shenandoah National Park?
- Skyline Drive and Upper Blue Ridge Parkway Roadtrip
- Mid-Blue Ridge Parkway and Congaree National Park
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I did not receive compensation for this post.
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