Three Hikes in One Day in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park
Here are three hikes you can take on in one day’s visit to Shenandoah National Park, including a bonus secret sunset spot:
In January, I noticed I had a three-day weekend without any work obligations. Naturally, to me, that means an adventure needs to be planned. I set my eyes on Shenandoah, a place I spent a day in years ago and always hoped to revisit.
Shenandoah, and Virginia in general, often feels overlooked. A hidden gem of a place, like the New River Gorge in West Virginia.
I rarely have the opportunity to visit a national park in the off-season, and of course took total advantage. From Massachusetts, Shenandoah is a 7.5 hour drive, or about eight with a gas and bathroom break stop. I took the more scenic route through the middle-of-nowhere Pennsylvania to take advantage of the lack of traffic on a Friday afternoon start of the long weekend.
Since I was planning so last minute, I didn’t set any plans for my time there. My best kept secret for lodging is booking a cabin stay at a KOA. It felt meant to be when there was one vacant cabin left at the Harrisonburg/Shenandoah KOA. Of course I had to book it. With my rewards points, my three-night stay was very affordable.
These cabins are my favorite because they’re rustic chic. It’s a definite upgrade from a tent (or sleeping in my car if we’re honest), but it’s not lavish by any means.
After my long drive, I slept in. I prepared some coffee and breakfast on the porch of my cabin, and promptly ate it inside because it turns out, Virginia gets cold. Like New England cold.
I packed several layers thinking I would not need them, but ultimately used a lot of my cold weather gear when I went hiking. Always read what park rangers in Shenandoah National Park post about the most up-to-date information on alerts and conditions in the park. Skyline Drive can be entirely (or partially) shut down due to icy conditions.
It was time to make new memories in Shenandoah, so I embarked on a few hikes. Here are three hikes you can take on in one day’s visit to Shenandoah National Park:
1. Bearfence Mountain
I took full advantage of the off-season and arrived to the park before sunrise to start my day with the sun atop a summit. The best spot to catch sunrise is Bearfence Mountain. Here’s a secret: you don’t have to make it past the icy ledges to the actual summit for breathtaking, 365-degree views.
I was the only one in the parking lot, at milepost (MP) 56.4 when I arrived at 7 A.M. As soon as I turned off the ignition and crossed the road to the trailhead, I remembered this was the hike I did with my dad seven years ago. The one where I saw the momma bear on the road. A fitting mountain name for this hike. As much as I love seeing wildlife, I was hoping I wouldn’t come across a bear this time around.
The trail was icy, and as always, I’m racing against the sun. I made it up about .3 miles and around 275 feet of elevation when the wind really kicked in at one of the false summits. I was alone and cold, but couldn’t wait for the sun to rise.
The summit was a bit further out, along a little more of a rocky, iced ridgeline. I decided it was best to camp where I was and enjoy the start of the day from where I was. This hike is also one of the few hikes in all of Shenandoah National Park where you catch a glimpse of Skyline Drive from a bird’s-eye-view. I love a good road photo surrounded by nature.
But what I truly loved, was feeling like I was the only person for miles on this mountain watching the sun rise. Sunrises really are the best.
When I could no longer feel my fingers, despite my gloves and hand warmers, I headed down the same way I went up. Confident as always, I ate it on one of the last steps before I made it to the road. Just Shenandoah reminding me to humble myself.
2. Hawksbill Mountain
When you finish soaking up the first light to hit the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, it’s time to head to a Shenandoah favorite, rightly so.
Right off Shenandoah National Park’s main park road, Skyline Drive, is the trail for Hawksbill at MP 45.6.
3. Stony Man Mountain
As the day begins to near the late afternoon, it’s time to make moves to catch sunset. You have two incredible options for sunset: one is to hike up Stony Man Mountain for jaw-dropping views of the Appalachian Mountains. Another, if you’re tired (or short on time), is to pull over at one of the overlooks and take a hidden trail to a secluded ledge. More on both options below.
A great trail leading right off of Skyline Drive is Stony Man Mountain. The parking lot is at MP 41.7. I had little to no service in the park, so I relied on the park map provided to me by the park rangers upon entering the park, as well as downloaded trail maps from AllTrails. There is also a Little Stony Man, so be sure to go for the big guy. This hike traverses the Appalachian Trail, which I loved, because it again reminded me of home back in New England.
I would hike up Stony Man for sunset because it is short, has ample parking, and of course, the views.
Bonus Sunset Spot: The Point Overlook (MP 55.5)
If you’re short on time, or exhausted from a day full of hiking, check out MP (milepost) 55.5. Pull over and park at The Point Overlook right off Skyline Drive. You’ll find a stone wall with an empty space in it. Walk through that empty spot down the trail, roughly 300 feet.
You’ll be greeted with a rocky ledge all to yourself. I parked at The Point Overlook with two other cars, but neither party ventured on this hidden path. It’s definitely worthwhile, especially if you are short on time to run up a mountain.
Which hike is making it to your list? Would you take on all three in one day?
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Newcomers to Solo Hiking: 6 Perfect New Hampshire Hikes to Take on Alone
One of the perks of teaching is having the month of July off to travel. I spent one July a few summers ago living in southern New Hampshire with a friend. I was so pumped to live near the Whites, even though I had only hiked the Franconia Ridge a year earlier.
With my new proximity to the Whites, I set my sights on hiking. The only problem? My friend spent the summer working, so I was on my own. I had no problem traveling alone or exploring new places by myself, but hiking in unknown terrain with limited cell signal was not a habit of mine. How things would change in the coming years…
I didn’t hike a 4,000 footer once that summer. I was too afraid of the what if’s.
I look back now and regret how close I was to the mountains and how I didn’t take advantage of them. I did spend that July starting out what would later be a weekend regular: hiking alone in the Whites.
I researched short hikes that were clearly marked. I wanted to leave no room for error. Here are the hikes I did that summer (along with a few extras I did later on) that are ideal for first-time adventurers, low-on timers, beginner hikers, or short-on-hiking-pals trekkers:
Have you made it to any of these summits? Which ones do you plan to add to your list? Let me know if you’re going to tackle these summits soon.