Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Shenandoah National Park

As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule. Or you can use our trip planners for our suggestions on half, full or multi day itineraries. Some of the many highlights are listed below;

It may be stating the obvious, but driving the beautiful Skyline Drive is the primary reason for many people's visit. There are many excellent vistas and overlooks to enjoy along the way, with most requiring no more than stepping out of your vehicle to capture that fantastic photo. Because there are so many great overlooks, we won't talk about all of them on the tour - we'd never get to the end of the drive, but we will be sure to let you know which ones are the best and ones that offer a unique perspective. But above all, enjoy the simple scenic pleasure of this gorgeous drive. Take your time and soak it all in!

Looking for a challenging hike? This is one of the Northern District’s most unique features - and full of history. The stairs are a series of natural formations found throughout a narrow, seemingly hand-carved gorge. While they may look almost man-made, no one, not even the Native Americans who were here long before any European settlers, lay claim to shaping them. It’s one of the park’s more popular attractions, so expect a crowded parking lot.

The most haunted place in Shenandoah sits just off the road, a place where you can hear footsteps outside when no one else is around and possibly glimpse a white figure in the woods who is said to vanish if approached. This is Corbin Cabin and even if you don’t believe, it’s a unique site with a story behind it that dates back to before the creation of the park.

When you think of Shenandoah, a vacation resort probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. And yet, there is one here still operating, hidden in the middle of the woods at the highest point along Skyline Drive. Built in 1906, Skyland Resort has played host to numerous elaborate balls, musicals, tournaments and pageants over the years and the cabins, dining halls and recreation halls are all still active. Today, twelve historic Skyland structures remain and you can experience what life was like at the turn of the 20th century. You can stay here, or simply walk through the resort and soak in its history.

This is the most popular attraction in the park, with unquestionably some of the best hikes - though the Circuit is a favorite and requires a 6 hour commitment for most. Here you can hike across rock scrambles, take in 360-degree views of Shenandoah, and see endangered plants and animals. So why’s it called Old Rag? Well, early European explorers thought the exposed granite at and around the summit looked like an old rag and there you have it - the name stuck. Old Rag Mountain Day-Use Ticket: From March - November all visitors to Old Rag Mountain require a day-use ticket, including hikers on the Saddle, Ridge and Ridge Access trails. This is a pilot project that will be reviewed.

Right across the road from Big Meadows is another place worth stopping. The Byrd Visitor Center is equal parts museum, travel guide, hotel and restaurant. You can find exhibits inside on everything from the park’s history to the animal residents, plot out what trails you’d like to explore, or even stay the night on the Skyline Drive in comfort at the hotel. Kids especially will enjoy some of the exhibits, with artifacts from both humans and animals on display.

This is the park’s halfway point and this high-elevation meadow is a chance to see a wide variety of animals. Big Meadows is a feeding ground for everything from black bears to bobcats, with deer and the occasional elk wandering by. As with any wildlife spotting - a little luck is needed, but you can increase your chances by being in places like the meadows in the early morning, or towards dusk. Binoculars are a good idea for spotting wildlife from a safe distance. Burned by multiple wildfires over the last six years, the meadows gives a unique visual, as you can literally see the land rebuilding itself.

Dark Hollow Falls Trail is our favorite waterfall hike in the park, requiring just a 1.4 mile return trek to view the 70 foot dancing water show. The trail is a little steep in places, but not overly strenuous. White tailed deer are often spotted along the way. An early start is recommended if it's likely to be a busy day. Expect to spend 60-90 minutes to complete, with time viewing the falls.

You’ve probably heard about Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. But before that country retreat was built in 1942, President Herbert Hoover built Rapidan Camp in what would eventually become Shenandoah National Park. Today, the camp and surviving cabins are a museum, both of Hoover’s presidency and of Shenandoah itself. The camp is accessible on a 4 mile round-trip hike, and there is the option of joining a ranger-guided tour from the Byrd Visitor Center.