Me: Consider the following: we roadtrip to see the fall colors

Friend from NYC: Yes! I’m down!

Me: Wait but the only time that works for the both of us is late October and that’s pretty late hmmmm.

A few hours of research later: right, the further south I go the later the fall foliage starts. P e r f e c t.

spoilers: we also spotted a good doggo while in Shenandoah

And so we planned on going to Virginia. Originally, I was exploring areas in Pennsylvania such as Ricketts Glen State Park or Kinzua Bridge State Park, but the nice thing about Shenandoah National Park is that it’s large enough that, other than the initial drive from Newark, there isn’t substantial time spent in getting from one place to another.

Shenandoah National Park itself is a relatively thin but very long park, traversed by the appropriately named Skyline Drive. Most likely, you can spend three or four days here and there would still be more to see and walk. However, due there only being one road (and like any other accessible national park), there are crowds and there is traffic as the number of people (or rather, cars) are limited to protect the environment and feeling of nature.

Since we only had (barely) a weekend including travel time - we only got to briefly explore the section between Swift Run and Front Royal. In that case, this is a mix of what we actually did and a list of things we would have wanted to do if we had more time.

Important notes about Shenandoah National Park

  • Cell service is limited or nonexistant in many parts of the park. Make sure to download maps on a service such as Google Maps or AllTrails before heading out.
  • There are lodging options in the park. You’ll need to book many, many months ahead of time as they do sell out quickly. Otherwise, your best bet is staying in the nearby towns and brave the entrance lines in
  • There are a few food options in the park, but not many. There is also one gas station that, unsurprisingly, charges a premium to fill up there. Be prepared before entering the park.
  • The park limits the number of people inside the park to try to protect the ecosystem and not letting hoards of people ruin the experience. If you’re going on a weekend, aim to arrive early…generally, before 8AM is a safe(r) bet on weekends.
  • There is an entrance fee for the park. If you have an annual pass, sometimes they open the shoulder for those people to enter faster and skip the line.
  • There is no parking along Skyline Drive except at designated pullouts. Don’t block the road! If there’s a good view, usually there is a pullout coming up soon.

Map of some POIs in Shenandoah National Park

Link to Google Maps of roughly the same area

Day 1

Getting There

Shenandoah National Park is a 90 minute drive from Washington, DC, and about 4 and a half hours from Newark, NJ. For the latter, taking Interstate 78 to the outskirts of Harrisburg, and then continuing down Interstate 81 is the best bet to avoid traffic and reduce the number of tolls paid. Makes sense in theory, though the trip started with baggage mishaps and traffic while picking up friends from Newark Penn Station.

Trip had a great start when United sent my bag to a different airport than where I was supposed to be. “We’ll get it back to you soon!” they said as they gave me a $10 certificate. “Just get a coffee and wait a bit.” (They eventually agreed to refund that leg of the flight as a gesture of goodwill when I gave them the “seriously??” look.

In any case, the drive was uneventful. We arrived in Front Royal by about 2PM - almost 90 minutes later than originally planned.

Shenandoah National Park from Front Royal to Thornton Gap

Even at 2PM, the line in the park was still significant. One of my friends on the drive wasn’t feeling the best, so we ended up just going for the lookouts for photos. While there wasn’t as much actual hiking involved, we were able to catch peak foliage in the park! There were great views with brilliant shades of oranges and yellows, especially as Skyline Drive wound up higher along the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Some of the points you’ll hit as you head southward are:

Little Hogback Overlook

Thornton Hollow Overlook

Along the way, you’ll pass by Elkwallow Wayside between Hogback Overlook and Thorton Gap, which has bathrooms, a picnic area, and a small souvenir shop. This is also where I saw the majestic cloud looking out from the back of a truck (and took a photo).

After these stops, we decided to retire back to our Airbnb and grab groceries to make dinner.

Originally Planned Trails

Dinner Options We Considered

Some of these were also recommended by our Airbnb host as well

Day 2

Shenandoah National Park from Swift Run to Thornton Gap

The originally overcast weather cleared up after a heavy rain overnight, and we had sun! Wow!

We decided to start from the south and work our way north for two reasons:

  1. Avoid the line in Front Royal, as everyone tends to enter from there
  2. We work our way north toward New York instead of driving away from it

Hopping onto Interstate 81, we reached Swift Run about an hour later. As a much quieter entrace, we were able to enter quickly without much of a wait.

Some of the points we stopped at as we worked our way northward are:

Leaves, leaves everywhere.

We also made a quick stop at the Big Meadows Wayside to pick up souvenirs, including Blackberry Syrup (ooo, delicious).

Upper Hawksbill Trail

We took a break from overlooks to hike the Upper Hawksbill Trail. This was a trail a bit over a mile long one way that makes its way to the highest peak in Shenandoah National Park. Most of the incline lies in the beginning half, but overall is a very relaxing and relatively short trail through the deciduous trees up to the peak. Along the way, we crossed the famed Appalachian Trail, and arrived at the top, granting an amazing panorama of the landscape below.

The orange is a much nicer color than the dea- I mean, golden color of grass in California in the autumn.

Upper Hawksbill Trail @ Shenandoah National Park
Review A path that winds up to Hawksbill Summit. As its name implies, it is part of a longer trail, and people often make a longer loop this way via the Lower Hawksbill and Appalachian Trails. Relatively shady with a gentle incline for most of its 1 mile length. The views at the top are definitely worth it.
Notes There are a number of people who are also on this trail, and I can see parking being difficult on a peak day. Bring water and sunscreen, and prepare for the top to be a bit windy.
Verdict: 5/5 — laughs from the highest point of the park “I have the high ground now!”

And Back We Go

Due to time constraints, we made a quick stop at the Tunnel Overlook, then made our drive back toward New York from Thornton Gap.

Tunnel not shown

This time, we opted to take Interstate 66 to Interstate 95 to increase the options of stopping for food. It turns out that the directional sign at Thornton Gap points right for “Washington” actually means “Washington, VA.” Whoops. We did get apple cider at a roadside shop that was quite good though! The drive through the mountains was also relaxing and scenic. Then it was just freeways, cities, and…yeah, the Northeast. Delaware House Travel Plaza is one of the better rest stops I’ve stopped at though. Civilization.

Breakfast Options We Considered

Lodging

Beau Ridge Cabin @ Linden, VA
Review Small Airbnb 2-bed 1-bath cabin situated in the hills near Front Royal. Great views out in the morning, and overall a comfortable stay! Nothing particularly fancy, but clean, relatively fast internet, and decent beds. It’s in a quiet neighborhood, but grocery stores are about a 10 minute drive away.
Verdict: 5/5 — Has everything we needed for a comfortable stay.

Shops of Note

Beech Spring Gift Shop @ Sperryville, VA
11600 Lee Hwy, Sperryville, VA 22740
Review It’s one of those little family-run fruit shop by the side of the road. This one had various kinds of apples for sale outside - mix and match what you can fit in a bag for a fixed price. We were actually more interested in their hot apple cider (it was delicious.)
Verdict: 4/5 — Hot cider for a long drive is always welcome.