Shenandoah National Park
National Park · VA
Park Closure · Active Closures
Due to recent wildlife interactions and out of an abundance of caution, the Appalachian Trail from Lewis Mountain to Big Meadows is closed to backcountry camping until further notice. The trail is still accessible to hikers. The Naked Creek backcountry zone remains closed for an ongoing investigation.
Caution · Parking at Boundary Access Areas
Visitors are reminded to park in designated parking areas when accessing the park via boundary trailheads. Parking in unauthorized locations may result in your vehicle being towed at the owner's expense. Park on the right side of the road approaching Thompson Hollow. Parking is authorized up to the "No Parking" sign before a private driveway.
4 noticesfrom the National Park Service
Information · Get Skyline Drive Status Updates
Sign up for Shenandoah Alerts by texting SHENALERTS to 888777. Any time there are closures, re-openings, or other important safety-related alerts, subscribers will receive a notification via text. You may unsubscribe at any time.
More informationInformation · Infrastructure Improvements to Old Rag Trailhead
Effective May 4, Shenandoah National Park will begin infrastructure enhancements at the Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot. We expect to complete work by November 2026. Until then, the main parking lot is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Visitors can access Old Rag Trailhead via existing overflow parking lots. Day-use tickets are still required from March 1 through November 30 in addition to a park entrance fee.
Information · Shenandoah National Park Moved to Fully Cashless Fee Collection
On July 1, 2025, the park transitioned to a fully cashless system at our fee entrance stations. Only credit cards, debit cards, or mobile payments will be accepted.
Information · Ticket Required to Hike Old Rag
March 1 - November 30 those wishing to hike Old Rag are required to obtain a day-use ticket before arriving.
More information
Just 75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park is a land bursting with cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows. With over 200,000 acres of protected lands that are haven to deer, songbirds, and black bear, there's so much to explore...and your journey begins right here!
- NPS site
- nps.gov/shen
- Location
- Shenandoah National Park (38.492, -78.469)
Track your visit to Shenandoah National Park
NP Tracker keeps a record of every National Park Service unit you visit — all 430-plus of them. Log visits with dates and photos, collect passport stamps, plan trips, and watch your map fill in. It's free.
Passport stamp locations
- Big Meadows
- Dickey Ridge Visitor Center
- Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center
Hours
Shenandoah National Parktoday: All Day
- Sat Oct 3All Day
- Sun Oct 4All Day
- Mon Oct 5All Day
- Tue Oct 6All Day
- Wed Oct 7All Day
- Thu Oct 8All Day
- Fri Oct 9All Day
Shenandoah National Park is always open. However, portions of Skyline Drive, the only public road through the Park, are periodically closed during inclement weather. Visitors can still enter the Park on foot to hike, even when the Skyline Drive is closed. Campgrounds, services, and facilities have separate hours; please see descriptions of those facilities elsewhere on our website.
Hours are retrieved from the National Park Service and can change without notice — check the official site before you go.
Visitor centers
2
- Dickey Ridge Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 6:00PMDirections
- Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 6:00PMDirections
Self-guided tours
6
A Hike Up Stony Man60–75 minutes · 9 stops
What makes a mountain? Is it more than just the rocks underfoot? This hike is a 1.6 mile circuit up to the summit of Stony Man Mountain and back down. Classified as "easy" Stony Man does have a total ascent of 340 feet. Hikers will tour past features, both natural and historic, and take a closer glimpse at the building blocks that make this mountain. Fascinating geology, everchanging trees and their inhabitants, and remnants of mining and other pre-Park life on this mountain, hikers will leave with the und
Big Meadows Civilian Conservation Corps Camp30–60 minutes · 12 stops
Shenandoah National Park hosted 11 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camps between 1933 and 1941. The CCC was a popular New Deal Program designed to put young men and women to work during the Great Depression. One of the camps was established at Big Meadows (mile 51). Take an easy walking tour of the camp and follow in the steps of the men who built Shenandoah. Park at the visitor center, cross Skyline Drive, and then walk to the far right edge of the meadow.
Fox Hollow Trail45–60 minutes · 10 stops
The Fox family once called this area home. Remnants of their lives and the impact they had on this land are still evident. This hike is a 1.2-mile circuit. It is classified "easy" but it does have a gentle incline (310' elevation gain). The tour will introduce you to the Fox family as you pass through a former farm, and by the family cemetery and other evidence of a life before Shenandoah. Join us as we gratefully acknowledge the sacrifice of those who once lived here.
Entrance fees
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- Private Vehicle — $30.00
Unlimited entry for one vehicle and all passengers for seven consecutive days, beginning on the day of purchase. Admits the pass holder and occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle.
- Motorcycle — $25.00
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
- Per Person — $15.00
Entry for walk-up or bicycling visitors, when 16 years of age or older (children under 16 are admitted for free). Includes entering the Park by all means other than a private, non-commercial vehicle. A family traveling together shall pay no more than the vehicle fee.
- Education/Academic Groups — Free
National Park Service regulations allow school groups and other approved national and international academic institutions to obtain a waiver of Park entrance fees, provided that visit is for educational or scientific purposes, and the resources or facilities that the group intends to use, support those purposes. Request an academic fee waiver through the education section of our website.
- Non-commercial Groups — $15.00
Nearby59 within 100 miles
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