All I knew about Shenandoah before I decided to go there was “It’s in Virginia.” Based on my knowledge of geography I also assumed it was kinda in the mountains-ish area. That’s it. Virginia, mountains. Sounds fun, let’s go!
I’ve learned a few things since then, and now you can know them too.
Shenandoah National Park is long and skinny. In fact, it’s so long and skinny that most maps cut it in half and put half on the front and half on the back so it fits on one piece of paper. It’s about 105 miles long and averages 3-4 miles wide, and it runs along the Blue Ridge mountains. There are 4 driving entrances, so you can enter at several different points along its length. You do need a pass to enter, and it’s $30 for a car (regardless of number of passengers) or $15 for a hiker. The pass is good for unlimited entries for 7 days. Fortunately, my mom gave me the America the Beautiful Pass for my birthday, which will cover the cost of this and any other trip I make this year.
Skyline Drive is the only public road through the park. It’s also at the top of every “Things to do in Shenandoah” list – in fact, for a lot of people it’s the only thing they do. There are apparently a number of well-known hiking trails and destinations and a TON of scenic overlooks and photo opportunities. Apparently the Appalachian Trail crosses Skyline Drive 32 times, so after this trip I can also say I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail.
There are 2 lodges (Skyland and Big Meadows Lodge), a group of cabins, and several campgrounds where you can park your car or RV. Apparently backcountry camping is allowed for hikers, but that’s currently above my skill level. We have decided to stay at Skyland because in late August we are both interested in air conditioning at night. It was 50/50 Skyland or Great Meadows, and I can’t say there was really any strong reason for the choice.
Hiking is the top activity at Shenandoah, so I got a little book called “Best Easy Day Hikes” – easy being both relative and a great place to start. It sounds like the two nights we are planning to spend will give us about the right amount of time to explore!
The Third Quarter Odyssey 
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