Fall Getaway: Visiting Shenandoah National Park With Kids

Guest Blogger: Sandra Kozera is a Pittsburgh native who backpacked around Europe with Catherine ages ago.  She is a lawyer and member of the North Hills School Board.

Almost every fall, our family travels to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with some family friends.  It’s a beautiful area all year round, but it’s especially amazing when the leaves are changing.  Now, obviously a National-Park-destination trip has the capacity to be a pretty fun outdoorsy sort of adventure for the right sort of people (such as my friend who went on her honeymoon there last year).  However, we are not very outdoorsy, and our children are still relatively young (currently 8 and 5), but we’ve still enjoyed going almost annually since before the eight year old was born. Because we’ve done this trip so many times, we have some pretty good hacks for how to enjoy the park and enjoy nature without needing to even consider whether we should tie our food up in a tree so that bears don’t get it.  We love visiting Shenandoah National Park with kids.

On the Way to Shenandoah National Park

We live in Pittsburgh, and we drive to the park – it’s about a five hour trip for us.   Because car travel with small children can often be fraught with disaster, one year I decided to see if there was a farm where we could stop on the way, and we discovered Orr’s Farm Market in Martinsburg, West Virginia.  This is now my favorite farmer’s market. What I look for in a good farmer’s market: interesting things to do, minimal crowds, lots of produce. There are hayrides, animals, tons of apples, tons of pumpkins, and a whole area where kids can play, which is super important after hours of driving.  I’ve definitely thought about going to Orr’s just on a random Saturday even though it’s a three hour drive.

We also always stop at Buffalo Wild Wings while we are in Martinsburg.  I like to take small children to loud restaurants, and this one definitely fits the bill.

Visiting the Shenandoah National Park Area

Shenandoah National Park is located entirely in Virginia, and it is long, stretching from near Front Royal to Staunton.  We typically stay in the Harrisonburg/Luray area, which is about at the midway point. There are lodges and campsites in the park, but we usually stay outside the park.  We really enjoy the Mountainside Villas at Massanutten, which is practically a destination itself – there is a pool, a golf course, miniature golf, hiking trails, and a variety of other seasonal activities.  

We have also stayed at the Shenandoah Valley KOA Kampground, which is lovely if you want to be slightly more outdoorsy but don’t want to deal with staying in the actual park.  KOA has cabins as well as tent camping, so we could enjoy a campfire and s’mores when we stayed here.

Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University, and it is a great, walkable little town.  Bella Luna Wood-Fired Pizza has a delightful pizza menu and thorough beer selection, and nearby Bella Gelato & Pastries features inventive ice cream selections.  There are also a number of chain restaurants, big-box stores, various grocery stores – so you can basically replace everything you accidentally left at home all within a short drive of where you are staying.  And there’s a large Barnes & Noble in case you need a book.

Visiting the Shenandoah National Park – Skyline Drive

In order to see the park, you’re going to need to spend some time in your car.  Driving at least part of the 105-mile-long Skyline Drive is an amazingly beautiful journey.  There are a number of scenic overlooks. Some are spectacular, so definitely be prepared to pull over at a moment’s notice to take in the view.

Shenandoah National Park Best Hikes

There are a ton of hiking trails, but it’s hard (for me, anyway) to tell from maps which ones will be appropriate or interesting for children.  I recommend two – the Limberlost Trail, which is an easy, flat hike of about 1.3 miles, and the Dark Hollow Falls Trail, which is an out-and-back waterfall destination hike.  Dark Hollow is hilly and may not be appropriate for the littlest legs, but the waterfall views are amazing. There are some flat trails in the Skyland area, but the scenery in that area is somewhat stark – still, it’s a nice easy place to stretch your legs.

Shenandoah National Park Restaurants

Food is available at Big Meadows and at Skyland.  Skyland’s Pollock Dining Room has a nice sit-down restaurant with lovely views, but they open at 12 for lunch, and there is often a line, so plan for that accordingly.  There’s also a gas station in Big Meadows if you happen to blow out your tire and need someone to help you put on your spare (just theoretically).

Visiting Shenandoah National Park in Fall

The temperature in the park is usually 5-10 degrees colder than it is outside the park in the fall, and in Skyland, it can be even colder.  We go in mid to late October, and the park temperature has been everything from 80 degrees to 40 degrees, depending on the year. Basically pack all your clothes.

We are not going to Shenandoah this year, and we are going to miss it, but we will definitely be back.  This is a great family trip.