Hiking Parks

The Seneca Creek Greenway is a 26 mile trail that follows the beautiful Great Seneca Creek. The 16 mile southern section of the trail is limited to hiking only, and is primarily located within Seneca Creek State Park. The 9 mile northern section (beginning at Rt. 355) is open to biking, equestrian and hiking. This section is easy single track with some intermediate sections. It continues on into Magruder Branch and Damascus Parks as a paved trail.

Located in Seneca Creek State Park, the Clopper Lake area offers a variety of activities including fishing, hiking, biking, and picnicking. Several natural surface trails are located in this section of the park, including a 3 1/2 mile single track trail that winds its way around Clopper Lake. In addition, the 26 mile Seneca Creek Greenway trail can be accessed from the Clopper Lake area. (Note that the Greenway is hiking-only within Seneca Creek State Park.)

Part of Seneca Creek State Park, the Schaeffer Farm trail system was built with mountain bikers in mind. The smooth, hard packed trail surface through gorgeous open forests and farmland are a true pleasure to ride. The gently rolling terrain makes for a variety of climbs, fun descents, and many trails etched into hillsides with wonderful views of the surrounding forest. MORE does an outstanding job of maintaining the trails at Schaeffer Farms.

The Appalachian Trail (AT) passes through Shenandoah National Park, mostly following the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountain Range from where it enters the park at I-66 on the southern end to nearly Front Royal at the northern end of the park.  The AT is accessible from just about every pull off and parking area in the park and can be used to hookup numerous day hikes throughout the hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the park.

Located at Milepost 51 on Virginia's Skyline Drive, the Big Meadows area has a rustic lodge, a large campground, a restaurant, and the Harry Byrd Visitor Center. The Big Meadows Lodge is a perfect place to use as a base while exploring this beautiful area.

Nestled within the scenic expanse of Shenandoah National Park, Old Rag Mountain stands as a prominent and iconic peak, beckoning hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to embark on a thrilling adventure. Renowned for its rugged beauty and panoramic vistas, Old Rag is a cherished destination offering a challenging yet rewarding hiking experience. The mountain, composed of granite, is a geological marvel, and its unique rock formations add an extra layer of intrigue to the journey.

Located at mile post 90 along the Skyline Drive, Riprap trail can be access from the Riprap parking lot or from the Wildcat Ridge parking lot.  The loop going out Riprap Trail over to Chimney Rock and down to Wildcat Ridge Trail and returning on the Appalachian Trail is a very popular hike with several stream crossings as a small waterfall requiring a moderate level of effort.

Located off of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, this short hike will treat you to views of the picturesque South River Falls, which descends 83 feet into the South River Gorge. The 4 mile loop takes you to an overlook with a view of both the falls and the gorge below. Hiking further down into the gorge and along a small, rocky spur trail will give you a closer view from the base of the falls.

Turk Mountain is a rocky summit in the southern portion of Shenandoah National Park. The short version of the hike is great to do if you have limited time - it's a 2.2 mile round-trip from the Turk Gap parking area. For a longer hike, you could opt for the 10 mile circuit hike that starts at Jarman Gap - this is a strenuous hike with quite a bit of elevation gain. The Turk Mountain summit is covered with craggy quartzite rocks, so you have to do just a bit of rock-scrambling to get to the top. The views from this 2981 foot summit are wonderful.

Located within Shenandoah National Park, Whiteoak Canyon offers a scenic, challenging hike anytime of the year. Following a stream, the steep and rocky Whiteoak Canyon Trail has picturesque views of the rocky stream bed and several waterfalls along the way. Be sure to stop at both the Lower and Upper Whiteoak Falls viewpoints. There are several loops of varying lengths that can be combined for as long of a hike as you would like to take.