It doesn’t matter the situation or if it’s during the best time of year to visit, whether it’s pandemic related or just a love of being alone in nature. Let’s be honest, some of the best trails are also the quietest and usually not the popular hikes in the area. We all have reasons to want to get away from the crowds in the arguably overcrowded national parks.
These are my recommendations for some of the lesser visited hikes in Shenandoah National Park. If you are looking to visit all the amazing cascades and the highest point in the park, this is not the post you are looking for.
All of the trails mentioned can be turned into a loop by parking your car at the Jenkins Gap overlook and starting off on the Mount Marshall Trail. Or you can treat them as an out-and-back. The point is, it’s all about you and what you hope to get out of your hike.
Getting to Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park is located on the east coast of the United States in (of course) the Shenandoah Valley and is a part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The closest airport is the Washington Dulles International airport and from there you can drive to the Blue Ridge Parkway and follow that between Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are a ton of extremely scenic views off the parkway, and it all starts when you enter Shenandoah, particularly in the Front Royal entrance.
Be bear aware
There is an abundance of wildlife in this park, particularly black bears, so it is important when planning a multiday hike in the park to plan accordingly by either bringing a bear canister or utilizing one of the parks closed bear bins for your food and scented items. And as always practice leave no trace by packing out what you packed in, leaving the area better than how you found it.
Trail information
The park has around 500 miles of trails, including over 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail. So, there are plenty of options if you are looking for a short trail or to do a short hike, or a great hike with higher elevations for the best views, or one of the longer hikes. There is something for all skill levels here. If you are planning a multiday trek, do be sure to get a backcountry permit. There are lots of options for camping and shelters, including day-use shelters, particularly along the Appalachian trail.
Peak season is in early spring and late fall, so be aware that even though you will have great views of wildflowers in spring and the foliage in fall, the crowds are going to be significant and so trailhead parking may be more challenging. One of the best parking areas, depending on your plans while in the park, is the Panorama parking area. This gives you access to Mary’s Rock, but also has water, bathrooms and a ton of information. So even if you don’t plan to hike Mary’s Rock summit, it’s a great option for information when the visitor centers are overwhelmed with people.
Mount Marshall Trail
This out and back trail can be made into a loop with the AT and is a beautiful hike and just a great trail that’s starts just up the road from Jenkins Gap overlook.
Park your car at the Jenkins Gap parking area (mile marker 12.4) and walk 0.2 miles up Skyline Drive to come to the main trailhead. It’s 4-miles (one way and not a strenuous hike) to the crossroads of the Bluff Trail and the Jordan River Trail.
It’s a pretty trail that you can either do as a day hike or you can extend by continuing along the Bluff Trail as well as the AT, which goes up over Mount Marshall, itself, with an elevation gain of 2,175 feet. If you combine the trails the total distance will be around 13.4 miles.
Bluff Trail
As I said above, the Bluff Trail continues on from the Mount Marshall Trail and takes you to the Gravel Springs hut. Off of the Bluff Trail is the Big Devils Stairs Trail.
This portion is also 4 miles and is an easy trail. If you are staying at the Gravel Springs hut, the combination of the Mount Marshall Trail and the Bluff Trail is easily hiked in one day.
There isn’t really any places to camp along this route. Water, that needs to be treated, is available along the way from a few springs.
It does not have the sweeping views or anything special, it’s just a nice walk in the woods. And sometimes, that’s just what is needed.
Big Devils Stairs Trail
As far as quiet hikes in Shenandoah, this is a really pretty trail, though the ending was a bit of a letdown. I don’t know about you but when I go on an out and back hike I kind of expect to have something cool at the end. Am I wrong?
Regardless, this was still a very nice easy hike and one that is slightly more challenging than the others on the list. There is one section with some pretty amazing views that plunge down over the side of a gorge and shows off an intensely green field in the distance.
To get to this trail, if you are only hoping to hike this particular trail, park at the Gravel Springs hut parking lot. You will need to hike in around 1.7-miles to the start of the Big Devils Stairs Trail. This first part is very easy hiking, so the additional mileage isn’t really an issue.
In total the hike is around 5.5-miles round trip (out and back, not one way). The trail is not really labeled the best in spots, with the blue markers being faded or all but gone, so if you plan to hike this trail after the leaves have dropped, finding the trail becomes a bit more of a challenge.
The end of the trail spits you out at the bottom of the gorge, next to the stream as well as private property. It is fairly closed in but there is a nice spot on the other side of the stream to have some lunch before making the return trip back up to your car.
Northern section of the Appalachian Trail
From the Gravel Springs hut to Jenkins Gap
Many people come to Shenandoah to tackle the entire 100+ miles of the AT within the park. It’s a great challenge and in terms of difficulty, fairly easy to moderate hiking with amazing views.
If you are looking for a short section to tackle in a day, I recommend the northern portion from the gravel springs hut to Jenkins Gap. Both areas have parking lots, and the distance is just under 7-miles one way.
It’s pretty easy hiking, so for those who hike on the regular doing this section as an out and back in one day is no problem.
This section takes you across Skyline Drive 3 times, so you are never far from a road if something goes wrong. It also takes you up and over Mount Marshall with some gentle and fun switchbacks into open forest.
On the other side of Skyline Drive, you get amazing views of the valley below. In the fall the foliage is spectacular, however, this is the busiest time of year to visit. Going just past peak still gives you beautiful views and the feel of the wilderness without the crowds.
Concluding Thoughts
This part of the park is beautiful and there are other trails worth exploring, though they may be more popular.
For more information on Shenandoah National Park itself check out my guide for planning your next trip or visit the National Park Service website for more hiking ideas.
