The Park’s most beautiful part is within its boundaries. However, you can find the real beauty when you hike at Shenandoah National Park beyond the city limits. Although the park is small, the main park border rarely crosses Skyline Drive. However, the park offers many great hiking trails. The park’s Shenandoah National Park has a unique array of breathtaking views and activities that capture the essence of the park. The park offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking in the forests.
The parking lot is where you will find one of the most beautiful hikes in Shenandoah National Park. From the parking lot, the Green Shade Lookout is the best hiking trail in Shendoah National Park. This hike takes you to the top of the Park’s forested Cliffsides. Here, you will find a large rock climb that leads upwards towards a rocky gully. As the Shenandoah River looms above everything below, the view from the summit of the climb is breathtaking. You will find maps and detailed directions to all kinds of trails and elevations at the Shendoah Park parking lot.
Another option is to begin at the parking lot and continue along the trail to Mount Heron. This will give you a shorter hike with stunning views of the Shenandoah valley and surrounding forested peaks. You will find a large open field with a sign indicating Mountain Laurel just beyond the parking lot. It is best to walk this trail at a slow pace, and then descend to the Laurel Ridge Trail. Turn left (or northwest) just before you reach the top of the hill and then return to the path on your right (Laurel Ridge Trail). From this viewpoint, you can see Mount Heron and all the Blue Ridge Mountains.