The 5 Best Hikes in Shenandoah National Park

Explore 5 of the best hikes in Shenandoah National Park. These short trails are perfect for both beginner and experienced hikers, and if you’re feeling ambitious, you can even complete all 5 hikes in just one day.

A photo taken of the rolling green mountains

Shenandoah National Park spans 100 miles on the Blue Ridge Mountains known for stunning viewpoints, waterfalls, and dense woodland forests. These 5 hikes showcase some of the top views in the park, so I consider them all a must-do when you visit.

My partner and I visited Shenandoah National Park while on a 2 week long road trip around the east coast of the US. Since we were packing so much into our trip, we were only able to spend one day in the park.

It’s definitely preferable to have more than one day to spend hiking, but if you’re also short on time, I think these are a few of the best hikes you can do in Shenandoah.

I am standing on a huge rock outside that's in front of the green mountains. I am standing with my arms out wide and smiling. The rock is grey and there are green plants all around it and a big green hill to the left in the background. To the right of the photo in the background, you can see a distant town surrounded by mountains. The mountains in the distance have a blue hue because of how far away they are.

These hikes are suitable for most visitors, and perfect for those of you short on time as each of these trails are 2.5 miles long or less. The trailheads are also all located off of Skyline Drive so they’re easy to stop at as you drive through the park.

Table of Contents:

Hawksbill Summit Trail
Dark Hollow Falls Trail
Bearfence Mountain Trail
Stony Man Lookout Trail
Rose River Trail

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1. Hawksbill Summit Trail

🥾 1.6 miles round trip

⛰️ 670 feet elevation gain

⏱️ Duration: 1.5 hours

💪 Difficulty: moderate

The Hawksbill Summit trail is one of the more popular trails in the park but for good reason. It’s actually the highest point in Shenandoah with a jaw dropping view at the top.

A photo taken at the overlook on the Hawksbill Summit Trail at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. In the foreground there are tons of trees in all different shades of green. Behind, you can see rolling mountains all filled with green trees. Behind the hills there is a town where you can see white buildings and it's more of a valley until you see the distant mountains behind the town. The sky is clear and blue.

It’s a steep but steady incline. It feels tough because it covers a lot of elevation in such a short distance, but it’s a quick out and back trail. The terrain is rocky and technical in spots so take care when descending.

Once you reach the summit there are many lookout points and rocks at the top to sit on and take in the views.

2. Dark Hollow Falls Trail

🥾 1.8 miles round trip

⛰️ 580 feet elevation gain

⏱️ Duration: 1.5 hours

💪 Difficulty: moderate

Unlike the Hawksbill Summit trail, when you arrive to the trailhead of the Dark Hollow Falls Trail, you immediately begin the descent down to the Dark Hollow Waterfall.

A photo taken of the waterfall at the end of the Dark Hollow Falls hike at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The waterfall starts at the very top of the photo and the water is falling all the way down to the bottom of the photo. There are rocks making up the waterfall and moss covering the rocks so water easily slides down them. Surrounding the rocks are several trees with green leaves.

The season and recent precipitation both will play a part in how large this waterfall appears but you are always guaranteed to see some waterflow.

The terrain of this trail isn’t too challenging other than the occasional rock or exposed tree root.

Coming back up from the waterfall is definitely much more difficult than going down. It seemed much more steep while we were heading back up to the parking lot! But with frequent breaks, anyone will be able to complete this hike.

3. Bearfence Mountain Trail

🥾 1 mile round trip

⛰️ 240 feet elevation gain

⏱️ Duration: 1 hour

💪 Difficulty: moderate

A photo of me taken at the summit of Bearfence Mountain at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. I am sitting on a huge grey rock facing the mountains in front of me with my head turned to my left. The green trees behind the rocks are glowing bright from the sun. Behind the trees, you can see the distant mountains that have a blue hue to them. You can tell all the mountains are filled with trees.

In my opinion I think the Bearfence Mountain Trail is one of the best hikes in Shenandoah if you’re looking for peaceful and rural mountain views. You won’t see any parts of any town down in the valleys below so it really gives you that feeling of being out there in nature.

This is definitely a more difficult trail and for people who are up for a challenge. However, it’s short mileage makes it a bit easier to take on.

Right from the beginning you will start hiking uphill. Shortly after you will be required to do some moderate rock climbing to get to the summit.

The rocks are sharp and jagged so you will need sturdy hiking boots.

A photo taken on the Bearfence Mountain hike at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. In the center of the photo you can see hundreds of grey sharp looking rocks with little green plants/ weeds growing in between them all. Around the rocks, there are a few trees with tons of green leaves growing around them. Above the rocks you can see blue sky signaling the summit of this trail.

These rocks lead you to the top where you can take a seat on some large boulders and take in the 360° views.

If you’re still in Shenandoah for the sunset, make Bearfence Mountain your final hike of the day for an incredible sunset spot. I think the challenging terrain prevents large crowds at the lookout point so you’re more than likely to have this summit all to yourself.

A photo of my boyfriend and I sitting at the summit of Bearfence Mountain at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. We are sitting on some rocks on the right side of the photo with my head resting on his left shoulder. In front of us, you can see the orange sun setting in the sky above the blue mountains. The sun is making the sky turn pink and the mountains furthest from us are lighter blue, and the mountains closest to us look dark blue.

If I had to pick a favorite hike on this list, it would be this one!

4. Stony Man Lookout Trail

🥾 1.5 miles round trip

⛰️ 320 feet elevation gain

⏱️ Duration: 1 hour

💪 Difficulty: moderate

A photo taken at the beginning of the Stony Man Lookout Trail at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The main focus of this photo is a small wooden sign at the bottom of the image that reads "Stony Man Summit" The sign is a light gray wood and the words are painted on with white. Behind the sign you can see green plants all over the ground and trees growing out of the ground too. You can see the trail for this hike over to the right of the photo. The trail is packed down dirt with little rocks scattered around.

The Stony Man Lookout Trail leads you to a beautiful overlook to take in the expansive views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This one doesn’t have quite as much elevation gain as the other hikes in Shenandoah. So it’s a great summit for anyone who’s not up for a super steep climb, but still want the rewarding views at the end.

The terrain here isn’t too rocky either. It’s overall a very pleasant hike that is suitable for hikers of all levels.

This would also make a great place to watch the sunset but it is more popular so expect some crowds in the evening hours.

5. Rose River Trail

🥾 2.4 miles round trip

⛰️ 660 feet elevation gain

⏱️ Duration: 2 hours

💪 Difficulty: moderate

If you’re looking for another waterfall hike, you won’t want to miss the hike to Rose River Falls. Similar to Dark Hollow Falls, you will initially begin a quick descent right at the start of the trail.

However on this trail you will be rewarded with a beautiful cascading waterfall and a pool perfect for swimming at the end. Prepare for the water to be cold though!

There is some rocky terrain on this trail, along with some steep sections. I would say this is the most difficult hike on this list, but still doable for the average hiker.

Depending on when you go, this trail could be a little crowded like if you visit on a hot weekend in summer as this is the perfect place to cool off.

A photo taken in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia during summer where you can see green leaves covering the Appalachian Mountains. The mountains are the main focus of this image and you can see trees with green leaves around the edges of the photo framing the mountain in the background. The sky is bright and blue.

And that will conclude the best hikes in Shenandoah National Park! These trails are perfect for the average hiker as they aren’t too far or difficult, but just enough of a challenge to get a good workout in. If you’re short on time in the park these hikes are perfect to add to your itinerary too. I hope this helped you plan your trip and thank you so much for reading!

Soul Summit Travel

Hi! I'm Anna, the human behind Soul Summit Travel. My mission is to make travel more accessible so everyone can experience the joys of connecting deeper with our Earth.

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Comments

Kailey

July 28, 2025

Shenandoah National Park is on my list to hopefully do within the next year so this post was really helpful!! The Dark Hollow Falls Trail I think would be the first one I’d want to check out from this list.

Reply
Jolayne

July 28, 2025

Love the sunset and waterfalls!

Reply
Angela Price

July 29, 2025

What a wonderful place to hike, it seems along with fabulous trails, waterfalls and sunset views it has it all!

Reply