Happy August!
We just got back from a summer vacation in Virginia visiting Shenandoah National Forest. It was a great trip full of stunning nature views, and I’m here to give you all the details of the trip!
We flew into Reagan Airport in D.C. (DCA) and then rented a car to drive out to where we were staying near the park. From D.C. to Mt. Jackson, it was about an hour and 50 minutes- but a super enjoyable and mostly chill drive to get there. Since there aren’t a lot of grocery stores the further out you get, we did a Costco run up front to stock up on meals before we left the city.
Mt. Jackson is located about 50 minutes from Skyline Drive – or the entrance to Shenandoah National Forest. It’s a super easy drive full of hilly countryside and we didn’t mind the distance at all.
One thing to know before heading to the National Forest is that you’ll need a park pass to get in. At the time we went, the rate was just $30 for a private vehicle for a week, which was all we needed! You can buy a pass here.
The first day at Shenandoah National Forest, we decided to get some major views in by hiking Mary’s Rock via the Pinnacle. We started out by parking in the Pinnacle Picnic area and then took the adjacent trail to get there. It was a little over a 7 mile hike roundtrip, and it was a moderate trail. Minus our lunch break, I think it took us about 3 1/2 hours to complete the hike. The majority of the hike was shaded which made it cool and enjoyable, but there was a lot of up-and-down rocky climbing involved, so there was a good bit of uphill both ways. We definitely felt it afterwards!
The next day, we visited Lake Laura in Mt. Jackson/Basye area. Although I’ve heard there are entrances to the lake that don’t have a fee, we went to the beach area run by Bryce Resort. You can pay around $10/head if you’d just like to swim and enjoy the beach area, or you could rent a canoe or kayak for $20 an hour. We canoed around the lake and had a great time. It wasn’t at all crowded and it was a super relaxing day with beautiful, relaxing views.
Headed back to the National Forest, we decided to do a waterfall hike. We started with the Dark Hollow Falls hike (the waterfall is located about 15 minutes off of the parking lot) and then connected to the Rose River Loop Trail. You get a quick payoff with Dark Hollow Falls, seeing a huge waterfall with some wading area in it’s chilly waters. Since it was such a short hike, that trail and waterfall had a decent amount of visitors, but as we passed it up to connect to the Rose River Loop, it instantly cleared up and we hardly passed anyone else the rest of the trail. We enjoyed hiking a loop since there wasn’t a need to retrace our steps until the return through Dark Hollow Falls. You’ll enjoy streams and waterfalls next to you for about 75% of the 6ish mile hike, which makes it super relaxing and serene. One thing about waterfall hikes, though – they are mostly downhill in the beginning, so the return trip is a lot of uphill!
We visited Harpers Ferry for a chill day and saw some of the historical sites there. All in all, it was definitely cute and charming, but during the summer it’s just TOO hot unless you plan on doing a river tubing adventure there! The sun offers no mercy and with minimal trees and tightly crowded shops, there’s not much refuge you can seek from the heat. Going in the fall definitely sounds like more of the time to experience this place!
We also did some exploring around Mt. Jackson and Woodstock.
In Woodstock, we visited Woodstock Cafe for coffees and enjoyed the small town charm that was all around us. Heading back toward Mount Jackson, we stopped by Meems Bottom Covered bridge for some photos and a look around. It’s a quiet, charming area with picnic benches – so a great spot to venture out for a quiet lunch.
We also stopped by Storybook Trail, which ended up being one of my favorite spots from the whole trip! You’ll follow a tightly winding road up to the path, and then take a 12ish minute walk out to the lookout. The entire path is boardwalked and paved, so no hiking gear is needed, and the lookout is well gated and broad – with benches, too – so it’s a very easy spot to access and enjoy some views.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our favorite coffee spot in Mount Jackson – Curtain Call Coffeehouse Cafe. We stopped here almost daily and enjoyed their great coffee and yummy lunch sandwiches and smoothies.
All in all, it was a great trip! If you decide to visit Virginia soon, hopefully this blog is helpful!
And for what you’ve been waiting on – the views – check out the video below for a trip recap!
