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Shenandoah National ParkA park ranger leads a group of students through Shenandoah's Big Meadows.
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Shenandoah National Park
Directions
 

Shenandoah National Park is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia just west of Washington, D.C. and stretches 105 miles from its northern entrance at Front Royal to its southern entrance near Waynesboro. (Click to see a map)

There are four entrances into Shenandoah National Park and numerous gateway communities that offer services. The park's four entrances are located at:

  • Front Royal, accessible via I-66 and Route 340
  • Thornton Gap, accessible via Route 211
  • Swift Run Gap, accessible via Route 33
  • Rockfish Gap, accessible via I-64 and Route 250

(Rockfish Gap is also the northern entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway.)

Airports
The closest major airports are

 
Traveling By Car

From Washington, D.C. Metro Area
To North Entrance - Travel west on Interstate 66 to Front Royal, Virginia (62 miles). Take exit onto Route 340 South and follow signs for Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.
To Thornton Gap Entrance - Travel west on Interstate 66 to exit 43A (32 miles). Take US Highway 29 South to Warrenton, Virginia (11 miles). Take US Highway 211 West to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive (28 miles).

From Richmond, Virginia Area
To South Entrance
- Travel west on Interstate 64 to exit 99 (87 miles) and follow signs to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.
To Swift Run Gap Entrance - Travel west on Interstate 64 to Charlottesville, Virginia (65 miles). Take exit to US Highway 29 North (14 miles). Turn left onto US Highway 33 West and follow 14 miles to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.

From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia Area
To North Entrance
- Travel east on Interstate 76 to exit 161 (105 miles). Take Interstate 70 East to US Highway 522 South (25 miles). Follow 522 to VA-37 South (24 miles) to Interstate 81 South (7 miles). Follow I-81 South 9.5 miles to Interstate 66 East. Take I-66 to Front Royal, Virginia (7 miles). Follow signs to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.

Click here for more detailed directions.

 

 

Map of Shenandoah National Park and surrounding area.
Map of Shenandoah and surrounding area
How to get to Shenandoah National Park
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Maps
Maps
Click for hiking and general Shenandoah maps
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One of Skyline Drive's cement mileposts.
Getting Around
How to navigate Skyline Drive
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A sea of green flora in this Big Meadows photo - just a small sample of  the many plant species found here.  

Did You Know?
The Big Meadows area has the highest concentration of rare plants in Shenandoah National Park.

Last Updated: April 11, 2008 at 22:09 EST