Hey DC friends! Looking for a getaway this spring? Look no further, Shenandoah National Park is just a few hours outside the district, filled with great outdoor activities, awesome breweries, fabulous wineries and some of the best hikes in the state.
Both Zach and I went to college in Southern/Central Virginia so we have been familiar with the Shenandoah mountains for a few years. We’ve hiked a few trails in the Shenandoah National Park with Navy, but we’ve never taken Duke. It was around this time last year that we visited Getaway House DC with Navy and spent a weekend hiking and visiting local wineries. Needless to say, we were long overdue for a weekend trip to the Shenandoah mountains with our dogs.
Where is Shenandoah National Park?
Shenandoah National Park is located along the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, about 75 miles from Washington, DC. The park stretched about 105 miles from the northern entrance at Front Royal to its southern entrance near Waynesboro, Virginia. Skyline drive is the main road that runs through the whole park. It leads to all of the hiking trails, lodging, camping sites, and a number of fabulous viewpoints you can park to take in the views.
Heading to Shenandoah National Park for the first time? I recommend visiting the National Park Service website, or take a look at this blog post we found for first time visitors.
Pet Policy…
The Shenandoah National Park and the surrounding towns are incredibly pet friendly! We were pleasantly surprised by all the dog friendly hotels, wineries, breweries, and restaurants in the area. The majority of trails in Shenandoah National Park are dog friendly as well. There are a few popular trails that are not dog friendly (for a good reason!). Take a look at the list of trails where dogs are prohibited here. As a reminder, be sure to keep your pet on a leash at all times. We had a bad experience this past trip with three dogs charging down the mountain off leash.
Where to stay
Pets are allowed in most Shenandoah National Park campgrounds. Don’t want to camp? There is pet-friendly lodging available as well! I will say, the amount of pet-friendly rooms in the popular Big Meadows Lodge and Skyland Resort are limited and these rooms get booked up fast. We are big fans on Airbnb! Search for pet friendly stays around Luray, Virginia. You’ll find some fabulous cabins and farmhouses.
This past trip we opted to stay at Motel 6 Mt. Jackson – Shenandoah. Not only do pets always stay free at Motel 6 locations, the location we chose was close to several awesome dog friendly wineries and trails.
Dog Friendly Activities in Shenandoah National Park (and surrounding area)
Obviously the best thing to do in Shenandoah National Park is hike! Here are a few of our favorite trails that allow dogs: Hightop Trail, Hawksbill Mountain, and Mary’s Rock Summit. This year I really want to hike Little Devils Staircase, Lewis Spring Falls Trail and South River Falls Trail as well.
Not really a hiking kind of person? Take a drive down Skyline Drive. There are a number of fabulous outlooks to pull off and at and take in the gorgeous views.
The Shenandoah Valley is filled with pet friendly wineries. We always check the Corkhounds app and website before bringing Navy or Duke to a winery. I recommend calling ahead to the winery as well to confirm their policies. Policies can change!
We are proud Virginia Wine Pass holders, so we look for wineries on the Virginia Wine Pass list that allow dogs. During our last trip we narrowed our search down to Wolf Gap Winery and Cave Ridge Vineyard. We opted to visit the Cave Ridge Vineyard because dogs are allowed in their tasting room. When we arrived, they joked that they are more dog friendly than kid friendly. I can’t complain about that!
Even though our visit was brief, I’m so happy I had the opportunity to kick off the spring season traveling to such a beautiful place with our dogs. Heading to Shenandoah with your dog? Check out our Getaway House DC review and our outdoor adventures with dogs post. Until next time friends.Thanks for reading!
1 COMMENT
Susan Hoffman
4 years agoOMG, I was just Googling “dog friendly trails on Skyline Drive” when i came across your post. We have two corgis, too! Naturally we’re gong to take your advice. We’re staying at Big Meadows Lodge in a pet-friendly room, and hope to get a few nice hikes in over our four day stay. Thanks for your blog!