Need advice for accomodation/things to do! 4th July w/e

Hello Folks,

My husband and I with 4 other friends will be visiting in Shenandoah Valley area on 3rd- 4th July.

Here are a few things we thought of doing.

3rd July - We plan to go and see Luray Caverns and Canoeing. There is a package we saw online:

www.shenandoahriver.com/internetpackage.html

Would you suggest we do this or rent the canoes on our own , if so some guidance would be good.

For the 4th, we wanted to do some hiking : easy - moderate....suggestions for trails etc. Anything that is a must do in the area will be great that we can do in the two days will be great.

Also, we plan to stay in the area overnight. Something closer to what we do on the 4th. We know we are pretty late for booking cabins etc. but suggestions for some possible options will be great! We are about 6-8 people so something like suites/cottages/cabins would work best.

Thanks much.

KP

Need advice for accomodation/things to do! 4th July w/e

For information about the park, including hiking and some lodging options inside the park:

http://www.nps.gov/shen/

You may also want to check out this great guide to the park that includes many of my favorite hikes and other information:

http://ajheatwole.com/guide/

Enjoy your trip, it sounds fun!

Need advice for accomodation/things to do! 4th July w/e

I clicked on your link for the canoe %26amp; cavern package, I am not familiar with the provider but it looks an interesting %26amp; fun package. Also noticed cabin rentals on the same site. You might want to see if Skyland or Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah National Park has availibility, unlikely but you never know. Check online (sometimes a call to the reservations center gets you better information, 800 999-4714) at www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/lodging.htm.

Dark Hollow Falls is one of the most popular hikes, nice scenic waterfall, 1 1/2 mi roundtrip, moderate, about 400%26#39; elevation change, trailhead at milepost 50.7 in the Big Meadows area.

Stop by one of the Visitors Centers and ask a ranger for trail suggestions, they are good at matching trails to your interests and abilities. Enjoy Skyline Drive and the beauty of SNP.

Happy trails

I second the Hetwole recommendation. It list all the trails with their length, time, and difficulty level. http://ajheatwole.com/guide/walk.htm#page58

I would also recommend Stonyman Nature Trail, Dark Hollow Falls, Bearfence Mountain, and Limberlost Trail. I would also recommend doing visit centers and a ranger program or two.

I would recommend contacting their park association organization @ http://www.snpbooks.org/. They offer a discount on most lodging and a discount at the caverns in Luray.

The atmosphere there is very laid back and low key.

We honeymooned there 26 years ago and have raised 3 daughters who love the park as much as we do. I%26#39;m sure you will have a pleasant visit