It's a thoroughly American word, pregnant with meaning and rich in history. First and foremost, the name Shenandoah conjures up a legendary river, one that flows through America's past in song, print, and folklore. And the valley that bears its name is easily the most beautiful in Virginia, an idyllic landscape of rolling hills and pastures, bounded by mountains on either side and bisected by the majestic river. Maybe it's Shenandoah's serpentine shape, the fact that it parallels a river, or the famous motorway that bisects the park, but this is a park meant for motion.
People come here to paddle, to bike and drive, and, of course, to hike.
For on top of everything else there is to do in and around Shenandoah, a certain hiking path know as the Appalachian Trail just happens to run for 100 miles through the entire park. Chances are you won't be able to see and do everything you planned when visiting Shenandoah, but you won't be alone if you feel the need to return again and again. Move on to Top Park Picks Return to Top Johnny Molloy is the author of our Shenandoah introduction and various activity picks. Johnny is an outdoor writer based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The author of a dozen books and numerous magazine and Web articles, Johnny spends over 100 nights in the wild each year, backpacking and canoe camping around the United States and abroad.