I lovely place to visit is you are in this area. The grounds are extensive. You can drive around…read morethe perimeter and stop in designated parking areas, which makes it more manageable to explore all the different parts of the Arboretum in one visit. There is a lively garden near the main building, which was so peaceful to walk through. Wonderful groves of all different kinds of David trees and the bamboo forest should not be missed! It was magical to walk through the tall bamboo.

I was late to enjoying the ginkgo garden but it's still beautiful. The facility was clean and…read moreorganize.

Often times, the national parks get the best territory and the states get leftovers. However, the…read moreShenandoah River State Park, down the mountain from well known Skyline Drive and its accompanying federal parkland, is by no means inferior. A rural drive leads to a visitor center, trails, an overlook, river access, and campgrounds. I had time for only a brief visit, but the views were majestic. It would be an excellent place to return for a hike. As with most of Virginia's state parks, there is a modest entrance fee, but I'm sure it's well worth it.

I travel and stay at a lot of parks during the course of the year, and I have only repeated a few…read moreof them. This location is incredible, rich with things to do, views to see, and adventures to have with enough time. The cabins are gorgeous, fair warning that there is no television, but honestly who cares?! I had great phone signal which almost never happens on these excursions, and I loved making a fire in my fireplace and sitting on the porch with coffee for sunrise, which I could see from Cabin 11. This cabin also was at the end and felt private, even though I could see my neighbors (who had set up Christmas lights! How fun!) There's also a wonderful hiking trail right by these cabins, 10 and 11, the Red Tail Ridge, that was semi-short (2.5 miles or so if desired to create a loop with Big Oak) and had views of the river and Shenandoah valley below!

The park is absolutely gorgeous and deserves a nice leisurly visit. There are many hiking trails…read morefor all technical levels. A lovely drive with scenic over looks. I recommend a few days stay but you can see it in a day if you are pressed for time. End to end the drive is around three hours plus stops. There are a number of 'cabins' for rent with gorgeous views. A full service restaurant is near by as well as a coffee shop. There are a few 'comfort stations' (restrooms) available along the driving route and picnic areas. Be sure to close the bear proof garbage bins securely! A ranger station and gift shop are located near the north entrance. A cafe, small convenience store and gift shop is located near camping. A gas station is near the south entrance. Check the NPS website for reservation and trail information and do make a plan to visit.

An amazing National Park, especially if you love hiking, camping, and/or amazing views of mountains…read moreand valleys. The main vein through the park is the Skyline Drive, accessible from any of the 4 (paid) park entrances. It's much longer than we anticipated. According to the National Park Service's website, on clear days, it takes about 3 hours to drive the whole thing! All along the Skyline Drive are spots to pull over and take in the stunning vistas. It really is beautiful on both sides of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A few of the spots are extra large and have bathrooms. I recommend looking up some maps of the different trails to plan your trip. We went with the Hawksbill Trail because it reaches the highest point and the views are not to be missed! My oldest friend goes every year with her family and they still are seeing new stuff, so don't be too hard on yourself if you don't see everything, but enjoy what you do; it's gorgeous.

Very nice fields. Am impressed by their condition. This is a bit odd pulling into. Large fences…read morewith barbed wire is unusual. Best guess is someone or a group of people, screwed it for the rest of us. Could enjoy more without that view. Parks and Recreation is, supposed to be a little more relaxing. That being said good picnic tables. Also if you have little ones, they will like the playground area. It should get them plenty tired. Luray definitely cares about its citizens, and this park is stellar for a town of its size. Well done. If you're in the area, you can play sports or watch them.

My children miss the old playground, thiers not many wood structures left, so to see it torn down…read morewas disappointing. The new playground is not bad and my kids love the zip line. However, I wish they would have made it more inclusive for children with disabilities.

I went on one of the monthly astronomy nights. The program was great and it was wonderful to see…read morethe stars at night I. This dark sky area. It was also exciting to look through the telescopes that many volunteers brought to share and see things like Jupiter and its moons, Venus in phase, and double stars! If you come for an astronomy nights, I recommend downloading an app about constellations and bringing a red light flashlight or using a red light app on your phone.

We stumbled upon this gem after visiting a nearby orchard. Just a gorgeous autumn afternoon to take…read morepictures. The Love sign is near the parking lot. We did not take advantage of the trails, but is definitely something to do in the future!

Nice trail to walk for yourself or your dog(s). Trail had interesting structures. Next to museum.read more

Huge park with large walking paths so bikes can get by you and dogs don't have to interact since…read morethere is enough room to pass. Beautiful scenery and my dogs even took a dip in the stream. Great experience. Will be back.

I lived in Winchester and close by surrounding area for about 10 years. Jim Barnett Park was always…read morea great place to go. It's changed a lot, as I went back recently for the first time in about 10 more years! They used to have putt putt, which we liked. Always fun to feed the geese and walk around the pond. A great place to take a very long or short walk. Many options. Many shelters available and most are in the shade. I remember playing handball in the building, where there's now a swimming pool. I don't remember that being there. Plus they updated their sports fields. A big and great park, right on the grounds with the Shenandoah University. (Which also has changed a lot). Due to a lot of parties at the shelters plus being close to the road, I hope they have a park clean up day. Not everyone is so respectful to the land.

Pro: walking trail, open fields, pool. Con: none…read more A good big park with trails and lot of space for your pet to run around and play. Also, has area of memorial monument dedicated to soldiers. Also, this park has a daycare and is next to a university. All in all, an ok place to visit and walk your pet.

Beautiful views, easy to find. Great spot for the sunrise and to see the fog ocean when it's there.read more

Beautiful trail just over a mile. Views were great. Moderate only based on rocks as one in our…read moreparty has bad knees.

A great hike that I would rate as intermediately challenging. No rock scrambling or anything like…read morethat, but it is quite steep for a while, one must be prepared. It's a popular spot at the top (stunning vistas of the park). I definitely recommend getting there early. We arrived in the afternoon and it was super crowded. Parking only on the side of Skyline Drive and then a 5-10 minute walk just to the trailhead. From the southern entrance to the park, it was about a 20 minute drive along Skyline Drive just to get here, so it does take some prep time before you even start hiking. As mentioned, it's a steep incline for most of the first half. What I loved the most was how many people coming down from the top would encourage you going up, saying "you're over halfway there," or "it's worth it; keep going!" and was nice to return the favor on our way down. Fast hikers can get to the top in 30 minutes, but most will need more. The views at the top are definitely worth the hike. Beautiful view of the Shenandoah Valley. There is a small shelter if it's raining, and a lovely little stone balcony overlook. There are enough outcroppings that you could have a small picnic. Word to the wise, make sure you have a plan for relieving yourself before the hike. There are no facilities. If you like beautiful views, hiking, or being out in nature, come check out the Hawksbill Trail.

We visited Hawksbill Trail via the trailhead off Skyline Drive. There is 860ft of elevation and…read more600ft happen in the first .5 mile. A bit of a doozy. If you go this way, make it to the top, and turn right, it's only another .1 mile to the summit. Beautiful views and very peaceful. Good place to stop for a lunch break. We got a little turned around though and ended up walking to another part of the trail when we were trying to do the loop. Overall, we like the part of the trail that we hiked.

Had an awesome outing on the Shenandoah, landed my personal best smallmouth, just shy of 19"!…read more And great conversation and knowledge of fishing and local waters, great experience and will book again soon!!

I booked a full-day guided fishing trip with Rivergoat Outfitters and it was time and money well…read morespent! We caught more fish than I could count, including several nice smallmouth bass, and some large sunnies. Brian was an excellent guide who put me on the fish, let me switch between spinning rods and fly rods, sorted me out when I got hung up, and engaged with me with some great conversation. The boat was top notch and was the perfect vessel for fishing a river like the Shenandoah too - it's got a jet propulsion engine that gets you anywhere you need to go, and Brian is ready on the oars to always ensure you are facing in the direction of the fish. I definitely plan to do another trip with Rivergoat in the future!