Often times, the national parks get the best territory and the states get leftovers. However, the Shenandoah 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. read more

Shenandoah River State Park - Parks Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

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I travel and stay at a lot of parks during the course of the year, and I have only repeated a few of 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! read more

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Even though it was pouring rain we had a wonderful time at the RV campground. Our campground hosts made sure all was perfect. The bathrooms and showers were clean. The campsites were large with great space making parking easy. And the adorable town of Luray is only 20 min away. read more

I wanted to get away for a weekend and luckily Shenandoah River State Park isn't a long drive away from where I live. I was lucky enough to find one tent campsite open during a long holiday weekend, but it was probably because it was a bit cold. Anyways, it was easy to get here. Once you get to the gate area, you'll see your name on an envelope which contains information about the park as well as your permit. I'm not sure if there's people there now because my trip out here was a few months ago. While the facilities were well kept, you can't drive up to your campsite and park there. My s/o and I are very prepared when it comes to camping so we tend to overpack, so I felt like wheeling all my stuff to my site was a little much. Definitely an inconvenience especially if there's not enough wagons to lug your stuff to and from the campsite. I will say, the facilities were really well kept in terms of the bathrooms, and the prices were not bad at all. I find them to be comparable to other places. It was pretty peaceful when I was there, and my dog seemed to like it. The campsites come with a little pit to start your fires, and even a bear safe. I had a great time with my family out here, and might come back if I'm packing a lot lighter next time. read more

Truly our favorite campsite thus far. From its location to the beautiful natural surroundings, the spotless restrooms, the accommodating hosts and the overall sense of calm while still having a level site with working hook ups, this place is perfection! read more

Taking a wild guess in finding a good campground. This place made it. It has all the basic amenities and really make this a comfortable visit. Having river access, trails, bathhouse and more. We wanted to rough it and stay out of cell signal and this is the place. Plenty of wildlife and plants to look at. Only complaint is the firewood offered is wet and is a real pain to burn. Definitely will come back. read more

Situated along the picturesque banks of its namesake, the Shenandoah River State Park has over 1,600 acres of recreation for the whole family! My boys and I parked at Culler's Overlook and were immediately welcomed by an incredible view to the west. We hopped on the easy 0.5 mile Overlook Trail to the visitor's center and then the moderate 0.5 mile Hemlock Hollow Trail down to the canoe launch parking area. The parking area at the end of Hemlock Hollow is expansive and has quite a few tables for a picnic. The canoe launch is about 100 yards from a 15 minute pickup and drop off zone. Was disappointed to see some people couldn't walk their trash to one of the many trash cans, instead opting to leave garbage on their tables. This park has a LOT to offer, and we were only able to scratch the surface during our visit! Can't wait to make it back and see the rest of its sites. read more

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Nicest park outside of the National Parks. Plenty of shelter for parties and they have restrooms as well.

I really enjoyed camping at this park with my family! Pros: 1. Clean, very clean 2. Sites are large and private 3. Camping sites are on rocks and have two picnic tables, fire pit with grill and a separate grill. 4. River access at camp sites 5. Visitor center is beautiful and worth a visit 6. Scheduled activities with park rangers 7. Views, hiking, RV, cabins, yurt is available 8. Online reservation 9. Ease of check in and check out 10. Clean bathrooms and showers 11. Wagons to carry your stuff from car to camp site 12. Fire wood available in walking distance on honor system put money in slot Cons: 1. park ranger staff inside visitor center could be friendlier. 2. No trash cans in bathroom 3. No pool We really enjoyed our stay and I am spoiled. read more

Absolutely Beautiful! Bears , Deer , Rabbits, Eagles , Fish , Mountains , galore! Beautiful Park! Extremely Clean, Safe w/ regular patrols! Camp Grounds, Picnic Areas and a Visitor Center! Go check it out today! read more

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Interesting story about this park. Some 20 years ago we used to camp along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in a campground in the George Washington National Forest called Hazards Mill - just a bit south of where this park is. To get to Hazards Mill - one had to drive down Indian Hollow Road, cross the South Fork on the low water bridge, make a left and pass through a good bit of private land. A lot of locals would go down to this area on weekend evenings and party and make a hell of a racket - so much so that the locals petitioned to have access to the National Forest through their land closed. I was out exploring today and on the way down - I came across Shenandoah River State Park - it did not exist back in the 1980s when we used to camp at Hazards Mill. I had heard of Shenandoah River State Park though - even though I thought it was made up at the time. I was watching an episode of NCIS - in that episode - a Marine was found dead in Shenandoah River State Park. Enough rambling. It's a very nice park. And apparently very popular. This weekend they were having some sort of event called "Parkfest" and the park was packed with visitors, campers, picnickers, and sightseers. At the entrance station to the park - a park ranger handed me some information about the park. I then stopped in to the Visitor Center to look around. I asked the ranger at the front information desk how long the park had been open - she stated it opened in 1999. There are shirts and other park paraphernalia for sale at the Visitor Center. And very clean and well maintained restrooms. I then drove down toward the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. A park ranger flagged me down at the stop sign/T-intersection to advise me where to park - as there was not many places left to park as there were so many people in the park. I advised him I was just doing a drive through since it was so crowded. I also stopped at Cullers Overlook in the park and got out to check out the vistas/views of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and the Massanutten Mountains to the west. Pretty view! Nice park - would love to come back in the Fall and camp and fish for a couple of days! read more

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This "state" park (not to be confused with the national park) is fantastic! Beautiful all around, super clean, campsites are nice and big. Went the week before Labor Day weekend. Stayed there 4 nights/5days, and had a blast (#31 & #28). Both campsites are steps away from the trails which literally runs along the river. Bathrooms were very close, with laundry services available too. Picnic table, and fire pit in every campsite. Has electric hookup for 50 & 30amp. It says only 50amp on the reservation site, but there is 30 amp as well. Water hookup as well. Firewood can be purchased (on honor system) for $6 a bundle cash. Cell service is fine for T-Mobile. Had no problem streaming movies via Netflix through a projector onto a screen to have movies under the stars. The sites along the trails and river are absolutely beautiful. Brought our e-bikes and rode along practically all of them. I would be cautious on riding regular bikes on the trails, as on the sheets it rates some of them as moderate or easy for bikes, but they are more on the difficult side. We had e-bikes thank god as you do need that extra power to get through the trails at times. Can't imagine how hard it would be on regular bikes. The river itself is amazing. Just down the trail is a place that rents tubes, kayaks, etc. $30 per tube. It takes about 2.5-3 hours to float down the river. Or if you have your own, there's river access points along the trail. We tubed it, and it was so relaxing. The state park visitor center has souvenirs and small items you can purchase. We stopped at the Walmart nearby (about 10-15 mins drive away) to stock up on groceries and other items. Nearest gas station is about a 10-15 min ebike ride away. It is nice and peaceful. Well worth it. Would stay again! read more

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Nice little state park. Do not confuse with Shenandoah National Park. Trails are all easy to moderate difficulty. PDF map available at http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/trail-guide-shenandoahriver.pdf The best thing there is the zipline tour run by Virginia Canopy Tours. Check that out for some serious fun. read more

My wife and I went this morning and the park overall is very nice and very well maintained. The staff at the entrance were very nice and welcoming and the views on a clear day are amazing. Don't forget to snap a picture on your way out at the lookout point. Entrance fee was $10 for our car. The trails are very well kept and wide enough for people to keep a moderate amount of distance from one another. My wife and I decided to walk along the blue trail and fish at spots all along the river. We started at the main parking lot and worked our way around to the RV section of the park. All along the trail there are multiple water/river access points and we were very surprised about how clear and clean the water looked. We saw lots of people swimming or floating down the river, and it did not look deep at all. Maybe waist or thigh high, but I'm sure there are deeper spots. Tents and Yurts: The tent camping spots have their own access road and you have to park in a medium sized lot and walk to your camp site. There is firewood right at the entrance and it seemed like you paid using the honor system. Towards the end of the area, you will see the yurts. Note that there is a walking trail that passes fairly close to each of the tent sites as well as the yurt sites. Not a big deal since most camping sites are like that, but if you're looking for complete seclusion, this might not be the spot for you. Cabins: The cabins are tucked away at the other end of the park near the RVs. There seems to be a decent amount of space between the cabins and they looked very well maintained. There is a very nice trail near the entrance for the cabins that leads you through a field of wild flowers and butterflies. It's really nice and there are sitting spots along the trail. I can't remember the trail name, but the trail head has only three parking spots. The only reason this park did not get 5 stars was because once we got to the main parking area, we were blasted with loud thumping Hispanic music. I'm all for playing music and relaxing outside, but the music was obnoxiously loud. Like concert loud, which made it hard to enjoy the park in that area. I'm guessing this park doesn't have any type of noise restrictions and I actually read another Google review about this issue, but I didn't think it would be that loud. Thankfully, the park is fairly large and we couldn't hear the music once we were on the trails or near the tent/yurt camping area. If you're looking for a more secluded area to picnic, there is a separate picnic area right before the road that leads into the tent camping area, near the second bathroom station. It actually said it was reserved, but we didn't see anyone there all day and it was completely empty. Overall it was a nice park and we enjoyed our time there. We plan on coming back and tent camping this fall. Probably mountain bike around the trails as well. If you're in the area you should definitely stop by and enjoy the park. Final note for those who fish: You can't really fish near the main parking lot. There are lots of people swimming in the river and the land fishing spots nearby are near picnic tables, which are packed with people already using them. You need to walk down the trails to access the river. If you're thinking you can just get out of your car and start fishing, be prepared to be disappointed. If you have swimming shoes and shorts, I would walk right into the river and fish while walking in the river. read more

Visited the Shenandoah River State Park today. Great place for open field searches. Dog friendly with a great view of trees and the river. Great place to bring your horde or 4 legged critters. read more

Great place! They have zip lining and cabins, along with lots of other amenities! Check it out!

Beautiful campground with the cleanest restrooms we have ever seen camping. Not sure if it was just our timing, but the cleanliness of this campground was commendable. We stayed here since we came in the closed season for camping in the National Park and it was very convenient and beautiful. We were car camping, and the spot was well kept and steps down a path was the river where we started our morning with coffee as the sun shone over the water. We didn't explore the park further this trip except to drive up to the overlook which provided a stunning vista of the river and the valley with George Washington National Forrest. Would recommend staying here. read more

This is a very nice campground that opened in 2009. Our family stayed in the River Right Primitive Campground (about 11 tent-only sites) that has wagons so you can cart your stuff from the parking lot to your site. Four of the sites are close to the river while the other sites are secluded and provide lots of privacy. We stayed in site #7, which was close to the Bathhouse. If you travel with young kids (we have two sons who are 7 and 5 yrs old ), proximity to restrooms is key unless you enjoy the stink of urine near your tents. Although there are no garbage cans near the campsite, you can dropoff your trash at Culler's Overlook (which has a large bear-proof latch door trash bin), which is located inside the park. We liked the location, which is just 10 miles away from Front Royal, VA, where you can get delicious frozen custard (Spelunker's) or ice bags for sale at the 7-11 just north of the Skyline Drive entrance. This park is only a 1 hour drive from DC, but feels far away because of the scenic mountains and rural setting. Some tent sites have lots of poison ivy, so it is better to avoid straying from the dirt paths!!! In August, it was humid at night and uncomfortable. If you prefer a night of sleeping comfortably, I would recommend coming here in the spring or early fall when it is not hot and humid. Camping in August reminded us how difficult life in the summer must have been in the Washington DC area before air conditioning was invented. We liked Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park where the temperature was about 10 degrees cooler at 3,500 feet elevation (Thornton Gap entrance near Luray). Swimming is not great in this area. The Shenandoah River is very shallow and algae-filled at this location. In the Fish Trap area, you can find a stronger current and rocky pools where you can sit to cool off. Our family did this on the first day, but I noticed most people do not swim in the river perhaps because of the algae. Canoeing, kayaking, and tubing seemed to be more popular activities on the river. read more

This is my absolute favorite camping place, and I've stayed at quite a lot. My dad and I have been coming here for a 4 day weekend every summer for about the past 12 years. We've seen many changes within the campground. The addition of nice bathrooms and showers within walking distance of your site was definitely a nice touch :) you used to have to drive to one of the picnic areas to use a flushing toilet, which wasn't convenient if you had to go in the middle of the night. The campsites fill up on the weekends, so we like to get there sometime on Thursday when there's less people so we have a night of peace and quiet before too many families arrive. This also allows us to have our pick of some of the better spots with the most privacy and closest river accesses. The river is usually about waist deep and so great for wading out into to fish, though it does get pretty deep in a few spots. We always catch tons of fish, but don't eat too many or you may get mercury poisoning. The campground has two different private river accesses, or you can take a 1 min car ride down to the public picnic areas where the is a canoe launch. The campsites are nice bc they're not so packed together that you feel like you have no privacy like in some other campgrounds I've been too. There are many nice hikes throughout the campground of varying difficulty levels. But be careful, I've seen a few copperheads around. Almost stepped on one once when I was little bc they camouflage so well. It's a short drive to a scenic overlook, which also provides dumpsters so you don't have to keep trash near your camp and attract animals. The visitor center has been recently remodeled and looks great. If you leave the park and take a right, after about a mile or so drive is a small gas station where you can buy ice and worms for fishing, they're not available at the visitor center unless they've added that since last summer. I'll be going again next week so if they have I'll update. It's about 20-25 min away from the nearest town so if there's bad weather you can go spend some time there, there's shopping and restaurants, also a walmart if you run out of snacks, drinks, etc. This was especially nice last year when I forgot to pack my sleeping bag and pillows :) it's also not too far from skyline drive and some cool caverns if you're looking for more to do. Ok so an update. Just got back from a 3-day trip here (July 2014), and as always the place was amazing and clean. What really caught my attention was the addition of a zip line! It's still under construction, but I look forward to using it next summer! read more

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This is easily one of the best campgrounds I've been to in VA and surrounding states. We camped in a 35' travel trailer over the weekend. The campground is relatively small, secluded, and extremely well maintained. Our camp spot easily fit our trailer. It appeared that every camp spot could accommodate our trailer and more. The spots are level and clean, which is so nice to see. They are very private too. One of the previous reviewers said it best, a typical (and more expensive) campground would have fit 4-5 spots between the ones in this campground. The campground also has several cabins, which looked nice and accommodating. The camp has several activities over the weekend for campers. On Friday night, they had a ranger-led campfire. On Saturday and Sunday they had tubing. We didn't know about this before we arrived, but wish we had. It would have saved us a whole bunch of money (we had previously scheduled a trip with one of the outfitters in town). There are several trails and access to the river within walking distance of the campsites. I saw a sign for a zip-line, but we didn't participate. If I have to mention anything negative, it would be about the bathrooms and showers. The facilities are nice and clean. However, there is absolutely no ventilation or air flow. On a 90 degree + day, that means it's at least 10 degrees hotter in the bathroom and shower. All in all, this place was great! We'll be back for sure next time we're camping in the Shenandoah Valley. It doesn't get much better! read more

We rented a couple of cabins for a mini family get together at Shenandoah River State Park. It was centrally located for all of us--only a couple of hours drive for everyone (from opposite directions). The cabins were outstanding and they were what we expected (I think they are nearly identical to the cabins at James River State Park). I posted several photos of/from the cabin we stayed in (Cabin 4). Cabin 4 had views of the river, but our other cabin (6) did not. The leaf-off views were amazing, but it was ridiculously cold and windy. If you visit in the winter, bring the right apparel! Bring coffee filters if you plan on using the coffee maker. Other VA State park cabins have them, but maybe they are just left there from previous campers and not actually provided by the park. I had to resort to instant coffee. We are planning to return in early spring or late fall of 2011. read more

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The amount of rain we've had this summer, specifically in the last 60 days has been historical. You can see the impact here at the Shenandoah River State Park. There is no lazy river tubing today my friends. There is only raging, rushing water taking down anything in its path. It's amazing. I drove around and got out a couple times near the picnic area to take pictures. What a great place to bring your family for a cookout. Water fountains and grills, tables and shelters. I saw a boat launch neaby as well. Next I hit the visitors center and bought some t shirts. The view is nice from there but the plants are pretty invasive and it was hard to see the whole building even when I was right in front of it. Maybe it's only due to the weather (rain and high humidity), that no one has trimmed up the area. I can understand that. It's been a rough summer this year. If it wasn't raining, it was 105° + humidity. Unbearable to be outdoors at times. I stopped off at Cullers Overlook. It was a beautiful scene. Trailhead here. Also when I started to pull out of the area a cute little bear cub went running by. He was so tiny!!! But fast though. One eye blink and he was gone. I drove out to the horse and camping area and started my trail there. Lots of parking! I hiked 7.48 miles. It was very enjoyable. The legend said it was difficult but I didn't find it to be so. I did bear bottom to big oak to shale to cullers. I will definitely come back and hike more trails. They were very well maintained and you'd be hard pressed to get lost. The trails are color coded and maps are available at the ranger station. $5 to get in on a weekend for a day. Ok for horseback and mountain biking. #findyourpark #Vastateparks are the best parks! read more

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This is a quiet secret that will probably be common knowledge by 2012. Go now! Cabins are brand new and outstanding. Hiking trails are well maintained, fairly easy. Staff is wonderful (my daughter had first tick of season in the park). Dog loved running the fields. Drawback: a swimming pool would be great, but then, this IS the wilderness! This is practically in Northern Virginia's backyard. Go. read more

Shenandoah River State Park - They ball it doggy las Vegas - Parks Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

Customer service is decently bad. And now it's making me write more in order to post so yeah that's what I'm doing

The Mister's favorite fishing spot is here in Shenandoah River State Park. He says I can't tell you where it is, but we catch fish pretty consistently. Skyline gets all the attention around here, but SRSP is an under appreciated little gem. Word to the wise: go the speed limit on your way in. Those hills are no joke, but neither are the cops who will be waiting for you. read more

Horrible waste of money. Yurts are literally 5ft of entrance to hiking and riding paths. Had 2 night reservations, left after one night. It would be more relaxing to camp in middle of a metro station. Worst experience in a state park in over thirty years read more

When I think of a cabin getaway, I think roughing it. Like bring your own EVERYTHING because all the cabin will have is firewood and a stripped cot for a bed. I'm all for roughing it, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving at SRSP. Talk about luxurious!! These cabins can't be more than 5 years old. They are spacious, clean, and you want for nothing but food. Two bedrooms, an open concept living room/kitchen/dining area, and bathroom with shower. They even have towels despite the website saying otherwise. We had a fantastic time lazing in front of the fire, unplugging completely (no tv or wireless), grilling, playing board and card games, going for hikes with our pups, and enjoying the scenery. We even made fondue one night which was a blast! Of course, we had our own fondue pot. The cabins are just $79 a night plus a one-time $10 pet fee if you choose to bring your dogs. You will have to purchase firewood if you go during the colder months-$4 for about 10 sticks of wood. Be sure to bring all your own food. They supply almost all the cooking ware and utensils you will need, but if you plan on grating any cheese, be sure to bring your own cheese grater. I ended up using a vegetable peeler to grate my cheese which worked just fine. I recommend consulting the website for what to bring-it is comprehensive and tells you what you should and should not bring. SRSP was the perfect place to stay while visiting the surrounding wineries that are a bit too far for a day trip from the DC area. It was ridiculously cheap, super enjoyable, and oh so relaxing. And the best part for me was being able to bring our pups along for the ride. They had an absolute blast! I will definitely be back to stay during the warmer months--river kayaking and tubing is just down the road! read more

When I walked into Cabin 11 for the first time, I was completely blown away. I really expected the cabin to come minimally furnished, with old appliances and windows, especially because of the low price I was paying. But the cabin was fantastic-- it was rustic, but completely furnished and clearly pretty new. There was even an outdoor deck and firepit. I couldn't have been happier. The cabin became a home away from home. In addition, the state park has beautiful views and a bunch of trails that run along the Shenandoah River. If I had gone in the summer, I'm sure it would have been even prettier! Everything in the area is a bit of drive, but the park was in a pretty central location for the things we were doing. The only thing that bugged me a little was the fact that I didn't get any service. I don't mean one bar or two. I mean that I literally got no cell phone service. While this was a boon in some ways, it would have been nice to get in touch with my parents, as well as my cousin who lives in the area. That being said, Verizon was the only carrier that had problems. A few of the others on my trip had AT&T and they were fine. read more

Go camping in style! I went camping in Shenandoah River State Park this weekend and it was such a blast! The park is located approximately 1 hour from Centreville, VA (allow more time on Friday night when people are on their way to Nissan Pavilion) so it's an easy weekend getaway. There is one campsite available for large groups (up to 30 people, reserve in advance, approximately $135 for a weekend), and a number of smaller campsites available to whoever gets them first :). You're also allowed to bring pets. All of the sites are located along the edge of the river where you can go fishing, kayaking, canoing etc, plus take some awesome photographs. The campgrounds are also driving distance to some other canoing places, Skyline Caverns, and Luray Caverns. The campgrounds come equipped with a few outhouses and a really nice bathhouse. The bathhouse has electricity, 4 really large shower rooms, nice toilets, plus it's cleaned every day by the rangers. If you forget to bring anything or need a fishing license, K-Mart is about 10 minutes away. And ladies, take note - it was the guys who mainly did all the cooking! (somehow, camping brings the culinary passions out in guys!). One of the guys in my group brought 2 dutch ovens with him and cooked up the most amazing dinners (Thai Green Curry and rice, and a fruit cobbler). So, if you want to eat well while camping, invest in a dutch oven or two and eat like a king :) :). read more

I had a really great time here. This place is conveniently located but you still get that outdoor feel that is sometimes missing from typical "family friendly" campgrounds. We also spent a day canoeing, which I highly recommend. They drive you up the river so that when you finish the trip you are right back at camp. Along the way there are a bunch of fun rope swings and small cliffs for jumping. We were lucky enough to see a beaver! If you live in DC, you have no excuse not to visit! read more

Shenandoah River State Park - rope swing - Parks Near Me - Bentonville, Virginia

Awesome cabins. And so easy to get to from the DC Area, where we live. We've camped a ton on the West Coast, especially in Norcal, and have had varying levels of success when it came to cabins. First off, to reserve a cabin took months of careful preparation. Then, when you finally booked a cabin, the cost was rather expensive, considering that for your money, you got a shelter, typically with a wood-burning stove, no electricity, no indoor plumbing, and byob (bring your own bed). As much as we love 'roughing it," finding cabins as nice at the ones in Shenandoah River State Park, with a full kitchen, deck, fireplace, heat, sheets on the bed...it felt like we were staying at a resort! It's also in a great location for exploring the nearby national park, or if you just want to do short hikes within the park, visit civil war sites, go to the caverns, visit wineries, etc. So many things to do within a short drive of the campground. We'll definitely be back. read more

Location is perfect- ten minutes from town and the entrance to Shenandoah NP and fifteen from Luray Caverns. This park has virtually no amenities but some spots to go in/out of the river, but the campground is absolutely fantastic! Clean, huge sites, w/e hookups, perfect roads (no potholes, great clearance), is very well maintained, and park staff are friendly! I will definitely be back! read more

We stayed at the campground in our 35' Class A RV. This is one of the nicest, best maintained and most private campgrounds we have seen. The sites are large, clean and very far apart from each other (a typical mom n pop campground would pack 5 RVs into the space that this place provided for 1). The campground is right on the Shenandoah river and the river is accessible by a path that runs the full length. We were able to bring our own tubes, walk up the path a mile, wade into the river and tube down for 45 minutes at a time,,then repeat. Our site had 50 amp and water, no pump out on the pad, had to pump out at the entrance to the campground before we left. All in all, I would give this location a 10 for campers. It doesn't get much better than this. read more

The positive reviews sold us, but we may have gone toward Harpers Ferry except for the weather forecast that convinced us to visit this area instead. Two adults, two kids 9 and 11. We only went for the hiking, but we managed to also drop down into a small secluded area on the river and swim a little while in our skivvies before finishing up the hike. What a nice experience. The weather was super warm today, and the river was just right. We drove past the main cabins and they all looked well maintained, however we didn't see the inside because we were only on a day trip. The visitor center is very helpful, but they closed before 5PM (on a Saturday), which we thought was a little odd. So beware, if you need to refill your water bottles after your hike or use the toilet, make sure to check the visitor center hours BEFORE you leave out on your hike, or you could be disappointed when you finish your loop. read more

Pros: View, hiking, clean river, ample parking Cons: Can't recall seeing a bathroom We ended up visiting the state park, not on purpose, but by mistake. And a great mistake it was!! We planned on driving the National Park, but it happened that just before we left the government went on strike (thank you US government). We had to improvise and we searched the area via the GPS for something close. I really suggest going to the park just for the view. There are several lots when you enter the park. The best view is front the lot at the top. You can get out and walk to the lookoff. There you'll find stunning views of the mountains, river and farm lands. You couldn't paint a prettier picture if you tried. If you are interested in hiking, head down the remainder of the road into the park to a large parking lot at the end. There you connect with a trail (we went left from the parking lot) and you'll follow the river on a very scenic stretch of path. If this location had good washroom facilities it would have easily gotten a 5 star rating. I highly recommend this park if you're from out of state. Its picture perfect!! read more

A day of family adventures and fun. Our main destination was Luray Caverns, always a fun experience and beautiful sights. After, we decided to take a tour drive around the area. Caught site of the Shenandoah River state entrance and decided to take a look. You paid at the entrance $7 per vehicle. You have options to camp, hike, fish, kayaking and many more. You will see park rangers all around and making their appearance for safety. We landed near the river and was able to take a dip in the water. Yes, spontaneous but well prepared. I always carry extra cloth. The water is great for toddlers and children. Several families were stationed at different picnic areas. Many brought their own grills and chairs. Plenty of parking, and restrooms on site. I noticed a lot of people canoeing Something I would love to do. Their are plenty of walking trails, unfortunately we did not have the chance to stay long since the rain snuck in. We plan to come back to enjoy the full experience. They do enforce keeping the park clean, so make sure you clean up after yourself. It's a great place so keep it clean for others. read more

I'm quite sorry somebody had to mention a lil mercury.For a few years [65] years ago a small amount[very small] and kinda passed little warnings decades ago.I drinkit and eat the fish.np. Freddie Duncan read more

Went for a hike here just this past weekend. I took my dog and did an 8 mile loop that included parts of the Bear Bottom Loop, Cullers Trail, River Trail and a few others. It's just starting to get to that time of year where the leaves are changing so it was a really beautiful hike with some great views. This park has some of the most clearly marked trails and trail blazes I've ever seen. It would be virtually impossible to get lost here because of how easy the trails are to navigate. The trails were also clear of any knocked over trees, which is nice. I'd say really the only negative about this park is that they allow horses on the hiking trails. For the entire hike I was dodging piles of horse poo that showed up at least once every 50-100 yards on the trail. There's signs everywhere that say that you need to pick up after your pet (dogs) but nothing about picking up horse droppings? I realize that's a much bigger task but still it doesn't really make sense. Either way, this was a great, cheap park that I'd absolutely recommend. read more

There is no better getaway in the metro DC area. Repeat, there is no better getaway in the metro DC area. The park is large, ample camping lots for RV and primitive camping. Plenty of hiking trails. Access to the Shenandoah River. And only a 1.5 hour drive from DC. And if you need to load up on drinking material, several wineries are along the way. Forget Skyline Drive. read more

I went here around March of last year and stayed at one of the cabin. The cabin was so nice and clean, and it looked new. We hiked a little bit but it was cold so we didn't get to do a lot of activities. We spent most of our time relaxing by the fire. There are not that many cabins so please book ahead. The prices are very reasonable too. read more