Picnic area · Shenandoah National Park
A shady picnic stop with a small Civilian Conservation Corps story.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Shenandoah National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Shenandoah audio tourRecorded for this place
Dundo Picnic Grounds: Lunch at an Old CCC Camp“Dundo Picnic Grounds is coming up, a leafy clearing for a picnic rather than a mountain view. Bring a ready-to-eat meal and your own water; fires and grills aren't permitted here.”
Plays as you drive up to Dundo Picnic Grounds in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
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Guide
Dundo Picnic Grounds is a day-use picnic area at mile 83.7, in a leafy clearing alongside Skyline Drive. It is a place to pause for a meal, not a viewpoint; Dundo Overlook is a separate nearby stop. The grounds are listed open year-round, though weather closures on Skyline Drive can cut off access.
There is no water here, no food service is listed, and fires and grills are not permitted. Picnic tables and a vault toilet are available. Accessible picnic sites are offered across the park, but the specific setup at Dundo is not described.
The picnic grounds occupy the site of a 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps camp. A sign at Dundo identifies it as Camp NP-27, moved into Shenandoah from Grottoes, Virginia. It is a small piece of the site's history to look for while you stop.
Wildlife
325 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
21 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
1,036 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
167 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
93 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Shenandoah. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateJones Run Falls Hike3.2 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.5 mi awayA wooded descent to a 42-foot cascade, then an uphill return.
ModerateLewis Peak via Rockytop Trail9.1 mi · 5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA long, rocky ridge hike earns an open summit ledge.ChallengingBrowns Gap Waterfall Circuit6.5 mi · 7.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayThree waterfalls, a full-day loop, and a steep Jones Run climb.
ChallengingRockytop–Big Run Portal Loop13.4 mi · 9 hr · 0.6 mi awayA rugged loop over Rockytop with talus views and stream crossings.
EasyBlackrock Summit Loop1 mi · 1 hr · 1.2 mi awayA one-mile circuit to a boulder slope and Shenandoah views.
ModerateBig Run Portal via Big Run Loop5.4 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayA flexible backcountry trip with repeated Big Run crossings.
ChallengingSouth District Highlights in 7 Days59.1 mi · 1.6 days · 2.3 mi awayA rugged weeklong loop of waterfalls, river valleys, and rocky ridges.ChallengingJones Run, Furnace Mountain, and Big Run Circuit21.9 mi · 4 days · 2.3 mi awayA four-day circuit linking three waterfalls and Big Run valley.
Scenic pullout · 0.2 mi awayDundo OverlookA quick pullout for Massanutten and the valley beyond.Sight · 0.8 mi awayJones Run FallsA 42-foot cascade; save energy for the uphill return.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayDoyles River FallsTwo waterfalls, a forest stream, and a long climb back out.
Scenic pullout · 1.6 mi awayDoyles River OverlookA south-facing cove view with a history worth pausing for.Sight · 1.6 mi awayBlackrock SummitA short loop to a boulder summit and a wide Shenandoah view.
Lodging · 2.3 mi awayDoyles River CabinA CCC cabin stay with a porch over Cedar Mountain.
Scenic pullout · 2.3 mi awayBig Run OverlookA Skyline Drive overlook with a public seasonal photo station.
Scenic pullout · 2.5 mi awayTrayfoot Mountain OverlookA quick Skyline Drive pullout for layered mountain views.Parkwolf’s Shenandoah ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
