Entrance station · Shenandoah National Park
The north gate starts Skyline Drive at mile zero.
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 area
The Vulture's Wobble“If you see a big dark bird rocking from side to side above an overlook, watch how it holds its wings. A shallow V and that wobbly glide are clues to a turkey vulture, a year-round resident here.”
Plays on the road 0.6 mi from Front Royal Entrance Station in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Front Royal Entrance Station is Shenandoah's northern vehicle gate and the start of Skyline Drive at mile 0. It’s a staffed entry stop, not a viewpoint, so keep it brief unless you need information. The road heads south along the Blue Ridge for 105 miles.
Use the park’s Front Royal directions instead of relying on GPS; the park warns its directions can send drivers astray. Mileposts on the right help you locate overlooks, trails, dining and lodging along the drive. Dickey Ridge Visitor Center at mile 4.6 is the better first stop if you want ranger information, guides, books and an orientation film.
Skyline Drive was built between 1931 and 1939 along the Blue Ridge crest. Driving the full road takes about three hours on a clear day, so treat this as the start of a longer outing; the gate is mainly where the trip begins.
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
EasyDickey Ridge Trail2.7 mi · 2.2 hr · 0.3 mi awayA streamside walk with a bridge and old homestead traces.
EasyFox Hollow Trail1.2 mi · 1 hr · 2.2 mi awayA short loop through a former mountain homestead.
ModerateSnead Farm Loop3.7 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA 3.7-mile loop to the Snead barn and a west-facing ridge view.
ChallengingAppalachian Trail through Shenandoah101.2 mi · 2.3 days · 3.7 mi awayA 101-mile walk on the white-blazed Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah.
EasyLands Run Falls Hike1.3 mi · 1.5 hr · 4.8 mi awayA quick gravel-road walk to falls that may run dry.
ModerateHickerson Hollow Trail2.1 mi · 1.8 hr · 4.8 mi awayA short forest walk past old homesites in a quiet hollow.
Scenic pullout · 1 mi awayShenandoah Valley OverlookAn easy pullout for a north-facing view across Shenandoah Valley.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayFox Hollow CemeteryA few gravestones hold a mountain family's story.
Visitor center · 2.3 mi awayDickey Ridge Visitor CenterYour best first stop for ranger advice, maps, and ridge views.
Picnic area · 2.5 mi awayDickey Ridge Picnic GroundsA shaded lunch stop with a 1930s motorist retreat behind it.
Scenic pullout · 2.9 mi awayNo Name OverlookA quick Skyline Drive stop for Shenandoah Valley views.
Scenic pullout · 3.2 mi awaySignal Knob OverlookA sunset pull-in above the Shenandoah’s looping river and layered ridges.
Sight · 3.2 mi awaySnead FarmWalk to a white barn and stone farmstead remains.
Scenic pullout · 4.3 mi awayGooney Run OverlookTry the north end for river bends across Browntown Valley.Parkwolf’s Shenandoah ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
