Parking
Park at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and cross Skyline Drive to the signed trailhead opposite it. Check the road status before driving to the trail in winter.
Overview
About Snead Farm Loop
Why go
- The barn, root cellar and home-site traces give the walk a clear purpose.
- A west-facing overlook adds an open view to the wooded ridge.
Heads up
- Most of the route is wooded, so the views are intermittent.
- The published short barn turnback distance conflicts with the mapped access.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Shenandoah map
Full mapElevation1,864–2,398 ft
TrailheadSnead Farm Loop trailhead across Skyline Drive from Dickey Ridge Visitor Center38.87184, -78.20370
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Shenandoah alerts
- ClosureOld Rag Trailhead main lot closedThe Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot is closed to vehicles and pedestrians for infrastructure improvements; use the existing overflow lots. - Work is expected to be completed by November 2026.Official details
- ClosureBackcountry camping and zone closuresBackcountry camping is prohibited on the Appalachian Trail from Lewis Mountain to Big Meadows, and the Naked Creek backcountry zone is closed.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Shenandoah Tour Guide
Your drive to Snead Farm Loop, narrated.
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 trailhead
Dickey Ridge: Maps, Lodge History and a Short Walk0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, a useful stop for maps, ranger advice and valley views around the building.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Shenandoah Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Signal Knob Overlook: River Bends and a Wartime Lookout
- Shenandoah Valley Overlook: Signal Knob and Front Royal
- The Vulture's Wobble
- Gooney Run Overlook: Follow the Valley
- 146 audio storiesacross Shenandoah’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 163 trails, 142 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Snead Farm Loop
The loopSnead Farm Loop is a 3.7-mile circuit from across Skyline Drive by Dickey Ridge Visitor Center.
Snead Farm Loop is a 3.7-mile circuit from across Skyline Drive by Dickey Ridge Visitor Center. It follows Dickey Ridge Trail to Snead Farm Road, visits the former farmstead, then takes Snead Farm Loop Trail and the ridge path back to close the circuit. Allow about 2½ hours; the circuit gains about 580 feet. Choose it for the farm history and a wooded ridge walk, with a west-facing overlook as a bonus.
Find the farm turnStart on Dickey Ridge Trail and turn onto Snead Farm Road for the barn.
Start on Dickey Ridge Trail and turn onto Snead Farm Road for the barn. After the farm, continue on Snead Farm Loop Trail to its lower Dickey Ridge junction, then turn right for the return. Follow the Snead Farm directions at the junction rather than continuing past the farm turn. A shorter barn out-and-back is possible, but its published short-route mileage does not match the mapped access; use the trail map to plan that option.
The former farmOld apple orchards and farmland surround the Snead family barn.
Old apple orchards and farmland surround the Snead family barn. The root cellar, stone foundation and steps mark more of the former homesite, so leave a few minutes to look around rather than treating the barn as a quick turnaround. This is a walk through farm remains, not a restored attraction.
The ridge returnThe Snead Farm Loop section narrows to dirt trail.
The Snead Farm Loop section narrows to dirt trail. Dickey Ridge Trail is mostly wooded, with intermittent glimpses and a west-facing overlook that opens the view. That overlook is the route's best long look beyond the trees; the rest of the walk is more about the farm and forest than continuous scenery.
Access and footingThe loop is listed for year-round hiking.
The loop is listed for year-round hiking. Park at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and cross Skyline Drive to the signed trailhead opposite it. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. The park entrance fee applies, but the hike requires no reservation or separate activity fee. The route gains about 580 feet and does not meet ADA accessibility guidelines; check Skyline Drive status before a winter visit.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Shenandoah
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.
