Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park (, often ) is a national park of the United States that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The site is 6 mi southeast of Stanley. This is a site of the National Park Service. Over 2025, 1.7M visitors passed through.
A national park, 6 mi southeast of Stanley
October is the busiest month
October averages about 324,399 visitors, 15.5 times January. When to go ↓
You can sleep inside the park
17 places to stay are inside the park: Massanutten Lodge and Big Meadows Lodge. The nearest town with more is Stanley. Where to stay ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 87K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 96% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
Best month: Apr
April is mild and quieter than average, with a high of 66°. When to go ↓
Established in 1935
Shenandoah National Park dates from 1935 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds, highs and lows
Pick a quieter month for Shenandoah from the chart below.
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park (, often ) is a national park of the United States that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont to the east. Skyline Drive is the main park road, generally traversing along the ridgeline of the mountains. Almost 40% of the park's land—79,579 acres (124 sq mi; 322 km2)—has been designated as wilderness areas and is protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet (1,235 m).
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1935
- Area
- 311 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 87K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/shen
Visiting: the details
- Private Vehicle$30
- Motorcycle$25
- Per Person$15
- Commercial Entrance - Sedan$25
A base for Shenandoah National Park
You can sleep inside the park (17 places). The nearest towns with places to stay are Luray (31) and Stanley (10), and Washington has the most rooms in the area (247).
- 1Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center
- 2Skyline Drive
- 3Luray Caverns
- 4Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
- 5Scott Stadium
Stay in the park
- Massanutten Lodge lodge or cabins
- Big Meadows Lodge lodge or cabins
- Shadow Mountain Escape lodge or cabins
- Point of View Lodge lodge or cabins
- Skyland lodge or cabins
- Lewis Mountain Cabins lodge or cabins
Luray
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
4,823 people
10 mi north of Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center · 4 mi to the park
Stanley
1,704 people
6 mi northwest of Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center · 4 mi to the park
Harrisonburg
50,839 people
24 mi west of Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center · 12 mi to the park
Washington
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
693,645 people
81 mi east of Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center · 61 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luray | 10 mi north | 15 min | 31 9 hotels · 2 motels · 11 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 5 campgrounds | 4,823 | $254K | B− |
| Stanley | 6 mi northwest | 10 min | 10 2 inns & B&Bs · 8 lodges & cabins | 1,704 | $211K | — |
| Harrisonburg | 24 mi west | 35 min | 40 32 hotels · 3 motels · 5 inns & B&Bs | 50,839 | $299K | C |
| Massanutten 56% vacation homes | 17 mi southwest | 25 min | 16 13 hotels · 3 lodges & cabins | 2,261 | $397K | — |
| Shenandoah | 10 mi west | 15 min | 5 1 motel · 4 lodges & cabins | 2,480 | $213K | A− |
| Elkton | 12 mi southwest | 20 min | 4 2 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 1 campground | 3,136 | $247K | B |
| New Market | 15 mi northwest | 25 min | 5 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 2,222 | $273K | — |
| Charlottesville | 33 mi south | 50 min | 41 33 hotels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 1 hostel | 44,388 | $487K | D |
| Washington | 81 mi east | 2 hr | 247 201 hotels · 2 motels · 24 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 12 hostels · 2 campgrounds | 693,645 | $737K | D− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Also near Shenandoah
You can reach each of these within 69 miles.
Big draw144 mi LandmarkMount Weather Emergency Operations Center26 mi Scenic driveSkyline Drive
312 mi CaveLuray Caverns
455 mi MuseumSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center1.6M visitors a year
69 mi Theme parkKings Dominion
63 mi Park & preserveDolly Sods Wilderness
536 mi Stadium & arenaScott Stadium
63 mi Theme parkLake Fairfax ParkPhoto credits
Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center: Unknown, Public domain · Skyline Drive: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luray Caverns: Paulo Ordoveza from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0 · Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kings Dominion: Erechtheus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dolly Sods Wilderness: Valerius Tygart, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Scott Stadium: Mak7912, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Fairfax Park: Joe Loong, CC BY-SA 2.0
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1,682,152 people came in 2025
See how visits changed from 2016 to 2025.
What people ask about Shenandoah
What town is Shenandoah National Park near?
Stanley, VA, about 6 miles northwest.
When is the best time to visit Shenandoah National Park?
April, with a high of 66°. October is the busiest month (about 324,399 visitors).
How many people visit Shenandoah National Park each year?
1,682,152 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 1,720,211, set in 2024.
What is the closest airport to Shenandoah National Park?
Charlottesville Albemarle (CHO), about 26 miles away. The nearest big hub is Washington Dulles (IAD), about 61 miles.
Where should I stay near Shenandoah National Park?
Inside the park: Massanutten Lodge, Big Meadows Lodge and Shadow Mountain Escape. Nearby: Luray (10 mi, 31 places to stay), Stanley (6 mi, 10 places to stay) and Harrisonburg (24 mi, 40 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from Stanley
No one has shared advice yet; Stanley’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.