Established in the Massanutten Mountain range along the river that gives this park its name, Shenandoah River State Park opened in 1999 and offers 5.2 miles of shoreline within over 1,600 acres.

This park is fit to bursting with all of the outdoor activities available, including hiking, biking, and horseback riding along its 24 miles of trails, canoeing and fishing using its river access with car-top boat launch, and camping.

Hop on the Wildcat Ledge trail for a quick hike with a fantastic view

October 14-16, 2016 Shenandoah River State Park

When we stop to think about our journey visiting every Virginia State Park in 2016, we marvel at all the places we've traveled to. After traveling far west into coal country next to the Kentucky boarder, along the Atlantic Ocean to the Southern tip of a barrier island just before reaching North Carolina, and high up into mountains along switchbacks, farm fields, and winding country roads, our most frequently asked question always tends to be "Did you make it to Shenandoah yet?"

We can finally say, "YES!" While a large portion of Shenandoah lies within the boundaries of the National Park Service, Virginia State Parks have their own slice along the banks of the Shenandoah River in Bentonville, just outside the town of Front Royal.

We loved our camping cabin, number 43 at Shenandoah River State Park

We had an entire weekend to enjoy this park, a rare treat for us, arriving late Friday night with big plans to spend all day Saturday on the trails. Our lodging for the duration of our stay was in one of the park's unique camping cabins (#43); a small one room building with bunk beds, a table, porch, and the standard outdoor campsite amenities (picnic table, grill, fire pit).

Fortunately, we called ahead and were advised to bring a space heater into the cabin for the cold 40-degree nights we'd experience in our otherwise heat-less camping cabin. 

Boardwalks prevail over seasonal ponds on the Cottonwood Trail 

On Saturday morning we decided to take advantage of a 9:30am interpretive tree walk by Ranger Jake; we cheated a little knowing quite a lot about trees already, but since we were the only two people on the walk our tour instead turned into a history lesson about the park, which we greatly appreciated. Our journey took us along the 1.4 mi Cottonwood Trail, just past primitive campsites.

An easy hiking loop through the woods, with a large portion of the trail structured as a boardwalk overlooking seasonal ponds known as vernal pools. Come back in the spring to see them filled with water and a host of frogs, salamanders, and their eggs.

The steep, rocky incline of the Wildcat Trail

We split off from our host, Ranger Jake, and continued on the 0.2 mi difficult Wildcat Ledge Trail; this hike began as a straight incline up a part rocky, part dirt trail, and culminated in a stunning views of the Shenandoah National Park to the East and Massanutten Mountain to the West.

Our morning wasn't over yet, so before heading back to our cabin for lunch we hopped onto the 2.2 mile Point Trail, a loopy trail through the woods that took us up and down easy slopes while we enjoyed the smells of decaying leaves and foggy mornings. Check out the Point Trail if you want an easier alternative to the 3.2 mile, difficult, Allen's Trail.

After lunch we decided to put in another good hike, and followed the River Trail along the Shenandoah. This easy walking path is 2.1 miles total and connects to the 1.0 mi Bluebell trail, in total creating a walking or biking path that travels along the shoreline of the park with plenty of river lookouts and access points along the way.

The Shenandoah River, peaceful, calm, and beautiful

The 2.1 mile River Trail is a great chance to bike the perimeter of the park

We took the River Trail west and picked up the Tulip Poplar Trail (0.8 mi) an easy loop and perfect post-lunch walk in the woods. We followed the 2.6 mi Culler's Trail back to our campground and enjoyed the change in scenery on this gravel path through a large wildflower meadow.

The Culler's Trail offers scenic views of the park's meadows

It was a great day full of hiking, but not finished yet! Thanks to a tip from Ranger Jake, we took the 0.6 mile Campground Trail back through the woods and up the hillside to Culler's Overlook after dinner for the sunset. You can easily drive to this view point, and it's worth a stop. 

Be sure to visit Culler's Overlook if you find yourself here at sunset

We enjoyed our final night at this park while the pinks and purples of sunset danced among the trees and calmly flowing waters through the horseshoe bends of Shenandoah River State Park.

 

Guest Bloggers Peter Radlowski and Sarah Sumoski planned to tackle all 37 Virginia State Parks in 2016, as the series continues to be published into the New Year we shall see if they did? Come along for the adventure.

Editor's Note: This park is open year-round and it has standard tent only sites, electric-water camping, four camping cabins (bunkhouses), 10 housekeeping cabins and one six bedroom lodge. Cabins and lodges are open year-round and may be reserved up to 11 months in advance. More about camping and cabins at Shenandoah River State Park here, or call 800-933-PARK.