Valley & Ridge · region
Valley floor greenways, river access, and the western approaches to the Blue Ridge.
Between Massanutten and the Blue Ridge, the Shenandoah Valley mixes small-city greenways with steep national forest climbs on either flank. It is a practical base for Appalachian Trail section hikers: interstate access, towns with real resupply, and short drives to trailheads.
Shenandoah Valley
Why go25 miles of trail, all open to hiking and biking, with more than 14 miles also open to horses.
Shenandoah Valley
Why goNine miles of hiking and biking trails across a 1,052-acre day-use park.
Shenandoah Valley
Why goThe Preserve Loop Trail, a 3.5-mile blue-blazed loop that DCR states is the only state-maintained trail in the preserve or the WMA.
Shenandoah Valley
Why go25-acre spring-fed lake with a sandy beach, described by the Forest Service as a shaded and woody area.
Shenandoah Valley
Why go6.06-mile loop originating at Millwood Avenue and E. Jubal Early Drive, divided by the city into seven sections with mile-marker ranges.
Shenandoah Valley
Why goFollows the South River, which the city describes as a Virginia Scenic River, through Waynesboro.
Shenandoah Valley
Why goSeven miles of relatively flat former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad grade following the Maury River.
Shenandoah Valley
Why goWalk or ride through a 4,273-foot unlit 1850s railroad tunnel bored under the Blue Ridge at Rockfish Gap.
Four distinct seasons. Spring brings high water at stream crossings; fall foliage traffic peaks mid-October; winter ice is common on north-facing climbs.
General seasonal character, not a live report.
Valley & Ridge
Long parallel ridges and the Shenandoah and New river valleys. Ridge walks to knobs and cliffs, greenways on the valley floor.
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