The Virginia fall foliage scenic views are nowhere more spectacular than on Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Valley! The natural beauty of the Shenandoah Mountains will give you a whole new appreciation for our world and its natural surroundings – over and underground! Take a one-mile hike in the mountains, see the geological wonders of Luray Caverns and enjoy some great local food and wine from the Shenandoah Valley region along the way. Our large-window vehicles are super comfortable, so sit back and relax while we do the driving and you enjoy the magnificent scenery.
Stop 1 – Dark Hollow Falls Hiking Trail
We enter Skyline Drive at Front Royal, the northern most city of the 109-mile Skyline Drive, and drive 32 miles south to Stanley, VA to find the Dark Hollow Falls Hiking Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Our driver will stop at Skyline Drive overlooks along the way, like Signal Knob, Gooney Run, and Compton Gap so you can get out and take photos of the scenic views. We will arrive at the Dark Hollow Falls stop and take the 1.5 mile self-guided walking trail, which is one of the easiest and most popular hikes in the park. The hike will take about approximately one hour. In the fall, the trail will be alive with brightly colored falling leaves, streams and waterfalls.
Stop 2 – Skyland Pollock Dining & Tap Room
After the hike, we break for lunch at Skyland Resort’s Pollock Dining Room. You will see spectacular mountain top views of the Shenandoah Valley from here and the restaurant has plenty of indoor seating at large windows overlooking the valley, as well as a huge outdoor patio seating area. Pollock’s farm-to-fork cuisine will give you a chance to try out the local flavors and in-season specials. The lunch menu has sandwiches, salads, chicken pot pie, farm-raised trout and their signature blackberry ice cream pie! The Pollack dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you can get the meal you want any time of the day. Skyland also has the Mountain Tap Room at this site, a perfect pub-style stop for a relaxing drink and light meal. Check out their menu of local brews, special cocktails and pub food.
Stop 3 – Luray Caverns
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Luray Caverns and their slogan “What will you discover?” is right on point for the mysterious underground adventure you will have in these caves! Luray Caverns is a unique experience of underground caves that will blow you away in its other-worldly natural beauty. As one of the most popular places in Virginia, this fantastical wonderland is like no other in the Shenandoah Valley. Tour guides lead the way on paved paths inside the cave where you will see cathedral-sized rooms with 10-story ceilings, towering stone formations, crystal clear lakes and more. Tours last for about one hour and ticket sales are $26 for adults and $14 for kids. You can buy your tickets online in advance or right onsite when you arrive. There are other activities at the Luray Caverns site that you might want to plan your visit around, like the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum and Garden Maze.
Stop 4 – Wisteria Farm and Vineyards
There is one last stop at the Wisteria Farm and Vineyards to relax and enjoy a glass of wine before heading for home. Just six miles from Luray Caverns, Wisteria Vineyards is an 1890s farmhouse, barn and vineyards. You will be delighted to see sheep and chickens roaming freely around the barnyard. Check out their events calendar for special live music events. You can volunteer to help them harvest grapes from the vines on Saturdays or watch them press the previous day’s grapes on Sundays through September and October!
Other Attractions
- Massanutten Water Park, http://www.visitshenandoah.org/Destinations/Harrisonburg,-Rockingham-County-Virginia/Attractions/Massanutten-Waterpark.aspx
- Rope Adventure Park, http://www.ropeadventurepark.com/
Food/Restaurants
- Triple Crown BBQ (gluten free), http://shenandoahsmokehouse.com/#_=_
- West Main Street Market, http://www.westmainmarket.com/#_=_
- Speakeasy Bar, http://mimslyninn.com/dining/#_=_
Resources
- Visit Shenandoah, http://www.visitshenandoah.org/Home.aspx
- Visit Skyline, http://www.visitskylinedrive.org/Home.aspx
- Virginia Tourism, virginia.org
- Shenandoah National Park, https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm
- Dark Hollow Falls Trip Advisor review, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g143051-d6582654-Reviews-Dark_Hollow_Falls-Shenandoah_National_Park_Virginia.html
- Skyland Pollock Dining Room Trip Advisor review: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g143051-d8331240-Reviews-The_Pollock_Dining_Room_at_Skyland_Resort-Shenandoah_National_Park_Virginia.html
- Luray Caverns Trip Advisor review: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60964-d104021-Reviews-Luray_Caverns-Luray_Virginia.html
- Wisteria Farm and Vineyards Yelp review: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wisteria-farm-and-vineyard-stanley?select=gnIzNkaaokW72vyOXD9BVA
Photo Credits
Dark Hollow Falls:
Skyland Pollock:
Luray Caverns Collage: Lurary Caverns
Wisteria Farm & Vineyard:
Interested in taking your own experiential tour to the Shenandoah Valley without worrying about driving? We have vehicles ranging in size from sedans to motorcoaches and can accommodate any size group. Booking your vehicle is as easy as 1-2-3!
