August 25th is the 100th anniversary of America’s National Park Service—and did you know the Shenandoah Valley includes five units of the National Park system–Shenandoah National Park, Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historic Park, Harper’s Ferry National Historic Park , the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian Trail.
Entrance fees will be waived at Shenandoah National Park August 25 – 28; right now is the perfect time for your family to visit, or re-visit, any of the national park units in the Valley.
And while sweltering heat waves suffocate big cities everywhere, you can still cool off a dozen ways in the Shenandoah Valley: tour an underground cavern where the temperature feels like a constant 65 degrees. Choose from several here. Hike a shady mountain trail at about 4,000 feet. Dive into the pool at the bottom of a waterfall or thrill to a giant waterpark complex recently named “one of the 10 best in 2016.” Canoe the Shenandoah River or just enjoy lunch with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Valley also offers a splendid array of outdoor festivals, concerts and performing arts in August. The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival will feature talents such as LeeAnn Rimes, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, and others. August 20th is the much-awaited Mountain Jamboree at Massanutten Resort (which just opened a brand new bike park).
It won’t be long before the kids are back in school and your chance to make summer vacation memories has to wait another year. Pack up and go!
The Shenandoah Valley Travel Association hopes this new website will provide all the assistance you need in discovering the unparalleled beauty of the Shenandoah Valley. If you need more help, click on “Contact Us”at the bottom of the page.