Enjoy Nature in Shenandoah National Park and on Skyline Drive!

Good morning!  Just as we tell our guests at South Court Inn that they haven’t been to Luray until they have seen Luray Caverns, we also tell guests that they haven’t enjoyed Mother Nature until they visit Shenandoah National Park and drive the scenic Skyline Drive.

A word to the wise here:  If you would like to visit the Park or the Luray area during the fall color season, you need to plan ahead.  Book a stay with us here at South Court as soon as you can.  The best rooms and days will be take by 1 Oct 10.  The time of peak color varies from year to year, but you should have color to enjoy from mid-October to mid-November.  Keep in mind too that everything will be crowded on weekends, but fantastically uncrowded from Monday through Thursday.  Come during that time and you’ll be able to enjoy all the attractions without feeling pressed by the visitors who only come on weekends!  The same advice goes for dining.  Ask us and we’ll be happy to make reservations for dinner as soon as you make reservations with us.  Arrive on a weekend without planning where you will eat and you will probably have to settle for whatever we or you can find that has an open seat at after 8 or maybe even 9PM.

The Park stretches from just South of the Town of Front Royal to Interstate 64…a distance of about 105 miles…and encompasses nearly 200,000 acres. The Park is well-known for its spectacular fall color, the number and variety of hiking trails spread out across the sides of the Blue Ridge Mountains.   Click the first link here and you’ll find their home page where you can branch out to make reservations for campsites and rooms at the lodges.  NOTE TO BLACKBERRY LOVERS:  The food at the Skyland Lodge dining room is very good, but more importantly the Mile-High Blackberry Pie is fantastic.  As you head off to your camp site or room, you’ll be proud of yourself for remembering to call ahead for reservations and for ordering the pie!

Now for a bit about Skyline Drive.  Several years ago, we did a travel log of Skyline Drive and posted photos and comments about the entire 100+ mile road on the web site called MilebyMile.com.  We started at the northern terminus and drove the entire length of the Drive.  Click this link and you’ll be able to read about Skyline Drive and see photos of overlooks and activities all the way to the southern terminus, the point where it crosses over I-64, and shortly thereafter becomes the Blue Ridge Parkway.

So, I hope today’s post will grab your attention and get you thinking not just about enjoying the Park, but planning a great visit during the fall color season.  The mountains are especially beautiful during the fall color season and planning ahead will turn your visit into a great and enjoyable getaway!