Walk in the footsteps of history’s most visionary hikers, following the legendary white-blaze trail traveling sky-kissed mountain tops from Georgia to Maine.

Favorite destinations include Humpback Rocks (with 360-degree summit views and a four mile loop), Riprap Hollow (a challenging 10-mile loop complete with a swimming hole), and Blackrock Summit (a one-mile circuit featuring a rocky talus slope with wide-open views of the Shenandoah Valley and beyond). 

Pair it with: A stay at the Grey Pine Lodge.

Grass between your toes, live music in the air, and stars dancing overhead: head to Red Wing Roots for the music festival line-up you won’t want to miss. Hosted in a once-great inland sea and the now majestic Natural Chimneys Park and Campground, Red Wing Roots Music Festival features all-day and late-night dances, stone jumping in natural streams, and even morning yoga.

Whether you love bluegrass, modern country, Americana, old school rock, or are seeking just a little more twang, this festival delivers the memories of a lifetime. 

Pair it with: Camping at the festival grounds, or a stay at nearby accommodations.

Feed your sense of adventure and join the Grindstone Running Festival by UTMB, one of the most challenging backcountry trail races on the East Coast.

This one-of-a-kind event takes you through acres of National Forest on an iconic run complete with stunning fall foliage, mountain views, and demanding terrain. With a 100M, 100K, 50K, and 21K, there’s a new challenge for every runner. Make the resolution, push your endurance,
get gritty, and enjoy the ride!

Pair it with: Come for the run, stay for the adventure, with the All Augusta, All Outside Travel Guide.  

Trails in the George Washington National Forest serve up something special — one part backcountry solitude, one part technical adventure, and one part destination-worthy, bicycle-optimized riding experiences built by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition. These beloved and locally-maintained trails offer single track flow for beginners on the Tillman West Trail, all-afternoon rock and flow adventure with Narrowback Loop, and an expert 3K’ drop off of Reddish Knob to Wolf Ridge for the most experienced riders.

Hungry for more? See our full list of backcountry GIS routes.

Pair it with: Basecamp at the hub of these backcountry trails with the Stokesville campground or lodge, plus find post-ride burgers at the
Stokesville Market.

Cast your line at Mossy Creek, home to Virginia’s most famous fly fishing destination. You’ll be enveloped in a bubbling stream with the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains above. Native trout streams attract fly fishing enthusiasts to St. Mary’s and Ramsey’s Draft Wilderness areas. Stocked waters at Braley Pond, Elkhorn Lake, Hearthstone Lake, Mills Creek and Coles Run Reservoirs, North River, and the South River offer brown and rainbow trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.

Pair it with: Treat yourself to a full-service, guided tour for wild and native trout, with local guides from the South River Fly Shop, Middle River Outfitters, or Mossy Creek Fly Fishing, introducing you to the best, seasonally-appropriate fishing holes.

Looking for a full-family weekend retreat? Kids of all ages enjoy fishing and swimming at Sun Retreats Shenandoah Valley.

Stroll through Cathedral Hall, at 70 feet high and almost 300 feet long, one of the largest rooms of any cavern in the Eastern US. At Grand Caverns, massive columns, beautiful draperies, rippling flowstone, and rare “shield” formations grace ancient walls that also bear the marks of Major Stonewall Jackson’s troops passing through during the Civil War.

Or, walk a mile through a mountain at the Blue Ridge Tunnel. Built in the 1850s as a rail line to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains, it was the longest railroad tunnel in the country in its day. Bikers and hikers are welcome for full family adventures. Bring a light!

Pair it with: Subterranean Sound brings live music underground, for an unforgettable sonic experience.

Creativity knows no age, so don’t let the days slip by without capturing your unique sound for posterity. Sill & Glade Cabin offers a destination music recording studio, welcoming folk artists to rock bands, studio veterans to first-timers, and writers finally finding their perfect retreat.

Featuring a spacious living room with 25’ cathedral ceilings and warm wooden beams, this picturesque lodging includes an in-house audio engineer, mixing services, a cozy loft area, plus drums, guitars, and keyboards. Unlock your dreams while perusing their gear list, then let this be the year you etch your story into sound. 

Pair it with: Catered meat and cheese plates from Valley Pike Farm Market to keep the music rolling.

Photo by: Heather Goodloe, Grow Explore Photography, featuring artist Ebony Nicole.

Falling leaves call forth rolling tires — come tour the majesty at its peak with the Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival, which U.S. News
and World Report’s Travel as one of America’s Best Fall Bike Rides. Join hundreds of riders on gravel routes, century tours, and family ride options.

Prefer to wander rather than ride? All of our hikes turn up the warm tones each fall.

Pair it with: Dial in the cozy with a stay in a 1700s log cabin that offers up modern amenities, at the Inn at Meadowcroft.

Sweeping turns and windswept hair set the stage for America’s Favorite Drive. Cruise north for the Skyline Drive, the crown jewel of Shenandoah National Park, your gateway to hiking trails and picnic overlooks. Or, head south on the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway, stretching almost 500 miles through the Appalachian highlands, all the way to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Pair it with: Visit Swannanoa, a 1912 marble palace sitting high atop the Blue Ridge Mountains, built by over 300 artisans as a replica of the Villa de Medici in Rome.

Whatever the season, drink in the flavor of the present — the memories made around campfires, the camaraderie of adventure.

Pair it with: Stops along the Beerwerks Trail with local destinations like Stable Craft Brewing, Seven Arrows Brewing, The Alpine Goat Brewery, and PRO RE NATA PLUS.

Or drink in the flavor of local grapes at Barren Ridge Vineyards and Above Ground Winery.

Three cheers to the adventures, the friendships, and the gatherings that inspire a lifetime of memories.