Activities For Dogs In Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive will always be available as long as the weather is safe enough to drive in, but that doesn't mean it has to be a standalone activity. Of course, for those who want to make it as such, it's still quite an experience. However, given that we're tasked with compiling a list of dog-friendly activities in the park, we suggest incorporating it into your visit overall, instead of as a singular event. If you do plan to make it the latter, consider visiting in fall when the trees have changed to vibrant colors (or better yet, in fall during the magic hour). Otherwise, figure out a way to make your drive coincide with other plans you have inside the park, such as hiking, camping, or fishing.

Once you've figured out whether Skyline Drive will be a singular event or a part of your overall schedule, you can start mapping your activities out. If it's a one-time thing, our work is done. Choose an entrance point and a direction and go enjoy! For the rest of you, start by getting a map of the park and deciding what kind of activities you want to partake in, whether that's fishing, hiking, camping or even EarthCaching - the website is a great place to start. Once you've found some places you'd like to explore, orient your adventures in one direction, such as starting on a southern trail, hiking a trail with your dog, coming back to the car, then hopping in and working your way north. With the right planning, you can align your activities in a way to never have to backtrack and see the same things twice on the Drive.

While you can certainly take Skyline Drive any time of day, do yourself a favor and time it out in accordance with your other planned activities. For instance, try hiking earlier in the day if it's hot so you can drive with the windows down or A/C on during the hot stretches and still enjoy the view. If it's cold, the opposite would apply. If it's going to rain, save your hiking for dry time and driving for the precipitous parts. If you want to catch the sunset from a mountaintop, use an elevation map or talk to a park ranger for the best lookout points, then time your arrival so you and your adventurous pup can enjoy it with time to spare. The best part about Skyline Drive is that it can seamlessly work into your other park-related activities or just be a great fallback option. Figure out what suits you and your canine travelling partner best and enjoy!

There are several ways to go about EarthCaching, but the most rewarding is being able to track your progress. Start by signing up for an EarthCaching account online. It will not only help you keep track of your work, but locate and detail each assignment or activity and even provides feedback from others on each cache. This will also help you choose which caches are most appropriate for your athleticism and your dog's skill level and even tell you the distance, terrain and plenty of other details.

Once you've signed up for an account, you can search for Shenandoah National Park specifically. It's divided into three sections, so depending on your current or desired location, you can easily identify what's closest. Use this to your advantage! If you want to do more of them, choose those that are shorter, easier and in close proximity. For a bit more adventure, choose longer and tougher trips.

Once you've paid your park fees and gotten inside the park, head to the launch point for your first cache. Make sure you have the right supplies for the trip, then hit the paths! Follow the instructions for each cache and don't forget to snap photos to prove you found them. Once you're done (or even during the process), you can upload your pictures of you and your canine trekking partner as well as your information and fill out your adventure/cache log with tons of cool spots, photos, and experiences!

Before you hit the waters, you'll first want to do a bit of planning. Your first consideration should be to decide whether you plan to go alone or hire a guide. There are several licensed guides in the area that are allowed to use the National Park commercially, so if you want to find the best spots or learn some new techniques, this is the best way to go. If you're a tenured fisherman, you may just want some peace, quiet and time with your dog. If it's the priority, look into what companies are local, place a call and get some info. If it's the latter, you'll want to get a detailed map of the area you plan to fish in, many of which you can find online, others of which you can obtain in person (plus you'll be able to ask a ranger where good spots are).

Once you've got a plan for whether you're going guided or guideless and a general idea of where to go, consider highlighting a few individual points on the map within hiking distance of each other. This will ensure that if you're hitting a dry spot with fish, you'll have plenty more to check out, plus more locations to hike to and get the pair of you some exercise. Once you've done so, you'll want to fully read through the park's fishing regulations, as certain areas are open for harvest while others are simply catch-and-release (this may also determine where you choose to go). There will also be regulations on where your dog is and isn't allowed to go, so make sure you have a clear path to your spot so you can both get exercise and entertainment on the way.

Once you've done your research, mapped your trip and gone over the regulations, you'll just need to procure any last minute supplies (including appropriate lures if you don't have them already) and hit the road. Once you arrive, make sure you don't neglect your dog, as it's supposed to be adventure time for them too! Engage them with hikes, work on getting them to sit and stay while you try to hook one, let them explore the extent of the park's dog-friendly areas and let them examine your catch (as long as they won't try to steal it!).