Self-Guided Audio Driving Tour in Shenandoah National Park

Duration8h - 1 day

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Download GuideAlong's self-guided audio tour and you'll discover more on your Shenandoah road trip. Hear fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, local tips and directions play automatically along the route, all based on your location.

You'll be guided to all of Skyline Drive's famous highlights as well as lessor known gems including the park's top summit and waterfall hikes, President Herbert Hoover's historic retreat, and a high-elevation meadow that's one of the best places to spot wildlife like deer, elk and black bears.

Enjoy the freedom to explore offline at your own pace, spending more time at places that interest you.

✅ Stories, tips and directions play automatically based on your location
✅ Travel at your own pace
✅ Tour offline using GPS, no cell service or WiFi needed
✅ Suggested itineraries for half, full or multi day use
✅ Buy once, use forever! No expiry, includes free updates
✅ Like having a tour guide along for the drive

Purchase one tour per vehicle.

What's included

Support: Toll free phone, chat and email
Easy To Use: Pre-download and tour offline
Trip Planners: In-app, web and PDF
Location Based: Stories, tips & directions that autoplay
Includes an app-based self-guided experience, so you do not need any in-person guide.
Buy once, use forever! No expiry, includes free updates
GuideAlong (GyPSy Guide) Audio Tour: 170+ Points
Flexible Routes: Suggested itineraries or create your own

Entry Fees, National Park Passes, Reservations

What to expect

Shenandoah National Park
5h

As the audio guides play commentary based on your gps location, you can create your own itinerary along the tour route to match your interests and schedule.

Or you can use our trip planners for our suggestions on half, full or multi day itineraries.

Some of the many highlights are listed below;
Skyline Drive
5h

It may be stating the obvious, but driving the beautiful Skyline Drive is the primary reason for many people's visit. There are many excellent vistas and overlooks to enjoy along the way, with most requiring no more than stepping out of your vehicle to capture that fantastic photo.

Because there are so many great overlooks, we won't talk about all of them on the tour - we'd never get to the end of the drive, but we will be sure to let you know which ones are the best and ones that offer a unique perspective.

But above all, enjoy the simple scenic pleasure of this gorgeous drive. Take your time and soak it all in!
Little Devil's Stairs Trail
2h

Looking for a challenging hike? This is one of the Northern District’s most unique features - and full of history.

The stairs are a series of natural formations found throughout a narrow, seemingly hand-carved gorge. While they may look almost man-made, no one, not even the Native Americans who were here long before any European settlers, lay claim to shaping them.

It’s one of the park’s more popular attractions, so expect a crowded parking lot.
2h

Do you believe in ghosts? The most haunted place in Shenandoah sits just off the road, a place where you can hear footsteps outside when no one else is around and possibly glimpse a white figure in the woods who is said to vanish if approached.

This is Corbin Cabin and even if you don’t believe, it’s a unique site with a story behind it that dates back to before the creation of the park.
Skyland Stables
30m

When you think of Shenandoah, a vacation resort probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. And yet, there is one here still operating, hidden in the middle of the woods at the highest point along Skyline Drive.

Built in 1906, Skyland Resort has played host to numerous elaborate balls, musicals, tournaments and pageants over the years and the cabins, dining halls and recreation halls are all still active. Today, twelve historic Skyland structures remain and you can experience what life was like at the turn of the 20th century. You can stay here, or simply walk through the resort and soak in its history.
Old Rag Mountain Hike
4h

This is the most popular attraction in the park, with unquestionably some of the best hikes - though the Circuit is a favorite and requires a 6 hour commitment for most. Here you can hike across rock scrambles, take in 360-degree views of Shenandoah, and see endangered plants and animals.

So why’s it called Old Rag? Well, early European explorers thought the exposed granite at and around the summit looked like an old rag and there you have it - the name stuck.

Old Rag Mountain Day-Use Ticket: From March - November all visitors to Old Rag Mountain require a day-use ticket, including hikers on the Saddle, Ridge and Ridge Access trails. This is a pilot project that will be reviewed.
Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center
30m

Right across the road from Big Meadows is another place worth stopping. The Byrd Visitor Center is equal parts museum, travel guide, hotel and restaurant.

You can find exhibits inside on everything from the park’s history to the animal residents, plot out what trails you’d like to explore, or even stay the night on the Skyline Drive in comfort at the hotel.

Kids especially will enjoy some of the exhibits, with artifacts from both humans and animals on display.
Big Meadows
30m

This is the park’s halfway point and this high-elevation meadow is a chance to see a wide variety of animals. Big Meadows is a feeding ground for everything from black bears to bobcats, with deer and the occasional elk wandering by.

As with any wildlife spotting - a little luck is needed, but you can increase your chances by being in places like the meadows in the early morning, or towards dusk. Binoculars are a good idea for spotting wildlife from a safe distance.

Burned by multiple wildfires over the last six years, the meadows gives a unique visual, as you can literally see the land rebuilding itself.
Dark Hollow Falls
1h

Dark Hollow Falls Trail is our favorite waterfall hike in the park, requiring just a 1.4 mile return trek to view the 70 foot dancing water show. The trail is a little steep in places, but not overly strenuous. White tailed deer are often spotted along the way.

An early start is recommended if it's likely to be a busy day. Expect to spend 60-90 minutes to complete, with time viewing the falls.
Camp Rapidan
2h

You’ve probably heard about Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. But before that country retreat was built in 1942, President Herbert Hoover built Rapidan Camp in what would eventually become Shenandoah National Park.

Today, the camp and surviving cabins are a museum, both of Hoover’s presidency and of Shenandoah itself. The camp is accessible on a 4 mile round-trip hike, and there is the option of joining a ranger-guided tour from the Byrd Visitor Center.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

From Hwy 211 or 33, join Skyline Drive at either mid-park entrance and drive north or south. Commentary will play automatically. After booking, search your email for “Download Audio Tour,” download over Wi-Fi/cell, then preview the route in the app.

Meeting point

From the south, audio begins just before reaching the Skyline Drive entry from I-64, or when driving south on Hwy 250 from Waynesboro. If arriving from the Blue Ridge Parkway, continue straight onto Skyline Drive. After booking, search your email for “Download Audio Tour.”

Meeting point

Includes an app-based self-guided experience, so there is no need to meet an in-person guide. From Front Royal, commentary begins a couple of minutes before the turn from Hwy 340 onto Skyline Drive. After booking, search your email for “Download Audio Tour.”

End point

From Hwy 211 or 33, join Skyline Drive at either mid-park entrance and drive north or south. Commentary will play automatically. After booking, search your email for “Download Audio Tour,” download over Wi-Fi/cell, then preview the route in the app.

End point

From the south, audio begins just before reaching the Skyline Drive entry from I-64, or when driving south on Hwy 250 from Waynesboro. If arriving from the Blue Ridge Parkway, continue straight onto Skyline Drive. After booking, search your email for “Download Audio Tour.”

End point

Includes an app-based self-guided experience, so there is no need to meet an in-person guide. From Front Royal, commentary begins a couple of minutes before the turn from Hwy 340 onto Skyline Drive. After booking, search your email for “Download Audio Tour.”

Additional information

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How to Access: After booking you’ll receive an email and text with instructions (search “Download Audio Tour”). Click the link in the email/text to sign in with your preferred Apple or Google account and redeem your voucher code ahead of time.
Download The GuideAlong App: Download the free app over WiFi or cellular data and sign in with the same Apple or Google account.
Download The Tour: Download the tour in the GuideAlong app under 'My Tours' over WiFi or cellular data.
Start The Tour: Open the tour in the GuideAlong app to preview the start locations, tour route and trip planner, or start the tour.
Location-Based Stories: Audio commentary plays automatically as you drive using your phone’s GPS chip. Wherever you are and whichever direction you’re going, you’ll hear the best stories and tips.
Flexible Travel Date: Tours are a one-time purchase with no expiry or date/time limit. If your plans change to a different day, there’s no need to change your travel date.
Tour at Your Leisure: With GuideAlong, you control the pace. Start, stop, and resume the tour any day, anytime, adapting it to your schedule.
Driving Tours: Group Savings: One purchase covers everyone in the vehicle, making it a cost-effective way to explore.
Works Offline: No internet or cell service is required once the audio tour is downloaded to your phone, so you can relax and tour offline.
Bring A Charger: Pack a USB/C car charger for charging and easy sound connectivity, and make sure your device is fully charged.
Technical Support: The GuideAlong support team is available daily by toll-free phone, online chat, and email.
The app’s audio will play through your car’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the app’s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

4.1 (24)