Hiking The Limberlost Trail In Shenandoah National Park
Located at mile 43 along Skyline Drive, the Limberlost Trail is a 1.3-mile loop in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.
Designed to be ADA accessible, the trail is generally wheelchair-friendly, though some sections may require a bit of extra effort.
This gentle hike gains only 130 feet in elevation as it winds through a serene forest landscape. In spring, the trail is especially beautiful when mountain laurel bursts into bloom.
Please note that pets are not allowed on this trail, so plan to leave your four-legged friends behind.
The trailhead is at the Limberlost parking area. From there, follow the path to the right and continue along the greenstone walkway, which leads you in a loop back to your starting point.
Once home to the park’s largest old-growth stand of hemlocks, the area has changed significantly due to an invasive insect that wiped out the towering trees.
Today, you’ll see signs of nature’s resilience, including bent and broken trees—remnants of hurricanes and ice storms that have passed through.
Keep an eye out for a unique geological formation along the trail: columnar jointing, the result of an ancient lava flow that cooled and solidified into striking vertical columns.
While we missed the feature on our visit, there’s a photo of it at the start of the trail and similar formations can be seen on other hikes in the park.
Limberlost is also part of the TRACK Trails program, which offers self-guided, family-friendly adventures. A brochure titled Senses & Sensitivity in Shenandoah National Park is available at the trailhead along with an informational sign.
Be sure to stop by a visitor center to collect additional brochures for other TRACK Trails throughout the park.
For those seeking a longer, more challenging outing, you can extend your hike from Limberlost to Upper Whiteoak Falls. This adds about three miles and more elevation—but note that this extension is not wheelchair accessible.
In all, the Limberlost Trail is a short, easy, and enriching walk through one of Shenandoah’s most peaceful forest settings—a perfect introduction to the park’s natural beauty.
