Rockfish Gap Entrance Station

After finishing up vacation in Williamsburg Virginia, we drove west and decided to take the longer way home. We wanted to drive through Shenandoah national Park starting at the bottom and driving skyline Drive the whole way from tip to tip. We entered the park and the Ranger we talked to said it normally takes about 3 1/2+ hours if you do the entire 105 miles. Out of the 75 scenic pull offs. We probably only missed two or three. We did not get out of the car at everyone and some of them. We basically just glanced for a minute and moved on. Other pull off we got out of the and enjoyed the view for 10+ minutes. By the time we got to the northern entrance, we were more than ready to go. We ended up packing a picnic and stopped in the middle of the park to enjoy a little bit of downtime to our drive. when exiting the park we typed in Home‘s address and realized we were still four hours from home and this was 8 PM at night. I just guesstimated how long it would take to get home when I told them and I was off by 1 to 2+ hours. I know that we did not want to drive another four hours after already driving 10 hours that day that was completely my fault for miscalculating how far away from how we still were. We have never been to a place quite like this that has so many magnificent, fantastic views. We enjoyed the park a whole lot! This park would also be a hiker‘s dream. We did not hike anywhere, but between a lot of the scenic pull offs there are paths that lead to unforgettable spots in the park or so we were told. I know this is true because I had looked at this place before on Pinterest. I just know that a lot of the hikes were moderate too difficult to get to some of the more scenic spots and I know that my wife and daughter would not be up for the challenge. I might have to take my son down sometime in the future if he would like to do that. That’s 2 national parks down, and only 61 more to go. 😆 If you want an unforgettable experience, even if it is just stopping at the scenic outlooks, I would highly recommend coming here. I will remember this for the rest of my life.

Completed a 'run' twice now, from Front Royal to Thortons ... Beautiful on a clear day... And absolutely serene after a passing storm left the lushness glistening

There is no store at this location. This location is just where you pay the entry fee to access the park. The entry fee for a vehicle is $30. There’s a sign just before the entry park to pull over and take a photo. Booth attendants were pleasant, and provided a map.

The Rockfish Gap Entrance Station is a convenient and well-organized entry point into the park, with a good area to pull over once you get inside. It made for a smooth start to our visit. The entry fee was $30, but I liked that it allows re-entry for the next seven days, which makes it a great value if you plan to return. One thing that caught me off guard was that they only accepted cards—when I tried to pay with cash, they didn’t take it. I found that a bit unusual, but it wasn’t a big deal, so I just used my card instead. Overall, it was a straightforward and easy entrance into the park, and the process was quick and efficient.

I love Rockfish Gap!! This is where the AT, Skyline Drive, and the Blue Ridge Parkway all meet. It also marks the end of Central Virginia and the beginning of the Shenandoah National Park. Alot of awesomeness happening in a small area. Not to mention, when you cross the interstate there are plenty of 18 wheelers and if you give them the horn signal they will respond in numbers. :-) Alot of fun letting the inner kid out every once in awhile. :-) Just know, the Blue Ridge Parkway is free, but you have to pay a fee for Skyline Drive if you don't buy the park pass. I recommend you buy one of the passes if you're going to be in and out of the Park and if you're going to be visiting other National Parks within the year. The passes really do pay for themselves as of the second visit. Happy Trails and safe travels. Oh, enjoy the views!

The park ranger was very friendly and helpful. The Rockfish Gap sign is available to take pictures, but it's not the traditional National Park sign. We had to go many miles before we were able to find a real National Park sign at Thornton Gap.

I know that the old dilapidated Howard Johnson’s restaurant just outside the park entrance isn’t the responsibility of the fed land maintenance, but how about someone demo this eye sore. I thought that I was driving into the ghetto when I saw that monstrosity as I neared the entrance to the park. Let’s go Virginia. Take some pride, huh?

Beautiful ride through the Shenandoah Valley. The views from the overlooks were a little hazy but I think it was the smoke from the fires in Canada.