Dickey Ridge Trail is a pleasant hike that is 2.7 miles in length traveling past a small mountainside stream. The trail descends beginning at Dickey Ridge Visitor Center.

Directions: From Front Royal, VA, Skyline Drive travels the entire length of Shenandoah National Park. Mile markers are placed along the right-hand side of the road heading south. They are numbered from north to south beginning at the northern terminus in Front Royal, Virginia. Facilities, trails and park features use the mile markers as points of reference. Dickey Ridge Trail may be accessed from Dickey Ridge Visitor Center which is .4 mile north of milepost 5.

Elevation: 1,940 feet

Elevation Gain: 200 feet

Difficulty: Easy

Expert Review of Dickey Ridge Trail

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Family Review of Dickey Ridge Trail

Away Travel Expert: Meagan Francis

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FamilyExpert Rating Recommended for:
Children of all ages

FamilyExpert Tips & Helpful Hints

• The 10-mile Dickey Ridge Trail does not circle back, so you'll need to either decide a point at which to retrace your steps or arrange for pick-up at Compton Gap.
• The Dickey Ridge Visitor Center is at mile 4.6 of this trail, so if you're starting there, you're already halfway to the end.

Dickey Ridge Trail is one of the most popular stops in Shenandoah National Park, and very close to the north entrance to the park. A visitor center at mile 4.6 welcomes you with exhibits, handouts a film illustrating the many recreation

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Dickey Ridge Trail is one of the most popular stops in Shenandoah National Park, and very close to the north entrance to the park. A visitor center at mile 4.6 welcomes you with exhibits, handouts a film illustrating the many recreation opportunities in the area, picnic area and staffers to answer any questions you might have.

From there, you can take a 1.3-mile loop that leads to an old homestead. This is a perfect hike for young kids—easy, short, and scenic. Or, you can head for Dickey Ridge Trail, a more strenuous trail that's a total of 10 miles in length and takes hikers alongside a mountain stream. Abandoned homesites and evidence of people who once lived here are abundant on this trail—you'll see piles of stones, old roads, stone walls, and an old stone chimney, the remains of a homesite. It's not a terribly difficult hike, but is probably most suitable for older children or reasonably fit parents carting little ones in backpacks.

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