Limberlost Trail in Shenandoah National Park: A Hiking Guide
The short and easy Limberlost Trail is an excellent choice at Shenandoah National Park for the entire family!
With very little elevation gain, the potential to spot wildlife, and a free Tracks Trail program at the trailhead, hikers of all ages will enjoy this loop trail.
Plus, it’s one of the best places to see the mountain laurels when they bloom in late May and June.
In the hiking guide below, you’ll find everything that you need to know about the Limberlost Trail from what the parking situation is like to what to expect at every step along the trail.
The mountain laurel in full bloom on the Limberlost Trail
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Hike Overview
Trailhead Location: around mile 43 (roughly halfway between the 40 and 45 mile markers)
Trail length: 1.3 mile loop
Trail difficulty: easy
Elevation gain: 100 feet
Getting to Limberlost Trail and Parking
To get to the parking lot for this hike, you’ll want to head into Shenandoah National Park.
It’s about 15 miles south of the Thornton Gap Entrance Station and about 20 miles north of the Swift Run Gap Entrance Station.
At both of these, you can show your America the Beautiful annual pass, 7-day entry pass, or purchase an entrance pass if you haven’t been to the park previously.
TIP: To save money, get an NPS annual pass! This will get you into any NPS site—including national parks, national battlefields, and national historic sites—for a year. And for even more savings, grab the America the Beautiful pass and AllTrails+ bundle here.
Follow the mile markers, which occur every 5 miles.
Parking at Limberlost Falls
The two trailheads (far left and far right) as seen from the parking area
The parking area is halfway between the 40 and 45 mile markers, and the entrance has a small wooden sign.
Follow the short, paved entrance road to the small parking area where you’ll find spots for about 10 vehicles. Don’t bring your trailer or larger RV here, as there isn’t any parking area long enough.
It’s free to park here with your entrance pass.
This trail isn’t too busy, so you should be able to nab a spot without trouble. If, for some reason, the parking area is full, it’s a short enough hike that you can either wait until a car leaves or circle back when you have an hour to spare in your itinerary.
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Limberlost Trail, Step-by-Step
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The trailhead if you go counterclockwise
If you’re visiting Shenandoah National Park with kids, the Limberlost Trail is a must-do!
At only 1.3 miles in total, the hike will take about 45 minutes, depending on how long your kids linger at different points along the trail.
There are two trailheads leading off of the parking area. One will be nearly straight ahead and next to a small wooden stand if you’re standing at the entrance to the parking area, and the other will be to your left by a larger informational sign.
There is a third option that runs between the two trailheads, but it’s not associated with the Limberlost Trail. This is the Old Rag Fire Road, and it’s one of the ways to access the Old Rag summit.
NOTE: I don’t recommend Old Rag for most families as there are steep drop-offs and rock scrambles that may frighten or be too difficult for kids and beginning hikers.
Plus, you’ll need to apply for a day-use permit ahead of time for hikes on Old Rag between March and November.
Since the Limberlost Trail is a loop, you can, of course, do this trail in either direction and end up back at the parking area.
For the purposes of this review, I’ll be following the trail counterclockwise since we’re starting at the smaller of the two stands, which holds the Tracks Trail pamphlets.
Tracks Trails
If you’ve never done one of the Tracks Trails with your kids before, you’re in for a treat.
These trails are ones designated by Kids in Parks as particularly family-friendly and include an free educational pamphlet or booklet to help your child learn more about the geology, history, or wildlife of the trail.
They’re similar to the NPS’ Junior Ranger program, just much more focused and shorter.
We love doing the Tracks Trails for a few reasons:
The brochures make the hike more engaging for my kids, and
We can log our miles on the Tracks Trails for free prizes by mail.
Limberlost Trail is one of three Tracks Trails in Shenandoah National Park. The other two are Fox Hollow Trail near the Visitors Center at mile marker 5 and the Blackrock Summit Trail around mile marker 85.
>> Find even more Tracks Trails across the U.S. with their interactive map. <<
The full color brochure at the trailhead to Limberlost focuses on the animals and plants along the trail. Kids will listen, jump, wiggle, and write their way through the prompts.
On the Trail
Once you have your pamphlet in hand, start out on the trail, which is one of the best short and easy hikes in Shenandoah National Park.
The mountain laurels next to one of the trail’s many wooden benches
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting in the late spring and early summer, your first quarter mile or so on the trail will carry you through the blooms of the towering mountain laurel bushes.
These light pink flowers also attract bees, who work diligently collecting pollen. My kids enjoyed watching the many bees fly around the mountain laurel.
The trail at this point is wide and made of flat gravel asphalt. The trail is fully accessible for wheelchairs, so you could bring your stroller if you’d like.
The trail’s flat enough without roots or rocks that you could absolutely let your toddler get down and walk, too.
The trail will slowly begin to curve to the left, and the clumps of mountain laurel fall away to mature forest. You’ll see a trail spur to your right, which is the Crescent Rock Trail. Keep to the left branch at this intersection.
Around this same time, the trail transitions from asphalt to wooden boardwalk.
A portion of the boardwalk
This is a great place to listen for deer and song birds.
At the end of the boardwalk, the trail becomes paved for a bit.
You’ll also cross two other trails in rapid succession, but you want to hold the Limberlost Trail running straight ahead. The first is the White Oak Canyon Trail, and the section is the Old Rag Fire Road (that was near the trailhead and parking area).
Directly after you cross the Old Rag Fire Road, the Limberlost Trail will curve back to the left and turn into packed dirt.
You’re now on the last stretch of trail before you return to the parking area.
On this section, the trail begins to climb a bit, but the incline is slow and steady. You’ll pass an interesting outcrop of rocks that my kids wanted to examine for several minutes.
Plenty of lichen and interesting rocks to examine!
From here, the trail will make a final slow curve back to the left, passing through more densely packed mountain laurels before you cross Whiteoak Canyon Trail and the Old Rag Fire Road one more time.
You’ll pop out on the side of the parking area from where you started.
Tips for Visiting Limberlost Falls
My son figured out that his day pack’s chest strap doubles as a trail snack holder!
Bring water and trail snacks.
You won’t find any food or drinks at the trailhead, so you’ll want to pack in everything that you need.
Bringing different trail snacks is one of the main ways that we make hiking fun for our kids, and the Limberlost Trail has plenty of benches along the way to pause for a snack.
I always carry water in my day pack, usually in my 2L water bladder.
When my kids were younger, I’d carry their water for them, but they now each have little water bladder in their own packs.
Wear comfortable shoes.
While it’s a shorter hike, you still don’t want to do this trail in flip flops or wedges.
Plan to wear tennis shoes, at minimum, but hiking specific shoes are best.
In the summer months, you could wear Chacos, Tevas, or, my favorite, Keen Newport H2s, which aren’t as hot or constraining as full hiking boots.
Pick up a free Track Trail pamphlet for kids.
These are free at the trailhead, and you can then log your mileage on the Track Trail website.
The Kids in Parks group will then send your child prizes in the mail for hitting mileage and trail goals.
You’ll want to bring your own pen or pencil as the Tracks Trail stand don’t offer these.
Final Thoughts on Limberlost Trail in Shenandoah National Park
The lush forest along the Limberlost Trail
While it’s not the most challenging trail at Shenandoah, Limberlost Trail is still guaranteed fun for your entire group.
Since the trail has little incline and an even surface throughout, it’s perfect for both little hikers and park goers looking for an easy post-picnic stroll.
The benches along the path also encourage quiet reflection or sketching in your nature journal.
The trail’s location just south of Skyland makes it a perfect add-on to your hotel stay or lunch reservations.
Plus, the free Tracks Trail brochures go a long way in keeping kids engaged and happy throughout the short hike.
Definitely add this one to your next Shenandoah National Park family vacation!
