Shenandoah National Park Day 3: Little Stony Man and Luray Caverns in Luray

Shenandoah National Park Day 3 - Wednesday 4/8/15
The weather on day 3 was not great. It started out really foggy in the morning, cleared while on our hike up Stony Man, then the clouds rolled in and stayed. It was pretty dreary the rest of the day so we headed to the Luray Caverns which turned out to be a pretty awesome place.

We started the day walking from our lodge to the dining hall at Skyland Resort for breakfast. It's a nice little walk to take, just wished the weather was nicer.

Breakfast at the dining hall was decent, nothing spectacular but fine. They had a nice menu for kids and the kiddos did a great job eating their pancakes and french toast. We took our time heading back to our room because of the fog. If we went on any hike, we wouldn't see a thing and since the kiddos wanted to play on the rocks outside the dining hall, we let them. Miraculously while Hubby was checking out and giving the keys back to the resort, the clouds started clearing and that was when we decided to hike Stony Man.

Stony Man, Mile Marker 41.7

As you can see below, the skies cleared and the weather was great while heading up Stony Man. The kids were having a great time as we let them play on some of the big rocks that we passed.

However just as we got to the summit, the clouds rolled in. We were pretty bummed that we didn't get the views. We just couldn't believe how fast the clouds came. Here's a pic I took so you can get an idea of how cloudy it was at the summit.

The hike is 1.6 miles total. Good for kids and another popular hike so be prepared for lots of people on the trail.

With the forecast for the rest of the day cloudy with a chance for some rain, we decided to check out the Luray Caverns in Luray (the caverns are not a part of the National Park).

Luray Caverns

After a quick lunch in Luray, we went to the caverns. Be prepared for long lines. When we got there the line was quite long. I'd say we waited in the line for about 45 minutes. However those 45 minutes were worth it. I had never been in a cave and seeing and walking inside was pretty amazing. I will let you see for yourself from my favorite pics from our visit.

There is a guide talking throughout the tour that leads the group. We hung out in the back so we didn't catch a lot of what our guide was saying. We wanted to hang out back and take pics, plus it was just easier with the kiddos to be in the back. My favorite part was this area where there is pool of water and you see the reflection of the stalactites in the water and it looks like a city.

There is a wishing well where all proceeds are donated for medical research, educational grants, and to other charitable and nonprofit organizations.

I was impressed with how big the cave was and how much we got to see of it. We walked about 1.25 miles, so it was a nice tour. I would say definitely worth the price we paid. Adults are $26 and kids 6-12 $14, and kids 5 and under are free, so we did not have to pay for the kiddos which was nice. Admission also includes entrance to the Car and Carriage Caravan and the Luray Valley Museum. We checked out the Luray Valley Museum which had some interesting old furniture but didn't stay long. We also checked out the Garden Maze which was not included in admission but we got a $1 off and paid only $6 for Hubby to go in with the kiddos (kids 5 & under are free). The kiddos loved the maze and they even did it twice. They even said that was their favorite part which I thought was interesting. Maybe because we did that last.

In any rate, I definitely recommend the Luray Caverns as a place to go if you ever visit the Shenandoah National Park area. Day 3 turned out to be a great day, so glad we went to the caves!