Forget Shenandoah National Park — Visit Virginia's Scenic Park With Lovely Trails, Wildlife, And A Playground

Virginia's Shenandoah Valley region is most known for Shenandoah National Park, but the base towns nearby contain some hidden natural gems of their own. One of those hidden gems is Big Gem Park in Shenandoah, a cozy, unspoiled portion of nature in the heart of town. Covering around 68 acres, Big Gem Park is much smaller than the nearby national park, but it's still worth visiting for its uncrowded trails and excellent wildlife and bird-watching opportunities.

Big Gem Park was once the site of one of the area's biggest pig iron furnaces, but was eventually abandoned once iron production ceased. Luken's Steel Company donated the land to Shenandoah town in 1995, and work began on turning the former iron furnace into a natural lung and family-friendly recreation area. Today, Big Gem Park is best known for its pretty pond, playground, and scenic trails through undeveloped land.

Families particularly appreciate the park's simple but well-maintained playground. In 2023, Big Gem Park added new playground equipment near the picnic pavilion, which included a new slide and swings. According to Shenandoah Newz, the old swing set is also going to be relocated in the near future and moved closer to the playground from its original location on the far side of the pond, making it more accessible. There's just one little drawback — as of the writing of this article, there are no toddler swing sets at Big Gem Park, so this may not be the best playground for families with very small children.

Despite its size, Big Gem Park is a rewarding destination for avid bird-watchers. According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, some of the birds spotted in Big Gem Park include the Mourning Dove, Carolina Chickadee, and Blue Jay, among others. Patient birders may also get a glimpse of indigo buntings, American goldfinches, and ruby-throated hummingbirds. One Google reviewer even spotted a Kingfisher. Visitors have also seen dragonflies flitting over the pond, ducks waddling nearby, and the occasional deer along the trails.

The reason for Big Gem's surprising status as a wildlife haven is simple. Almost a hundred years passed between the area's last use of the furnace and the creation of Big Gem Park, allowing the land to grow wild in the meantime. While the town plans to develop parts of it into a baseball field and outdoor amphitheater, most of the park is still undeveloped, providing a unique opportunity to watch wild creatures in their natural setting. The best way to catch sight of the birds of Big Gem is through the Mayor Clinton Lucas Jr. Trail. This is the park's longest trail, at around a mile, and runs in a loop through the woods, with a mix of flat terrain and mild slopes — perfect for a gentle workout, according to a review on Google.

If you're planning to visit Big Gem, it's approximately halfway between Luray, known for its caverns and shopping, and the charming college city of Harrisonburg. For those flying in, it's around 2.5 hours (112 miles) from Washington D.C. Since Big Gem is pretty small and easily covered in a day, consider combining your trip with a scenic drive through dense forests along the Blue Ridge Mountains, 20 miles west of Shenandoah.