FTF explores the foothills of the Appalachians in this eastern national park and finds lodging and outdoor fun -- spring, summer or fall -- in Virginia.

If you're looking for national landmarks that will interest your entire family, here is a lesser-visited national park and a couple of delightful natural sites in Virginia that we recommend for a rewarding weekend away.

Shenandoah National Park (540/999-3500) is a 195,000-acre hiker's paradise in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain range between Pennsylvania and Georgia. Families can appreciate much of the park's scenery along the 105-mile-long Skyline Drive that winds through it. If you pull over and opt for a stroll, you will find the park is a great place for your children to explore wilderness' playground.

Over 500 miles of trails vary in length, from short hikes to trips that require 12 hours or more. Most trails are accessible in spring, summer and fall, but you should always check with a Park Ranger for current information.

Pop in one of the park's many visitors centers to purchase a terrific, award-winning "Junior Ranger Explorer Notebook" for your kids (age 7 and older). If you don't have any young naturalist tools, the visitor centers rent backpacks containing field guides, binoculars, and other handy supplies. These will help involve children in exploring and learning about trails, streams, plants and woodland creatures. After completing some activities, and attending two ranger programs (call ahead for schedules and more information), your proud kids will earn a Junior Ranger sticker, badge, or patch.

Natural Landmarks

Another natural wonder and a U.S. Registered Natural Landmark located on U.S. 211 - Luray Caverns (540/743-6551) - is only 10 minutes from the central entrance to Shenandoah National Park at Skyline Drive. The sculpted pathways and sophisticated lighting system that make the vast chambers of the cave accessible are recognized as one of the finest cavern illuminations in the world. This is the region's most popular cave, and the first one you should visit.

You and your family will be escorted through this subterranean wonderland in an easy-paced one-hour walk. Open daily, year round, the cave tours include stops to see the Great Stalacpipe Organ (the world's largest natural musical instrument), crystal clear lakes and pools, monumental columns and beautiful cascades of glittering stone.

Your kids will be intrigued by their exploration of nature's educational landscape. But be sure to eat breakfast beforehand; you will be fascinated by unique formations such as those resembling "Fried Eggs," sunny side up! Cavern goers can also enjoy the picturesque 6 feet-deep wishing well--a great photo op! After your tour, stop in to see the automobile displays at the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum, included in the admission ticket.

Nearby, 1 mile from Exit 269 off of I-81 and 5 miles north of New Market, families may visit the Shenandoah Caverns attraction, an underground cave complex that boasts its own elevator. In a tour lasting approximately one hour, families can see Shenandoah Caverns’ 17 rooms (some 100-feet-high), sparkling crystalline formations, unusual drapery formations like "Breakfast Bacon," and Rainbow Lake. According to the company, the caverns were the site of the first underground movies, shot in the 1920s, and the first underground telephone. This is an even larger commercial venture, with one barn/warehouse at the site devoted to American Celebration On Parade displaying historic floats, another warehouse showing off old farm equipment and memorabilia in an entertainment space for live performances, and a third structure above the restaurant housing a reproduction Main Street of Yesteryear, whose shop windows and stores highlight the products and styles of... what else? Yesteryear.

Family-Friendly Lodging & Camping

You can opt for the posh Homestead (866/354-4653) in Hot Springs if you don't want to rough it, but there are also many more rustic options within the Shenandoah Park itself. Families will enjoy the historically rustic Big Meadows Lodge, with its 1930's fieldstone porch overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains, the smaller Skyland and the cute Lewis Mountain Cabins, all operated by Aramark, the concessionaire handling the national parks lodges (reservations at 888/896-3833; www.visitshenandoah.com). Book ahead, as often these hotels are sold out; in fact, they accept reservations over a year in advance.

If you want to stay near the caverns, the Luray Caverns Motels East and West (888/941-4531 or 540/743-6551), at each entrance to the caves, offer simple double rooms and a small, on-site swimming pool, for a modest rate.

One local mom recommends families try the Jellystone Park Camp Resort (540/743-4002) in Luray, Virginia, describing it as a "typical campground" where you'll find varying degrees of bathroom cleanliness when it comes time to bathe the kids. Families will enjoy the camp's great bike paths, nice trailer sites and location convenient to hiking within the park. Note that in addition to renting a camp site, you'll have to pay an additional fee for family members to use the waterslide and mini-golf course, but that's what makes this a fun place to stay.

If you fall in love with the famously scenic Shenandoah National Park, the National Park Service (540/999-3500) manages five more rustic campgrounds with tent sites, RV hookups and all the conveniences you'll need (no waterslides though!); spots can be booked through the park's website.

For information about historic Victorian-era B&Bs and other housing in the Shenandoah Valley, check out www.visitshenandoah.org.