Shenandoah Valley: Good way to hike a lot while learning about Civil War?

Have you looked into the Appalachian Trail? It goes from Maine to Georgia and goes through the Shenandoah Valley.

I went to school in Harrisonburg, VA, and spent a fair amount of time traveling up and down I-81 to Blacksburg, but I unfortunately don’t know a whole lot about where battles occurred in the area. I have been to Madison’s Montpelier and Jefferson’s Monticello estates. Both are about an hour from the valley and are interesting historical anti-bellum locations worth seeing. They’re also not really of the era you’re interested in either.

I will say that you should make a stop at Klines dairy bar in either Staunton or Harrisonburg. It’s some of the best ice cream you’ll ever have. The camping is beautiful though, and skyline drive is famous for it’s Blue Ridge vistas. Other sites in the area include Natural Bridge and Lauray’s Caverns.