What's the difference between the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains?
The Shenandoah Valley is the wide agricultural valley running ~200 miles through western Virginia. The Blue Ridge Mountains form its eastern wall (and host Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive). The Allegheny Mountains form its western wall. The Valley is the farmland between them.
Geography in one sentence
Drive west from Charlottesville: you cross the Blue Ridge, drop into the Shenandoah Valley, then climb the Alleghenies on the way to West Virginia. The Valley is the bowl in the middle.
What's in the Blue Ridge
Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, the Appalachian Trail, and most of the high overlooks. If you're driving a scenic ridge road, you're in the Blue Ridge.
What's in the Valley
Towns like Winchester, Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Lexington. Working farms, wineries, breweries, historic Main Streets, and the I-81 corridor. If you're at a farmers market, brewery, or downtown shop, you're in the Valley.