Shenandoah National Park is located in the state of Virginia, and its northern entrance (Front Royal Entrance) is 115 km west of Washington-DC.
Established in 1935, Shenandoah National Park comprises 777 km² of Blue Ridge Mountains, a sub-range of the Appalachian Mountains, with two peaks exceeding 1,219 meters in altitude.
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| Shenandoah National Park |
The main activities offered by the park are: hiking, camping, wildlife watching and horse riding.
The park has a huge variety of plants, 100 types of trees and 300 species of animals, including squirrels, deer and marmots. The park has one of the largest concentrations of black bears in the US! So, be careful where you walk, because you might come across one of them!
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| Shenandoah National Park |
We had the opportunity to observe a black bear, but it was crossing the road, a few meters ahead of us.
If you enjoy hiking, the park offers more than 800 km of trails with impressive views, waterfalls and lush forests.
However, if you're not so adventurous and prefer to stay in the car, the road that cuts through Shenandoah National Park, known as Skyline Drive, provides a scenic drive with several vantage points with beautiful panoramic views.
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| Shenandoah National Park |
It takes 3 hours to travel, without stops, the 169 km of Skyline Drive, but there is also the possibility of covering only stretches of the panoramic road, as the park has 4 entrances:
- Front Royal Entrance Station: located to the north at mile 0.6
- Thornton Gap Entrance Station: located at mile 31.5
- Swift Run Gap Entrance Station: located at mile 65.7
- Rockfish Gap Entrance Station: Located to the south at mile 104.9
Shenandoah Park has several comfortable campgrounds and hotels (lodges) for outdoor recreation. Visitors love to come here from big cities to hike (500 miles of trails!), Watch waterfalls and, of course, stop at picturesque viewpoints along the way - there are 75 observation decks along the way! Conveniently, there are miles on the Skyline Highway.
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| Shenandoah National Park |
When is the best time to go to Shenandoah
Shenandoah National Park is open almost all year, except for the time when the mountain road is covered with snow in winter. Then, of course, the entrance to it is closed: the park becomes impassable. In winter, all amenities in the park are also closed: visitor centers, campgrounds, toilets. You can find out the condition of the roads, as well as get all the information about a visit to Shenandoah Park, on the official website.
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| Shenandoah National Park |
- The most popular time for tourists to visit Shenandoah Park is autumn - for the bright colors of the foliage on the trees.
- We ourselves traveled to Shenandoah in late spring when the mountain plants were in bloom. And they were very pleased with the green landscapes and beautiful flowers around, although they did not find all the beauty. But most importantly, we understood exactly what the Apalachians are called blue mountains for. Despite the fact that everything around is in spring-summer greenery, mountains and hills from afar look as if they were painted blue by an artist-nature.
- Shenandoah Park can be hot and crowded in the summer, but it is still beautiful. Summer flowers and bright green trees will leave few people indifferent.
- In winter, Shenandoah should only be driven when Skyline Drive is open. At this time of year, when it snows, visitors to the park are presented with a completely different picture. If the sky is clear, then beautiful views of snow-capped valleys and mountain ranges open up, and the waterfalls turn into ice sculptures.
Tip: It is best to visit Shenandoah National Park in the spring in May and during the riot of colors in the fall, from October 10th to 25th.