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Season of Fall is a genuine expression of colors in America. This time Fall is coming 3 weeks later than usual, yet the colors of Shenandoah National Park Virginia, USA is something to behold. Something surely worthy to mention in line with William Wordsworth.
Angshuman Deb a man with many moods tried to capture a few details for IBG NEWS at the park. Before we jump into the wonderful light and shadow world, let’s see a few details available from Wikipedia:
Shenandoah National Park is an American national park that encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The park is long and narrow, with the Shenandoah River and its broad valley to the west, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont to the east. Skyline Drive is the main park road, generally traversing near the ridgeline of the mountains. Almost 40% of the land area—79,579 acres (124.3 sq mi; 322.0 km2)—has been designated as wilderness and is protected as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The highest peak is Hawksbill Mountain at 4,051 feet (1,235 m).
Shenandoah National Park preserves and protects nationally significant natural and cultural resources, scenic beauty, and congressionally designated wilderness within Virginia’s northern Blue Ridge Mountains, and provides a broad range of opportunities for public enjoyment, recreation, inspiration, and stewardship.
The park encompasses parts of eight counties. On the west side of Skyline Drive they are, from northeast to southwest, Warren, Page, Rockingham, and Augusta counties. On the east side of Skyline Drive they are Rappahannock, Madison, Greene, and Albemarle counties. The park stretches for 105 miles (169 km) along Skyline Drive from near the town of Front Royal in the northeast to near the city of Waynesboro in the southwest. The park headquarters are located in Luray.
Skyline Drive
View from Skyline Drive’s Pinnacles Overlook
The park is best known for Skyline Drive, a 105-mile (169 km) road that runs the length of the park along the ridge of the mountains. 101 miles (163 km) of the Appalachian Trail are also in the park. In total, there are over 500 miles (800 km) of trails within the park. There is also horseback riding, camping, bicycling, and a number of waterfalls. The Skyline Drive is the first National Park Service road east of the Mississippi River listed as a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also designated as a National Scenic Byway.
Backcountry camping
Shenandoah National Park offers 196,000 acres (306.2 sq mi; 793.2 km2) of backcountry and wilderness camping. While in the backcountry, campers must use a “Leave No Trace” policy that includes burying excrement and not building campfires.
Backcountry campers must also be careful of wildlife such as bears and venomous snakes. Campers must suspend their food from trees while not in use in “bear bags” or park-approved bear canisters to prevent unintentionally feeding the bears, who then become habituated to humans and their food and therefore dangerous. All animals are protected by federal law.
Lodging
Campgrounds and cabins
Most of the campgrounds are open from April to October–November. There are five major campgrounds:
- Mathews Arm Campground
- Big Meadows Campground
- Lewis Mountain Campground
- Loft Mountain Campground
- Dundo Group Campground
Lodges
There are three lodges/cabins:
- Skyland Resort
- Big Meadows
- Lewis Mountain Cabins
- Massanutten Lodge at Skyland Resort
Lodges are located at Skyland and Big Meadows. The park’s Harry F. Byrd Visitor Center is also located at Big Meadows. Another visitor center is located at Dickey Ridge. Campgrounds are located at Mathews Arm, Big Meadows, Lewis Mountain, and Loft Mountain.
Rapidan Camp, the restored presidential fishing retreat Herbert Hoover built on the Rapidan River in 1929, is accessed by a 4.1-mile (6.6 km) round-trip hike on Mill Prong Trail, which begins on the Skyline Drive at Milam Gap (Mile 52.8). The NPS also offers guided van trips that leave from the Byrd Center at Big Meadows.
Angshuman Deb is a wizard of the computing world for almost two decades, living in the USA after his initial education at the University of Calcutta. A man with many moods and truly an artist with culinary experiments too, not less than a contender for the Master Chef league. But with the guitar and vocal, he mesmerizes all with effortless ease. His other passion is traveling with the camera to capture the moments within nature and beyond. He is a good old friend of IBG NEWS to encourage, guide, and sometimes strong critics, too. We are proud to have his photos as a gift from a genuine friend.
