Shenandoah National Park
Overview
Shenandoah National Park is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, U.S.A. It is a long and narrow national park and is flanked by the Shenandoah River flowing on the west and the hills of Virginia Piedmont on the east.
About 40% of the land area has been marked as wilderness. The highest mountain peak here is Hawksbill Mountain at an altitude of 1,235 m. The park passes through eight neighboring counties - Warren, Rockingham, Page, Augusta, Madison, Rappahannock, Greene and Albemarle.
However, the most distinctive feature is the picturesque Skyline Drive, which runs 169 km along the length of the park along the mountain ridge. Altogether, there are over 800 km of trails inside the park of which the Old Rag Mountain is the most popular. Its lush forest cover includes trees such as chestnut, tulip poplar, red oak, and cove hardwood and spruce-fir forest.
The wildlife here is extensive - there are over 200 resident and migratory bird species and over 50 species of mammals, 51 reptile and amphibian species and 30 fish species. Birds include Peregrine Falcon, eagles, owls, hawks, falcons and vultures, Cerulean Warbler, downy Woodpecker and the Scarlet Tanager. The park's 32 fish species include the Black Nosed Dace and Brook Trout while the mammals here are the white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, big brown bat, skunks, American black bears and bobcats.
Accommodation here consists of five camp grounds and cabins, and three lodges.
About 40% of the land area has been marked as wilderness. The highest mountain peak here is Hawksbill Mountain at an altitude of 1,235 m. The park passes through eight neighboring counties - Warren, Rockingham, Page, Augusta, Madison, Rappahannock, Greene and Albemarle.
However, the most distinctive feature is the picturesque Skyline Drive, which runs 169 km along the length of the park along the mountain ridge. Altogether, there are over 800 km of trails inside the park of which the Old Rag Mountain is the most popular. Its lush forest cover includes trees such as chestnut, tulip poplar, red oak, and cove hardwood and spruce-fir forest.
The wildlife here is extensive - there are over 200 resident and migratory bird species and over 50 species of mammals, 51 reptile and amphibian species and 30 fish species. Birds include Peregrine Falcon, eagles, owls, hawks, falcons and vultures, Cerulean Warbler, downy Woodpecker and the Scarlet Tanager. The park's 32 fish species include the Black Nosed Dace and Brook Trout while the mammals here are the white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, big brown bat, skunks, American black bears and bobcats.
Accommodation here consists of five camp grounds and cabins, and three lodges.