If you stood among the ancient hardwood trees and watched the mist flow across the land, you would swear that Shenandoah was a magical place filled with fairies hiding in the mountain laurel and gnomes dancing from rock to rock. Although there are no fairies or gnomes, this huge section of land is a wilderness filled with color and quiet splendor underground, in the forest and across the sky.
Located in the northwestern third of the state of Virginia, Shenandoah National Park is a wilderness that is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the middle section of the Appalachian Mountains. These East Coast mountains are about 300 million years old and were formed when two of the Earth's plates were crushed together, pushing miles of volcanic rock, limestone and greenstone (green metamorphosed limestone) upward. In the beginning the peaks were as tall as if not taller than the Rocky Mountains but time and water have worn the sharp facades into gently sloped mounds and deep valleys.
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| Deer |
When English explorers searched for passages through the mountains, they discovered the Indian tribes of the Monacans and Manahoacs who lived peacefully with the forest. As American settlers filtered across the mountains, they cleared the timber for farming. The native animals were hunted to close to extinction. Although the Shenandoah Valley is still covered with fertile farms, the thin mountain soil eventually gave out and the farmers moved on to better lands.
In the early part of the twentieth century, people from the increasingly crowded East Coast cities began to appreciate the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. In 1926, Congress selected the Shenandoah area to become a national park but it took time to buy the land back from private investors. The park wasn't dedicated until 1936. In that time, the land returned to its natural state by simply letting the trees and wild growth re-emerge. Over time, wildlife in the form of birds, beavers, deer, squirrels, and bears all returned too.
Skyline Drive cuts through Shenandoah National Park and eventually connects with the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a lovely winding drive around the mountain with many picnic areas and scenic overlooks every few miles. Stopping at every overlook is well worth the view but can drastically eat into your visiting time. However, near sunset, the deer frequently forage on the open areas near the overlooks. Many people prefer to park somewhere and explore some of the 500 miles of hiking trails, most of which are relatively short but at least one trail is as long as 101 miles representing part of the historic Appalachian Trail used by the first settlers. The Whiteoak Canyon Trail is one of the most popular because it leads to six lovely waterfalls and an old-growth forest.
When hiking, don't be afraid to explore the quiet places off the trail and look for the smaller hints of beauty. In Spring, the pink azaleas, yellow lady slippers, and white mountain laurel begin to bloom and continue deep into summer. Even the Indian pipe, an all-white plant that looks more like a ghost than a flower, can be seen in rare corners near the base of trees. The clumps of mushroom too are come in a variety of shape, sizes and colors as you find turkey-tail, yellow coral or the red Caesar's amanita mushrooms hidden in old stumps and tree bases.
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| Woodland Falls |
Adjacent to the park, privately owned caves also dot the area. For an entrance fee, you can take guided tours deep into the mountain and look at the beautiful stone sculptures that nature created. Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia are the best, most developed tourist caves. Shenandoah Caverns has the beautiful wet caves but also the American Celebration on Parade for the children. It is a collection of automated statues from past Tournament of Roses parades set in lovely backgrounds. At Skyline Caverns, Front Royal, Virginia, you can see the rare rock formation of anthodites, beautiful rock "flowers" growing out of the limestone walls.
