Onondaga Central
Shenandoah National Park is located along the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in the State of Virginia. Shenandoah National Park has over 500 miles of fantastic trails, but is better known for its SkyLine Drive. With the drive’s lush forestry and breathtaking overlooks, you’re sure to fall in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains and all they have to offer. The SkyLine Drive runs the entirety of the park. There are 75 outstanding overlooks to enjoy.
Some notable features the park has are the incredible butterflies fluttering amongst the brilliant green foliage, the fluorescent and rich colored leaves when Autumn comes around, and the robust coloring on the various types of flowers. The Skyline Drive spans 105 miles. The drive offers trailheads where you can get out and stretch your legs, a picnic area for a delightful snack, and campgrounds between Front Royal in the northern end and Rockfish Gap in the southern end. Front Royal and Rockfish Gap are accessible via Luray and Sperryville. The Dickey Ridge Visitors Center offers a great introduction of the park’s human and natural history. If you're not looking for a long hike; there are two short loop trails: Fox Hollow Loop and Snead Farm Road. Another method of traveling around Shenandoah, which is all the more amazing, is through the Appalachian Trail. You can hike across the entire length of Shenandoah, or you can hike a few miles. There are nearly 80,000 acres of wilderness, just a mere 75 miles away from Washington D.C. Another place to stop is at Milam Gap (milepost 52.8 along Skyline Drive) where you may begin a moderate, four-mile round-trip hike to Rapidan Camp, a national historic landmark that was President Herbert Hoover's summer White House which has been restored to its 1929 appearance. The history of Shenandoah is actually quite extensive. A national reserve was first proposed in 1901. When the proposal stalled, Virginia took matters into their own hands. Using eminent domain, Virginia acquired property from 5,000 landholders. The day after Christmas of 1935, the park was established. The Skyline Drive was constructed in 1930 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). When the leaves change from bright green to ruby red, vibrant orange, and cool yellow tones, the views are just that much more spectacular. The now fall foliage will blow you away. The views in Autumn are absolutely stunning. Don’t be afraid to explore trails, and all Shenandoah has to offer. Even explore the surrounding area of Shenandoah, including Washington D.C. and the surrounding states. For example, you can go to Luray Caverns, which covers a whopping 64 acres. The caverns are 4,000,000 years in the making! The caverns are enormous chambers filled with stone columns that rise 10 stories high. You can also hear the eerie sounds of what is also known as the world’s largest musical instrument. The beautiful caverns contain glistening draperies and crystal-clear pools. Luray Caverns is the most prominent cavern in the East Coast. There are other caverns such as Grand Caverns, Shenandoah Caverns and Skyline Caverns, are among many more popular tourist caverns. Lastly, another awe-inspiring place to visit is Natural Bridge, once owned by Thomas Jefferson. It is a 215 foot tall natural bridge made of limestone. It was meticulously carved out by Cedar Creek over hundreds of years. The most popular trail is Cedar Creek Trail leading you to the Monacan Indian Villages and Lace Falls with its 30ft cascade. The bridge will stun, along with all the other breathtaking places to visit near and in Shenandoah. Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/shenandoah-activities/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/shenandoah-national-park/
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