{"id":652,"date":"2022-04-20T11:47:40","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T11:47:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/usa\/?p=652"},"modified":"2025-04-04T15:11:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T15:11:45","slug":"shenandoah-national-park-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/usa\/national-parks\/shenandoah-national-park-map.html","title":{"rendered":"Shenandoah National Park Map"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Here find wilderness, but also deep layers of human history. Unlike most national parks, Shenandoah\u2019s borders were drawn around communities where hundreds of families lived and worked the land. As planners gave the East Coast a way to experience the grandeur of the national parks of the West, residents left homesteads and farm plots to be absorbed by the forest. Since then, oaks, hickories, and other trees have overtaken orchards and cornfields, but hikers still come upon stray chimney stacks and even gravestones. People continue to farm the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

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\"Shenandoah<\/a><\/p>\n

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Skyline Drive, winding 105 miles from the park\u2019s northern entrance to the southern exit, forms the heart of the park, which never stretches more than 13 miles across. In the 1930s, following a road engineered to hug the mountains and showcase the most scenic views, the Civilian<\/p>\n

Conservation Corps graded slopes around the road, built stone barriers, and planted thousands of trees. Now 1.2 million people cruise Skyline Drive every year. Top speed is 35 mph, a good speed for wildlife spotting. White-tailed deer, black bears, and hawks are among the 300 animal species inhabiting this piece of the Blue Ridge.<\/p>\n

About 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail,<\/strong> that 2,180-mile trek from Georgia to Maine, also course through the park, forming the backbone of its 500-mile trail system.<\/p>\n

Paths lead to summits that make the trees below look like tiny toys, and trails wander deep into storybook forests carpeted by ferns, mosses, and mushrooms.<\/p>\n

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How to Visit<\/h2>\n

Skyline Drive<\/strong> is its own attraction, but keep in mind that simply driving the entire road takes at least three hours. And while the dips and curves offer delights, be sure to step out of the car. Walking among the trees and up the mountains immerses one in the park\u2019s earthy scents, birdsongs, and fresh mountain air.<\/p>\n

If you have less than a full day, drive to the most convenient of the four entrances and explore nearby trails and overlooks\u2014ideally after getting guidance from a ranger at an entrance station or the Harry S. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center.<\/strong> To make the most of a visit of a day or more, consider starting in the middle of the park, near the Big Meadows and Skyland areas, where the mountains climb highest and popular trails and amenities cluster.<\/p>\n

Spectacular sights can also be found in the north, where several trails showcase relics of mountain settlers, and in the less visited south, where you\u2019re most likely to find solitude in the forest.<\/p>\n

When crowds pack Shenandoah in mid-October, rangers suggest weekday visits. Many services, and sometimes Skyline Drive itself, close during winter, though restrooms stay open, and intrepid souls can hike in. With the trees bare and the earth wearing a blanket of snow, wildlife\u2014and footprints\u2014become easier to spot. Spring comes with another wash of color, when brilliant hepatica rises between fall\u2019s discarded leaves, bluets bloom alongside trails, and other flowers blossom across the park.<\/p>\n

Summer weekends are also popular, particularly as the park can be about 10 degrees cooler than the valley below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Useful Information<\/h2>\n

How to get there<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The park is within several hours\u2019 drive from Washington, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Where you come from will determine which of the four entrances you use: The most popular are at Front Royal in the north, near I-66, and Thornton Gap, closer to the middle, accessed from U.S. 211. Moving south, the other entrances are Swift Run Gap, off U.S. 33, and Rockfish Gap, near I-64.<\/p>\n

When to go<\/h3>\n

Lodging books quickly for the Oct. foliage; travel during the week to avoid crowds. Most facilities close for winter and reopen in March, though the park remains open. Summers also book quickly.<\/p>\n

Visitor Centers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dickey Ridge Visitor Center<\/strong> (Mile 4.6), open daily; closed in winter. Harry F. Byrd, Sr. Visitor Center<\/strong> (Mile 51), open daily; closed in winter.<\/p>\n

Headquarters<\/h3>\n

3655 Highway 211 East Luray, VA 22835 nps.gov\/shen<\/a> 540-999-3500<\/p>\n

Camping<\/h3>\n

Reservations (recreation.gov<\/a>), recommended for weekend and holiday visits, are accepted for all sites except Lewis Mountain. Most of the park is open to backcountry camping (free permit required); 647 campsites are available at Mathews Arm<\/strong> (Mile 22.1), Big Meadows<\/strong> (Mile 51), Lewis Mountain<\/strong> (Mile 57.5), and Loft Mountain<\/strong> (Mile 79.5).<\/p>\n

Lodging<\/h3>\n

Private concessioners offer rooms and cabins in the park, mostly at Big Meadows<\/strong> (Mile 51) and Skyland<\/strong> (Mile 42). Lewis Mountain<\/strong> (Mile 57.5) has several cabins. The Potomac Appalachian Trail<\/strong> Club rents out primitive cabins (patc.net<\/a>). For more lodging information: visitshenandoah.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

US National Parks Map<\/a><\/h2>\n

About the Guide<\/h2>\n
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Bask in the spectacular beauty, thrilling terrain, and quiet peacefulness of the country’s finest state parks, hand- picked by park directors and National Geographic editors. This fully updated fifth edition includes 750 additional off- the-beaten track destinations. Beautifully written descriptions tell the stories of the parks, from their wildlife, natural features, and history to their most popular current activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, water sports, and rock climbing. Vivid images inspire your next getaway, while detailed information–including 32 detailed maps highlighting sites, trails, campgrounds, and more– helps you plan your next excursion. From free to low-cost, from Florida to Alaska, from the six-acre lao Valley to the 204,000-acre Baxter, use this essential guide to plan a day visit or a weekend escape.<\/div>\n
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