The splendor of Shenandoah National Park

VIRGINIA | BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS

GETTY IMAGES

By Diane Bair and Pamela Wright

SKYLINE DRIVE RUNS THE length of Shenandoah National Park , tracing the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains once trod by Native Americans and early settlers.

The 105-mile-long roadway, with nearly 70 scenic outlooks, is a marvel, but Shenandoah deserves more than a drive-by look. Hiking, fishing and camping offer a back-tonature escape just 75 miles west of the nation’s capital.

Shenandoah is laced with 500 miles of hiking trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. If a secluded hike in the woods is your goal, head to the far-flung north and south districts of the park. While the central district trails get more foot traffic, the scenery is grand (think mountain summits and waterfalls), and several trailheads are accessible from Skyland Lodge and Big Meadows Campground .

Shenandoah’s four major campgrounds are open from late March to late fall. Reservations are highly recommended on weekends and holidays. Loft Mountain, at mile 79.5, is the largest. Perched atop Big Flat Mountain, the campground has access to two waterfalls and the hiking trails of the Big Run section of the Shenandoah Wilderness Area.

If you really want “remote,” there are 196,000 acres of backcountry to explore. The park’s wildlife includes black bears, deer and wild turkeys, so animal-watching opportunities are plentiful. And with more than 70 streams and 40 fish species , Shenandoah is a mecca for fly-fishing enthusiasts. Check the park website for information on licensing and limits, and stop by the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center at mile 4.6 on Skyline Drive, or the Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center at mile 51, for information, backcountry permits, maps and exhibits.

“The beautiful forests, clear mountain streams, rare plants and animals, and abundance of hiking trails make Shenandoah special,” says Roy Wood , Shenandoah’s chief of interpretation and education. “What truly makes it unique is that all of this is within a two-hour drive of Washington, D.C.”

▶ nps.gov/shen