When mentioning Shenandoah National Park, visitors often get that faraway look in their eye, fondly recalling adventures at this scenic mountain jewel rising high atop Virginia’s Appalachians. What makes Shenandoah so special? First, consider panoramic views from overlooks scattered on lofty Skyline Drive, which runs 105 miles down the length of the 300-square-mile sanctuary. Additionally, beyond Skyline Drive lies another Shenandoah, where bears roam the hollows and brook trout ply the tumbling streams. Trail side flowers color the woods. Quartz, granite, and greenstone outcrops jut above the diverse forest, allowing far-flung views of the Blue Ridge and surrounding Shenandoah Valley. It is this beauty near and far that create the unforgettable Shenandoah experience.

Shenandoah -- Virginia’s first national park -- was dedicated July 3, 1936. Cobbled together along the Blue Ridge from Front Royal to Waynesboro, the long narrow preserve divides the proud Shenandoah Valley from the rolling Piedmont to the east. The park contains a wide array of flora and fauna as it rises from a mere 550 feet at its lowest elevation to over 4,049 feet at its highest atop Hawksbill.

–WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO –