Shenandoah National Park, National park in Virginia, United States.
Shenandoah National Park is a long, narrow national park along the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, stretching 105 miles from near Front Royal to near Waynesboro. Skyline Drive follows the ridgeline, with the Shenandoah River valley to the west and the Virginia Piedmont to the east. Hawksbill Mountain is the highest peak at 4,051 feet, and almost 40% of the land is designated wilderness.
The United States Congress established the park in late 1935 after purchasing land that had previously been farmed. Workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps built paths, shelters, and roads in the following years.
The name Shenandoah is generally traced to an indigenous language, though its meaning is debated. The park's early years were segregated: most of it was open only to white visitors under the "separate but equal" principle, and racial segregation ended after World War II, with general access from 1950.
Skyline Drive is the main road running through the park and provides access to overlooks, trailheads, and campgrounds. In autumn the changing leaf colors draw many visitors, while in winter some sections may close due to snow.
A section of the Appalachian Trail runs through the park, linking it to a long-distance footpath that extends across multiple states. Wildlife such as black bears and white-tailed deer live in the forests and are sometimes spotted along roads and trails.
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