Shenandoah National Park
200 miles of sky-high ridges and black bearsAlong Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, 105 miles of winding Skyline Drive lead through dense forests, past 1,400 plant species and black bears roaming the 200,000-acre wilderness.
Just 75 miles from Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park covers 197,411 acres of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. You can watch black bears dig for insects in Big Meadows, hike to the thundering 93-foot Overall Run Falls, or photograph the Shenandoah Valley from any of Skyline Drive's 75 overlooks. The park's 500 miles of hiking trails wind through oak-hickory forests, across mountain streams, and up to the 4,051-foot Hawksbill Peak.
Wildlife and Natural Environment
The park's elevation ranges from 500 to over 4,000 feet, creating zones of oak-hickory forests at lower elevations and spruce-fir forests near the peaks. Black bears become most active in spring and summer, especially around Big Meadows where blackberry and blueberry patches grow. White-tailed deer graze in the meadows, while wild turkeys and more than 200 bird species inhabit the forest canopy and understory. You'll have the best chance to see wildlife before 9 AM and after 6 PM, particularly at Big Meadows and along quieter trails like Lewis Mountain.
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